Integrated Science, Business, and Technology

Name: Trans “RJ” Olpindo Lualhati
Graduation Year:  2016
Major/Minor: ISBT (Integrated Science, Business and Technology), with a Biotechnology concentration
Current Job/Company: 3D Printing Materials Engineer, Trauma | Depuy Synthes

Can you tell me about Dashbot and how it started?

Dashbot is a 3D Printing and Prototyping company that started and was founded in my dorm (St. Basil’s) my fall semester of my Junior year (2014). I started the company because at that time I was at my lowest. I was not doing well in school and I had just gotten out of long term relationship with my then girlfriend. So my mind was not focused, nor was I motivated to do anything. But one thing kept me kind of on track, and that was ISBT and 3D printing. Dr. Weaver had showed me what a 3D printer was and some of its capabilities. My mind at the time became so wrapped up and obsessed with the machine that I bought two printers the next day and played with them and learned the ins and outs of it. With my research I found that only so much was being done with them. So I ventured out and found helpful and necessary things that could be printed out. I got into the automotive field because I was printing knobs and dashboard items for my car that were broken and were hard to find. Business innovation solutions and consulting was already strong skill of mine, so I made that into a division. Household items became a division because I was printing out door stops, spare command hooks, toothbrush holders and so much more in my dorm and found it as another cool and fun “need” in that market and also made it convenient for people in my dorm to grab what they needed from me since it was being made in house essentially. My medical division was my strongest division since it was my main passion to get into healthcare. With the formation of my company, I researched and developed more prototypes of prosthetics and anatomical models for learning purposes and that already took off since no one in Philadelphia was doing it. Also my concentration was biotechnology and for that reason I gave my whole self to helping those in need. The spring semester of my junior year is when I made headlines in Philadelphia and on campus when I made a 3D printed prosthetic hand for Chef James who is currently still a cook in the La Salle Union building. Because of this, La Salle took notice as to how we could further technology like 3D printing to assist students through education.

But in all, Dashbot is a holding company for my four divisions which include automotive prototyping, innovative business solutions, medical and anatomical prototypes and household needs. These four divisions became the top fields that 3D printing was growing in and I wanted to impact these markets with my designs, innovation plans and printed goods.

The medical division, I no longer hold within Dashbot due to conflict of interests with Depuy Synthes which is my current employer. Essentially they brought me into the company because of my extensive knowledge in 3D printing and medical devices so it was best that I took my talents and focus to Depuy and not with Dashbot.

What made you decide to major in the ISBT program at La Salle?

What made me go into the ISBT program was because of its unique culture and rarity of the major. It is unique and rare at the same time because there only a few integrated programs that have science and business together in the US. Instead of double majoring in a specific science and specific form of business, the ISBT program gives you all of the sciences, and the necessary business tools to make you walk the walk, and talk the talk at the same time. My ability to not only showcase my passion through science, but when it comes down to making money and talking numbers, the ISBT program really instills the balance that some people cannot achieve.

How do you think La Salle helped prepare you for your career?

La Salle prepared me for my career by being the older sibling I never had. I use that reference because growing and learning at La Salle, I became independent and empowered without the constraints of being sheltered and watched over like a hawk. La Salle was always there to catch me when I fell when trying but always helped me up but never lead me by the hand. I did things with a purpose without anyone telling me what to do. But when I made mistakes and hit barriers, La Salle as whole was there to guide me but not hand things to me. I loved that feeling so much. Academically, the professors on campus were so open and became very close to me. Because of the small size of our campus, the student to teacher ratio was low, making it very easy for me to get a hold of any professor when I needed help. Unlike other institutions where the student to teacher ratio is so high, the relationship building aspect is lost and I knew that from seeing some of my other friends fail because they couldn’t get the necessary help they desired. At La Salle, I got help when I wanted it and when I needed it.

Name: Hannah McGary
Major: Integrated Science, Business, and Technology
Minor: Spanish
Projected Graduation/Class Year: May 2018
Hometown: Santa Rosa, California
Sports/Clubs/Organizations: Volleyball

What helped you decide on ISBT as a major?

