These are exciting times for Life Science and STEM students in Connecticut. Many opportunities and ventures are being launched to great success, offering a talent pipeline for student interns and graduates.
At Southern Connecticut State University, the SCSU Innovation Hub supports several grant-funded programs that help students gain the skills, experiences, and access to internships and jobs with companies in Connecticut’s Life Science and STEM industries.
The burgeoning Life Science sector in Southern Connecticut has provided many opportunities for students to make meaningful contributions to fast growing companies at the forefront of advances in therapies for a variety of medical conditions, including treatment for cancer.
One startup in Branford, EvolveImmune Therapeutics, is revolutionizing cancer treatments by focusing on new, precision medicines that deliver both sustained immune activation and tumor cell targeting in a single agent. A growing team of specialized scientists, including a cohort of student interns and recent graduates supports the company’s efforts.
“I’ve been granted the opportunity to work with state-of-the-art technology and scientific methods beyond what I would have imagined,” said Dylan Hegedus, a Senior majoring in Biotechnology at Southern, is interning at EvolveImmune:
Amber Fearnley graduated from in Southern in 2021 with a BS in Biology and joined EvolveImmune as a Research Associate in June 2021 following her internship with the company. Fearnley credits Southern’s BioPath program with connecting her to the opportunity.
“When EvolveImmune reached out to local universities about the internship, BioPath laid the groundwork for me by helping with my CV, interviewing and networking. It made such a big difference in my application,” she said. More than 1,000 students have graduated from the BioPath program since it was established in 2015, with another 800 due to enter the workforce before 2026. In 2021, BioPath placed 28 students and graduates in internships and jobs, 39 in 2022, 44 in 2023, and 13 already in 2024.
Notably, 35 percent of students or graduates placed in STEM jobs and internships identify as persons of color (above the national average of less than 25 percent).
Oksana Sergeeva, Principal Scientist of Immunobiology at EvolveImmune said that hands-on experience is the best way for students to learn how research and biotech work:
“We have been lucky to have had three fantastic cohorts of students in our year-long internship program, representing many schools around New Haven,” Sergeeva said. “As a mentor, I see students growing in their confidence in the laboratory, learning so much, and making a meaningful contribution.”
Students seeking internships and entry level opportunities at Life Science and STEM companies in Connecticut will find more information at: biopath.southernct.edu/internships/
On April 11, The SCSU Innovation Hub will present Connecting Students and Professionals of Color, at which area professionals will speak about career opportunities in STEM for under-represented students. Visit biopath.southernct.edu/institute-elements/connecting-students-and-professionals-of-color/ for more information.
