One of Keck Graduate Institute's most successful graduates, Hutch Humphreys, has been selected to participate on a distinguished alumni panel at the Professional Science Master's Sixth Biennial Meeting in November.

Humphreys, manager of regulatory strategy at Amylin Pharmaceuticals in San Diego, will talk about his career accomplishments since graduating from KGI with a Master of Bioscience (MBS) degree in 2003.

Thankful for the honor, Humphreys said being chosen for the panel is "a good reflection on the training and education I received at KGI." He added that the two-year MBS program was excellent preparation for a career in the regulatory profession.

"The training at KGI allowed me to hit the ground running here at Amylin," he said. "I was a lot more aware of all the various functions of the company and what their purpose was instead of feeling things out when I got there."

Unlike most people in the regulatory field who come from science backgrounds, Humphreys had the advantage of business training as well which gave him a better understanding of budgeting and market forecasting relevant to the company's work.

A former U.S. Navy Quality Assurance Officer on a nuclear submarine, Humphreys learned valuable leadership experience and skills interpreting Department of Defense regulations and applying them. Now, he essentially does the same with Food and Drug Administration rules.

"There are a lot of similar principles between the two," Humphreys said.

Humphreys received national recognition in 2006 when he was awarded the RAPS (Regulatory Affairs Professional Society) New Professional Award for exceptional service to the profession and the society.

Dan Chatham, dean of admissions and financial aid, said Humphreys' participation on the national panel helps represent all KGI alumni and more generally all PSM alumni from schools across the country.

"He's a good example for future PSM students," Chatham said.

The Professional Science Master's, dubbed the "21^st Century MBA," is an innovative, relatively new graduate degree designed to allow students to pursue advanced training in math and science while at the same time developing business skills that are highly valued by employers.

The sixth biennial meeting will take place Nov. 4-6, 2009, at the Washington Court Hotel in Washington, DC.

- By Elaine Regus

KGI Background

Educating the future leaders of the bioscience industry, Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) offers an interdisciplinary graduate education through its Master of Bioscience (MBS) degree program and its PhD program in Applied Life Sciences. Using team-based learning and real-world projects, KGI's innovative curriculum seamlessly combines applied life sciences, bioengineering, bioethics and business management. KGI also has a robust research program concentrating on the translation of basic discoveries in the life sciences into applications that can benefit society. KGI is a member of The Claremont Colleges, located in Claremont, California.

Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences is dedicated to education and research aimed at translating into practice, for the benefit of society, the power and potential of the life sciences.