Message from our AAPS WIPS Chair, Julia Sable
We are thrilled to kick off the new year with renewed energy and commitment to our mission, which includes creating a work environment where every employee feels respected, valued and empowered to thrive. Now more than ever, we remain steadfast in championing inclusion, amplifying diverse voices and fostering belonging for all. As a reminder, Women in Pharmaceutical Sciences (WIPS) is open to ALL AAPS members, so please spread the word! We have a full leadership team now in place, we are poised for a new, vibrant era, which will include even more cross-AAPS collaboration to celebrate allyship and intersectionality.
I would like to extend my deep gratitude to Vibha Jawa for her incredible impact she made as our WIPS Chair from 2024-25. We will aspire to uphold the high standards that Vibha has have set for our community!
On a personal note, the delay in sending this at the start of the new year was due to several work-related escalations and a serious emotional reaction to the current political actions that are seeing from this administration. As a woman, who is here to help lead other women, it is sometimes scary to stand up for what we know is needed, ethical and fair. I wobbled a little bit in January, but I can't let this shock and awe approach move my off my mantra from Sharon McMahon- "I refuse to be distracted from my important work". We all have important work to do on this earth and spending time on things that are out of my control, catastrophizing and unknown future- these are tools of the status quo. If I stay there, I stay stuck. They are trying to take our joy with this approach so I will repeat this mantra when my head starts to spin (and I will turn off the NY Times notifications). Hang in there, we will get through this time with community engagement and love.
Finally, each and every one of you is vital to the success of our global community, and I truly hope that as you set your personal and professional goals for 2025, engaging with WIPS is on the list!
Message from our new AAPS WIPS Vice Chair, Ines Santos
I am honored and excited to be your new Vice-Chair for 2025. It is a privilege to serve such a dynamic and inspiring group of professionals dedicated to advancing the field of pharmaceutical sciences. As we embark on this new year, I am committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment where every member can thrive. Our community is built on the strength of our collective knowledge, experiences, and passion for innovation. Together, we can continue to break barriers, support one another, and make significant contributions to our field.
In the coming months, I look forward to working closely with our Chair, Julia, and all of you to develop initiatives that promote professional growth, mentorship, and networking opportunities. We have an exciting year ahead, filled with events, programs, and collaborations designed to empower and uplift our members.
I encourage each of you to actively participate in our community activities and share your ideas and feedback. Your input is invaluable as we strive to create a vibrant and engaging community that meets the needs of all its members.
Thank you for your continued dedication and support. I am eager to connect with many of you and work together to achieve our shared goals.
Coming up in Q1…
First up, WIPS will host the current and former AAPS Fellows for a panel discussion to answer questions you have about their application, experience as fellows and follow up on their careers after being fellows. Come meet some impressive junior AAPS members and get to know them.
Second, WIPS will provide a recorded discussion with helpful job aide for applications to the Alice Tully Award (co-sponsored by the DEI community) will provide a backwards preparation rad map that will be helpful for applications to this award. You will find this approach helpful for many types of applications for fellowships, grant preparation and job interview readiness.
• We at WIPS realize that we will never get perfect schedules that allow us to attend awesome development talks or panels because work is worky. To accommodate this, WIPS will be recording all our events this year and posting to the community page and LinkedIN for easy access to help you do you for development activities on your time. We will send you reminders to past events as a way to help you learn when you need a break or need advice for a specific issue.
Stay Tuned! We have exciting events planned for International Women's Day and Women's History Month in March!
Monthly WIPS Community meetings will start on February 27th, you will receive an email and we have it posted in a stand-alone thread. If you are not getting our WIPS emails- please email Ines to be added to our list [email protected]
We have a lot of great activities planned for this year and want to see you at our monthly meetings- please mark your calendar and join us Feb 27th.
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Julia Sable Ph.D.
Director CMC Project Management Viral Vector PDe
Kite Pharma
Ambler PA
[email protected]Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.
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