Who Are We

 

BICP is a graduate student organization at the University of Pittsburgh. Our members comprise a diverse network of life sciences students, professionals, and faculty across multiple schools, companies, and startup community stakeholders. 

 

Mission

 

To connect students with industry and the biomedical startup community. These connections empower students to find mentorship and experiential learning opportunities that impart commercial thinking, a perspective critical for career success in industry, entrepreneurship, and translational academic research.

 

Vision

 

Every BioE student interested in translating academic research graduates with the capacity to do so.

 

Purpose

 

For bioengineering graduate students and faculty, the dream of improving or saving lives is most directly realized when the technologies we develop are made available to patients through commercialization. As students, learning about entrepreneurship and technology transfer empowers us to guide our ownresearch toward having a larger societal impact.

 

Approach

 

• Awareness  - Identifying and sharing with students existing entrepreneurship/commercializationcourses, workshops, competitions, and experiential learning opportunities

• Mobilization – Uniting and motivating bioengineering students to participate in externalentrepreneurship/commercialization programming

• New Events – Developing new entrepreneurship/commercialization programming complementary to that offered by Pitt and external entities

 

Core Activities

 

• Bridges to Bio - Semi-annual networking reception

• Panther Tank - Angel investing competition

• Panel discussion series on life sciences entrepreneurship

• Monthly newsblasts promoting related community events

• Mobilization – Uniting and motivating bioengineering students to participate in externalentrepreneurship/commercialization programming

 

Impact

 

• Networking 

  • ​Our networking events draw over 50 attendees and include students and professionals (entreprenuers, industry, clilnicians, investors, consultants, faculty, recruiters, and more)

  • Our newsblasts dramtically increase student participation in community events such as Biomedical Breakfasts, BioBlast, and PA Bio Life Sciences events

• Education

  • ​​Students have the opportunity to develop investment and startup pitch skills at Panther Tank

  • Students gain valuable professional development opportunities in our discussion panels

• Experience

  • ​Through advertising opportunities and internships available in the community in thew newsblasts, BICP provides an avenue for students to gain experience and has placed interns and volunteers in various positions

• Engagement​

  • ​We have over 150 subscribers (and growing), including nearly 100 students and over 50 professionals