I decided on ISBT as a major because I was caught between majoring in some type of science or environmental program. I knew from taking higher level biology courses in high school that I did not just want to be a biology major. I also knew I enjoyed learning about science, but more specifically the technology that has real world application. I was not exactly sure what I was signing up for when I began ISBT, but I knew I liked the mixture of three different fields.

What has your experience in La Salle’s ISBT Program been like so far?

My experience in the ISBT program has been amazing so far. The professors have always been supportive, encouraging, and inspiring. We do a lot of work in groups throughout the different ISBT courses, and I have enjoyed getting to know and working with pretty much every ISBT student in my class.

What do you hope to do with your degree after graduating?

I hope to work in the biotechnology industry somewhere between the science and the business. There are a lot of positions within the industry that involve communication between the scientists and the business and ISBT has really helped prepare me for those jobs. By majoring in ISBT, I have a unique mixture of both science and business that has a real world application.

Who are some people who you look up to and help keep you inspired?

Dr. Nancy Jones, Dr. William Weaver, Dr. Jason Diaz, and Marsha Timmerman are all amazing professors as well as people. They truly care about every single ISBT student and they are always available to help the students with anything we need. The four of them have helped me personally decide which concentrations to follow, how to work in teams, and how to succeed when I go into the real world. The amount of patience, passion, and dedication to teaching that each one of these ISBT professors has is truly inspiring. Anybody who has met them would tell you the same.

What has been your favorite class in or out of the program so far?

My favorite course so far was a collaboration course called Life Science Innovation that included the ISBT and Biology departments. In this course we worked with the Wistar Institute to market three of their research projects. I was in a group with one biology student, one chemistry student, and a fellow ISBT student and we worked on a project about ovarian cancer bio-markers. We had the opportunity to go to the Wistar Institute  and collaborate with a few of the employees. At the end of the semester we presented to a group of investors, in a similar format as the show Shark Tank. Our group ended up winning and received a bit of reward money!

Outside of academics and the classroom, how do you spend your free time at La Salle?

I spent the majority of my ‘free’ time playing volleyball. Volleyball has been a huge commitment of my time at La Salle and has also been very rewarding. I recently finished volleyball, and now I spend my time with friends, working out, and finding new recipes to make. Having access to a kitchen in the townhouses (and not having my parents to make me food) has enabled me to cook more for myself and really enjoy the process.

How do you think La Salle is helping to prepare you for the future beyond college?

Both the ISBT and Spanish programs have given me a realistic idea of what happens outside of college. I have learned a lot about professional situations and how to handle myself when problems arise. The group work that I have done in the ISBT program has taught me how to work with many different kinds of people, which I know I will be doing a lot of in the future.

Name: Fabian Bergman
Major: ISBT
Concentration: Biotechnology
Projected Graduation/Class Year: 2018
Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden
Sports/Clubs/Organizations: Swim Team

What has your experience in La Salle’s ISBT Program been like so far?

It has been great. I have been introduced to a broad range of areas that can lead into many disciplines.  I’ve learned a lot about not only these areas, but also about many other things. La Salle’s liberal arts program works very well with the ISBT major as one gets an even broader understanding of not only science, but also society, and the world as a whole.

As an international student, what has your experience at La Salle, in Philadelphia, and with the Explorer community been like?

The Explorer community is very open and friendly towards international students. At La Salle we have a large international student body, so it has been easy to connect with them. American students are curious and interested in where I come from, and that has been great since I love to talk about Sweden. Being an international student has helped me form relationships with both students and faculty as it is a good conversation starter. Philadelphia is an amazing city, there are always things to do or see. I take the subway into the city at least two times every week. While there I prefer Steve’s cheesesteaks, a Sixers game, or just casual strolling along the streets.

What do you hope to do with your degree after graduating?

I hope to attend grad school here in Philadelphia where I wish to pursue a master’s degree in science focusing on biotechnology.

