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MSU is Among Five HBCUs Selected for Partnership to Create Custom Biopharma Educational Programming and Increase Recruitment of Black Talent in the Biopharma Industry
BALTIMORE — Despite representing roughly 12% of the U.S. adult population, in biopharma, Black professionals account for just 7% of the total workforce and 3% of executive teams. In an initiative designed to curb this trend, Bristol Myers Squibb—one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies—has forged a unique partnership with Morgan State University to increase access to and awareness of the biopharma industry among Black talent and build a diverse talent pipeline. The initiative is part of Bristol Myers Squib’s Tomorrow’s Innovators, a multimillion-dollar strategic alliance to attract top HBCU-affiliated talent to the bio-pharma industry in the next five years.
Tomorrow’s Innovators extends the health equity and diversity and inclusion commitments announced by Bristol Myers Squibb in 2020, which includes the goal of increasing the diversity of the company’s workforce. By the end of 2022, Bristol Myers Squibb aims to double executive representation of Black and Hispanic/Latino employees in the U.S. and achieve gender parity at the executive level globally.
“We applaud Bristol Myers Squibb for their initiative and bold steps towards cultivating diversity and workplace equity in the very consequential biopharma industry in a manner that will certainly advance student access and spur innovation within the ranks of our most talented,” said David K. Wilson, president of Morgan State University. “Through our collaboration in this effort, not only will our faculty and students be able to take advantage of all the opportunities participation in ‘Tomorrow’s Innovators’ affords, but we also intend to make good on its promise and deliver the leaders who are primed to compete and prepared for success.”
Designed to reach diverse talent sooner in their undergraduate career, Tomorrow’s Innovators will provide them the support and education needed to reach their career goals within the biopharma industry. Through this alliance, Bristol Myers Squibb and the HBCUs seek to:
- design and host specific career-focused workshops for diverse talent
- develop a two-way exchange program with commercial leaders and faculty members to facilitate knowledge sharing, collaboration and research development opportunities
- create custom biopharma curriculum to further prepare diverse students for internships and career opportunities within the biopharma sector, which is an area of historical underrepresentation.
“At Bristol Myers Squibb, we believe that bringing innovative medicines to patients requires a workforce with diverse experiences, perspectives and personal backgrounds that reflect the diverse patients and communities we serve around the world,” said Chris Boerner, Executive Vice President, Chief Commercialization Officer at Bristol Myers Squibb. “While there is still more to do in addressing racial and societal equity, programs like Tomorrow’s Innovators provide a critical opportunity to reach diverse talent sooner and cultivate a richer talent pipeline within our industry. When diversity is celebrated and inclusion is intentional, everyone benefits, especially our patients.”
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Howard University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff join Morgan to round out the principal HBCU partners in the inaugural effort.
For more information on the Tomorrow’s Innovators program, visit https://www.bms.com/tomorrows-innovators.
About Bristol Myers Squibb
Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about Bristol Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
About Morgan
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 120 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
Media Contact(s):
Larry Jones or Dell Jackson, University PR
(443) 885-3022
Yakub Mohamed
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ymohamed@webershandwick.com
