InTouch
September / October 2019

ISPE Briefs: New Communities of Practice Platform to Offer New Capabilities and More

Marcy Sanford
Communities of Practice Platform

ISPE will introduce a new platform this fall for online Communities of Practice (CoPs) that will make the Communities of Practices more useful and user-friendly. Participating in a Communities of Practice by posting a question or responding to a post is a great way for ISPE members to meet colleagues from all parts of the world and exchange or gain knowledge.

The new Communities of Practice platform will have enhanced posting capabilities, making discussions even more useful and robust. Participants will be able to include images within a discussion post to help illustrate a point or give a visual reference when asking for advice. The new platform will also make it easier to follow discussions, recommend discussions to others, and save discussions for later reference. Also included will be an improved search function and enhanced networking features such as personalized user profiles and the ability to link to other social media profiles.

ISPE has 16 Communities of Practices in a variety of areas, including Biotechnology, Critical Utilities, Commissioning and Qualification (C&Q), GAMP®, and Project Management. Please email if you have any questions about the new platform. 

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Panel Celebrates College’s First Biomanufacturing Graduates and Career Planning

On 22 April 2019, more than 40 professionals and students attended the ISPE Solano Community Advisory Panel at Solano Community College in Fairfield, California. This event was in honor of the first graduating class from the Solano Community College Bachelor of Science Program in Biomanufacturing.

The event focused on industry trends, as well as career opportunities for both novice and established professionals. Panelists included Sri Gavini, Busi-ness Development Manager, Process-West Coast, Emerson Automation Solutions; Kim Ngan Huynh, Quality Control Associate, Genentech; Paul Lauer, Strategic Facilities Advisor at Business Development Connections; and Cassy Gardner, Group Engineering Manager, Banks Integration Group.

Key points from the panel included the importance of identifying a mentor in your company; maintaining excellent interpersonal working relationships with coworkers; the benefits of seeking out and taking advantage of opportunities offered; and the value of face-to-face interactions and connections with future potential employers. Cell therapy and automation were industry sectors identified as areas for future career growth.

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CALL FOR ARTICLES in 2020: SUBMIT YOUR ARTICLE TO Pharmaceutical Engineering

Pharmaceutical Engineering is always looking for great technical articles, features, and editorials on topics of interest to members. Check out the author guidelines and more for submissions. New: The 2020 Editorial Calendar with themes is posted. Your article does not have to be related to an issue’s theme, although we welcome submissions on theme. Contact Susan Sandler for more information.

We’d like to feature your chapter, affiliate, or other ISPE group in an upcoming ISPE Briefs! Share highlights from training programs, conferences, social events, or other activities with other ISPE members in an article of 250 to 400 words. We welcome photos, too; these should be 300 dpi or >1 MB. Send your submissions to Susan Sandler, Editorial Director.

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