Who are some people who you look up to and help keep you inspired?

Anyone doing medical research, I’m fascinated with their dedication to finding answers that will help humanity. They keep me inspired to continue studying, continue learning to one day be able to contribute to the scientific world.

What has been your favorite class in or out of the program so far?

ISBT 201. This class is called “Living Systems II”  and examines various techniques that one might find in a modern day laboratory. We do chromatography of different types (HPLC, GC, column), we do protein separation where we take a chicken egg to see what proteins it contains, we do this through things called SDS-page and Western Blotting. we crystallize proteins (actually get to see crystals in the microscope!) except from this we also examine under what conditions a certain enzyme grows the best.

If you weren’t majoring in ISBT, what do you think you would be doing?

I would be a biochemistry major. But I would not have known this unless I had gone through the ISBT major and found what I liked the most. I would chose ISBT again, because I love the hands on learning experience.

Who has been the most influential member of the La Salle community on your life?

My coach Jamie Platt, who has been a huge part of my life since I came here. He can always tell when I’m stressed with school work or  life itself, and when he does, he pushes me extra hard in the pool 🙂 He is also the reason I am here since he recruited me to his team, so for that I’ll always be grateful.

If you could have dinner with any three people at La Salle, who would they be?

• Tom Gola, ’55, considered the best NCAA basketball player of all time.
• Joe Verdeur, Olympic gold medalist who was a part of the same program as myself. How cool is that?
• Charles Fuller, Pulitzer recipient

How do you think La Salle is helping to prepare you for the future beyond college?

I know that La Salle has helped me develop a good portfolio when it comes to both courses and experience. Throughout my first two years I took part in many “life-skill-building” programs, which everyone are encouraged to join. Except from that La Salle has numerous both career and life preparing “help centers.” The Career Center is always willing to help prepare for internship interviews, looking over resumes etc.

Name: Ryan Nork
Major: Integrated Science, Business, and Technology
Minor: Business Administration
Projected Class Year: 2018
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Sports/Clubs/Organizations:  men’s soccer team, President of National Society of Collegiate Scholars, LEAN Nutrition Club member, Investment Club member

What helped you decide on ISBT as a major? 

I have always had a strong passion for science.  Ever since I was about nine years old I thought the idea of labs and experiments were extremely interesting and always wanted to be involved in a science experiment.  Early on in high school, I became attracted to the idea of self-driving cars, drones, and any artificial intelligence I could learn about.  Around that same time, I became an entrepreneur and started my own lawn mowing and snow removal service with a few of my friends.  At the start of my senior high school season as a soccer player, I committed to play soccer for La Salle University. A brochure was sent to our house explaining various majors and programs offered at La Salle.  Knowing my three strongest areas, science, business, and technology, my mom highly recommended that I consider the ISBT program.  After meeting with Dr. Nancy Jones on my visit to campus, I immediately fell in love with the program, ISBT’s mission, and all of the opportunities it could yield after graduation.  From that moment I have never looked back and still to this day am extremely thankful I made the decision to choose ISBT as my major.

What has your experience in La Salle’s ISBT Program been like so far? 

It is tough for me to put into words how amazing my experience has been as an ISBT major.  The professors, the classes, and the curriculum are incredible and have the student’s future at the forefront.  My freshman year, I had the opportunity to go to the Sea-Phage Symposium and present a poster on the yearlong mycobacterium phage research project that my class was conducting.  Sophomore year, I had the privilege to partner with Dr. Bill Weaver for summer research, learning about the communication between plant roots.  Junior year, my ISBT background allowed me to land an internship at Pfizer working with both the External Connectivity Services Team and the Cybersecurity Team.  I look back and think of the countless lessons, labs, and opportunities that ISBT has provided me.

What do you hope to do with your degree after graduating? 

After graduation, I will begin full time employment with Pfizer.  I was selected for a “Business Technology Rotational Program” in the company and gladly accepted.  My position at Pfizer seems like it was designed for an ISBT major and I am extremely excited to continue my journey in a major pharmaceutical company.  The Rotational Program is designed as a two-year process, where each colleague spends four terms, six months each, in four different sections of the company.  My first six months will be spent with the cybersecurity team protecting Pfizer’s assets and employees.

