Meet Robin Ng—Featured YP for March

Robin received his B.S. in chemical and materials engineering from National Central University, Taiwan. He holds a Ph.D. in chemical and biomolecular engineering from The Ohio State University. His research focused on three-dimensional stem cell culture and process development as well as on the fabrication of nanomaterials for tissue engineering applications, on which he has published and reviewed numerous papers. Robin started his career as a process development scientist at Goodwin Biotechnology, Inc. in Plantation, Florida, where he developed cell culture processes for his clients. He is currently a senior bioengineer in cell culture process development at Shire Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His contributions include the development of manufacturing process for new therapeutic drugs and supporting new facility start-ups. He is a certified Six Sigma Green Belt with expertise in the area of cell culture and fermentation technologies and holds several hours of project management training. During his studies at Ohio State, Robin co-founded Techriculture, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping investors and scientists in early-stage technology commercialization, product ideation, and prototype development. During that period, Robin worked with BioOhio (previously Omeris) to prepare the 2005 Ohio Biosciences Growth Report and on biobusiness attraction efforts. In 2006, his team finished third on the Deloitte Business Plan Competition held by Fisher College of Business. He holds several hours of product development credit hours from PDMA. During his career, Robin has served on the advisory boards of the Institute of Technology Innovation and the Eugenio Pino Global Entrepreneurship Center at Florida International University. Robin currently serves on the advisory boards of the Society for Biological Engineering, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the Biotechnology Program at Miami Dade College in Miami. He also serves on the scientific advisory board for Cambridge Health Institute's Bioprocessing Summit and is vice-chairing the AIChE Young Professional Committee. During his involvement with several local non-profit organizations in Columbus, Ohio, he has helped raise more than $30,000. Robin's current involvement with NAAAP Boston includes designing a professional development curriculum for young professionals of Asian background. He is passionate about building leaders and serving the community.

Below is my recent interview with Robin

Felicia: Where are you from?

Robin: I was born and raised in Indonesia

Felicia: Where did you complete/are you completing your chemical engineering education?

Robin: I received my Bachelor degree from National Central University in Taiwan and my doctoral degree from The Ohio State University.

Felicia: How long have you been a member of AIChE?

Robin: I have been an AIChE member for 9 years now.

Felicia: What company/institution do you work for?

Robin: I am currently working for Shire Pharmaceuticals as a senior bioengineer

Felicia: Describe a recent challenge you managed, notable achievement, or obstacle you overcame at your job or in your work as an AIChE member?

Robin: Balance has always been a focus of my career. I strongly believe in the philosophy of finding a balance between body and mind, giving and taking, contributing and learning, etc. One of the greatest challenges that I have managed is giving something up. Sometimes it is difficult to let go of a project and give it away. But, there are a lot of lessons from life that I have learned, and letting go is one of them. We will never have time to complete everything we want. But the most important thing is to do the best we can with what we have.

Felicia: What do you do to meet people in your field?

Robin: There are always plenty of opportunities to network during a conference. AIChE conferences are great venues to meet people in my field. In addition, volunteering also increases visibility in the field. My involvement through AIChE has allowed me to discover people who share my passions. Through my involvement with the Young Professional Committee, I have worked with individuals who are passionate about helping and reaching out to students as well as improving the quality of our conferences. My involvement with the Society for Biological Engineering has also widened my horizons and allowed me to make an impact in my field.

Felicia: Tell us a little bit about yourself: What is one of your hobbies? How do you spend your spare time? What's your favorite place to travel? Or anything else you'd like to share...

Robin: I enjoy reading books and biographies and challenge myself to keep learning new knowledge in every possible way. Besides, I am very passionate about professional development and creating leaders. I enjoy sport very much and I am a HUGE Buckeyes fan. We just had our first baby boy. He is six months old now. We are pretty busy with our new family member. I just came back from visiting my family in Indonesia and nothing feels better than being with the ones you love. I cherish that time.

Felicia: Where can readers ChEnect with you (other than ChEnected)?

Robin: I can be reached through my LinkedIn page. Feel free to contact me if I can be of any help.

Join us in CONGRATULATING Robin by commenting below.