Thinking Outside the Lab
Jamie Shattuck ‘08
Ph.D., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Manager of Corporate Relations, Office of Research
Impact: Building strategic partnerships with industry to bring innovation and education to more people
Working in a lab or pursuing a faculty position would be natural career choices for a scientist with a doctoral degree in biochemistry and molecular biology.
But alumna Jamie Shattuck made a “nonobvious career shift” that instead landed her in an office on campus. She wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Scientists today have great opportunities to contribute to efforts outside of the traditional tracks of becoming a faculty member or working in the labs of a large company,” she explains.
As the manager of corporate relations for the campus’ Office of Research, Shattuck acts as a facilitator and matchmaker between industry and campus. The relationships that she helps forge move education and innovation beyond the walls of the university to reach the public, where they can have the most impact.
On any given day she might facilitate research collaborations, connect businesses to students for career-development and recruitment opportunities, or foster a partnership to bring a university-developed technology to the marketplace.
Shattuck sees her position as an opportunity to interact with many members of the campus community while expanding her passion for science. Her work serves as a constant reminder of the university’s mission as a public land grant institution, something that continues to shape and define her.
“As one example, we are integrating diverse life sciences research into the market to advance human and animal health,” says Shattuck. “No other campus offers the same breadth in research expertise and potential for open collaborations to benefit society.”