Who are some people who you look up to and help keep you inspired? 

My parents are my role models.  I like to think that everyone has a “rock” in his or her life.  Your rock is someone that you can go to with any problems, any time of the day, and about basically any topic and it always seems like your rock has an answer for you or a suggestion to help your struggles.  Your rock is also someone who you see as stable, someone who has a future lined up nicely, and someone willing to help pick you up every time you get knocked down. I am very fortunate to have two rocks.  My parents have always been there for me, pushed me at a young age to handle a workload of academics and athletics, and are a support system that I would not be where I am today without their help.  The countless number of hours they would drive for my soccer practices or tournaments, the amount of money they put into my education, and the love they have shown me is unmatched.  When I have a family, if I could be half as good a parent as they were to me, I would say I am successful.

What has been your favorite class in or out of the program so far? 

My favorite class was second semester of my junior year, ISBT 472: Robotics and Arduino design.  In this class, we learned how Ardunio works, how to program them, and how to wire the Arduino to a breadboard to allow it to control different sensors, lights, and buzzers.  My favorite project that I created was an alarm system.  I was able to program the Arduino as a distance sensor, placed it between the door frame, and whenever it would detect motion closer than the other side of the door frame it would shine lights and play sounds from the passive buzzer.  The wiring of the lights and buzzer was all done on a breadboard and could be transported to any door that I wanted to monitor.

Who has been the most influential member of the La Salle community on your life? 

Dr. Bill Weaver has had the most influence on my life out of everyone from the La Salle community.  Up to this point, I have had Dr. Weaver for at least one class each semester for all eight semesters, as well as had him as an adviser for three out of four years.  During my sophomore year, Dr. Weaver approached me and asked if I would like to do faculty-student research with him over the summer.  After learning about the experiment and the knowledge I would get both with plant roots and the 3D printer, it was an extremely easy decision to work with Dr. Weaver for the summer.  Then, towards the end of my junior year, Dr. Weaver posted on the ISBT page talking about internships at Pfizer.  When I read the descriptions, I thought an ISBT major would fit perfectly, applied, and was accepted within a few weeks.  Dr. Weaver and all of the ISBT professors have helped continue to expand my passion for science, business, and technology and I could not be more thankful for each one of them.

Outside of academics and the classroom, how do you spend your free time at La Salle? 

I am a Division 1 soccer player and spend a lot of time on the soccer field.  When I am not traveling for soccer or practicing, I am still hanging out with my team enjoying the company of some of my best friends.  I also like to stay active in the gym and cook for fun.  Finally, I have recently been spending a lot of time learning about and trading crypto currency.  Within the next few months I will be creating a YouTube channel to share my knowledge, grow a team, and hopefully help individuals learn about the positives and negatives of the volatile stock market.

What has been one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned here at La Salle? 

I have always been a fan of being early and never being late.  However, one of the biggest things I learned at La Salle is the importance of time management.  Practicing every day, traveling to games 4-5 hours away, having classes and labs every day, and still making time for studying and homework is not easy.  I have become a very time-driven regimented person and always plan my day out the night before.  One time last semester, I made myself laugh because I even remembered to save two minutes to grab a chocolate milk from the POD after practice, before having to go right to class.  Time management has allowed me to succeed with my classes as well as enjoy time with my friends and family.

How do you think La Salle is helping to prepare you for the future beyond college? 

La Salle is helping to mold a pathway that is built for success.  Being a liberal arts school, each student is given a wealth of knowledge in many different areas.  From that, we choose the path that is calling us the most and make it our own.  For me, I found a love for ISBT and have not looked back since then.  La Salle also offers tons of minors that students can choose to further their educational degree and make themselves a better candidate for a highly competitive job market.  I selected business administration as my minor and plan to continue my education at La Salle in the online MBA Program, while working for Pfizer.