Jessica Blomberg, Ph.D.

Owner of Quality CMC Consulting, and Board Member of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF)

Jessica Blomberg, Ph.D. is the owner of Quality CMC Consulting—a company that she founded to support biotech, pharmaceutical, and medical device companies. She is also a Board Member of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, the Triangle Business Journal’s 2020 Life Science Consultant of the Year, a graduate of UCF from the Burnett Honors College with a B.S. in Chemistry, and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Duke University. In this issue, Jessica shares her experiences and advice on the importance of networking for both students and alumni, as they prepare for the next phase of their lives and careers.
“Explore and talk to as many people as possible to see what opportunities are out there. Create a LinkedIn profile, work it, and have conversations with people. Engage with contacts and ask questions – where they work, what they do, and how they got there. Build on and connect those networks! Don’t be shy!”
Tell us about your early years at UCF and how that helped you segue into your graduate studies and first job(s).
I studied Chemistry at UCF and was part of the Burnett Honors College. UCF taught me the value of volunteering and networking; I volunteered with the American Chemical Society (ACS) student chapter working my way to President. My undergraduate research advisor, Dr. Cunningham, nominated me for the ASF Astronaut Scholarship, which I was awarded for two years, and in my Senior year and following this, I was fortunate to get a co-op position at Siemens Westinghouse which provided me with valuable on-the-job training and then a full-time position after graduation. All these events provided me with the motivation to work toward my Ph.D. at Duke University (also in Chemistry) as I appreciated the type of job responsibilities as a B.S. level chemist. I also started tutoring while at UCF and continued tutoring during graduate school. After Duke, I went to work at a start-up oncology company heading the Chemistry Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) department and remained there for five years. Afterwards, I worked at various midsize companies before founding my consulting company 8 years ago.
How did networking, knowing who you know, and taking advantage of opportunities help you in your career?
On a professional level, I think volunteering is an important part of networking. I spent seven years volunteering (while working) in various positions with the non-profit North Carolina Pharmaceutical Discussion Group of American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (NCPDG-AAPS). I volunteered to be the secretary, treasurer, co-chair, and chair. We hosted 4-5 events each year providing education and networking opportunities to the North Carolina pharma/biotech community. NCPDG-AAPS provided a strong network that launched my consulting career; while attending an event, I took a call and was told my position was eliminated (I was part of the 50% layoff at the company). I used this as a chance to leverage the network in front of me. I took advantage of the opportunities available in the room and announced to audience I was just laid off and open to consulting prospects. Interestingly enough, my first client for my new consulting company was someone in that audience! Eight years later, I was awarded the 2020 Triangle Business Journal Life Science Consultant of the Year; my business grew organically by word of mouth from my network, clients, and other consultants. Starting in 2021, I continued my concentration of local networking as a Board Member-at-Large for the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) South East Chapter. My success is due to the power of volunteering and networking and I truly believe that Volunteering = Individual Growth = Networking = Stronger Community.
How did being involved with ASF help you succeed and then enable you to give back as a board member?
Receiving the ASF Scholarship from 1996-1998, then called the Mercury 7 Scholarship, allowed me to focus on what was important, my undergraduate studies and cancer research, by alleviating some financial burden. I was working as a secretary in the UCF Chemistry Department and the scholarship funds prevented the need for second employment. If not for the Burnett Honors College at UCF and the scholarship from ASF, my life path would have been extremely different. Due to that experience, I always knew that, someday if possible, I would give back to the ASF program in an effort to help other students reach their goals. Beyond the career implications, volunteering and giving back is personally very important to me. My second journey with ASF began with my involvement with their Astronaut Scholar mentoring program and continued with my volunteering for various committees, including working with the Center for Creative Leadership to create a professional development platform for the scholars as well. Currently, as an ASF Board Member, my contribution has deepened as a Scholar Alum voice to the Board. My goals are to increase the awareness of ASF as the leading STEM undergraduate scholarship and build relationships specifically with the pharma/biotech community. I know the importance of pairing scholars with entrepreneurs, so we are also working on various projects that will optimize opportunities for students in that realm. Expanding the opportunities for the ASF Scholars helps propel them to continue to do great things and be future tech leaders. We proudly supported 56 scholars this past year (2020) from 41 different nationwide university partners with scholarships valued up to $15,000 each.
Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently when you were a student?
I wish I would have traveled more; of course, as a student I did not possess the funds to make this a reality, but looking back, I would’ve tried harder to creatively make that happen. Traveling to new places and meeting new people really expands your network and your perspective of the world. I appreciate, outside of Covid-19, that my job permits me to travel internationally. We learn through the experience of travel by gaining context and perspective, and it makes us wiser by teaching us to better appreciate and adapt to life experiences. You strengthen your intuition and self-reliance when you travel around the world; you learn how to react to new environments and issues, and you grow to appreciate other people, their cultures, differences, and similarities. If you talk to other people about their experiences, it not only broadens your perspective, but it also makes you appreciate their backgrounds, talents, and uniqueness. I don’t necessary advise taking a gap year, yet do take advantage of yearly school calendar breaks with the amazing student travel discounts.
What is the best advice you would give to our students today?
Students are really focused on work/life balance. Now with COVID-19, that line is blurred. For many jobs, you can work remotely and as a global society, we work across many time zones. I would advise students to find something that they are truly passionate about and good at, that enables them to be self-sufficient and make an honest living. In their time off from their studies/work, they should focus on things (outside of school) that they love—and do those things as often as they are able. Students have firm goals for their education, yet they also need to learn how to set boundaries and personal goals outside their professional life. There are many opportunities for them to grow, and it is important to remain open and self-aware when opportunities arise. They should not only be consumed with their studies, yet also focus on increasing their self-awareness, volunteering, networking, and traveling. Students should not fret on making everything perfect, and trust that they know themselves and respect their individual priorities; this way, they will succeed on their own terms!