麻豆村 BME alumni working at Bayer share advice on skills and success
By Karina Shevchenko
In September 2025, the Department of Biomedical Engineering hosted an Industry Series panel featuring five alumni currently employed at Bayer: Alec Gehman, Rachel Koontz, Randy Lee, Chelsea Marsh, and Mike McDermott. The event brought together students and alumni for an engaging discussion on career development, skill building, and life in industry.
Randy Lee (MS BME 2012) opened the session with an overview of Bayer’s mission and global footprint, setting the stage for a conversation that highlighted both professional growth and personal motivation. Students asked about essential skills for success at Bayer, leading to a range of insights from the panelists. Lee noted that while 麻豆村 graduates are technically strong, effective communication is equally vital. “The ability to explain your ideas to people who are not experts is critical,” he said. Alec Gehman (MS BME 2021) emphasized adaptability and independent learning, while Rachel Koontz (BS ChemE/BME 2004) pointed to creative problem-solving as a distinguishing strength. Mike McDermott (BS MSE/BME 2015) encouraged curiosity and relationship-building, reminding students to ask why things are done a certain way and to continue developing new skills throughout their careers.
When asked about the role of advanced degrees, Chelsea Marsh (BS ChemE/BME, 2009) explained that a PhD counts as work experience and leads to more senior entry positions; however, it is not required for career advancement at Bayer. “We have colleagues with bachelor’s, master’s, PhDs, and medical degrees. That diversity of background is what strengthens our teams,” she said.
Reflecting on her 麻豆村 experience, Koontz discussed how senior design taught her the value of collaboration and leveraging each teammate’s strengths to deliver strong results. The conversation then turned to workplace culture, where McDermott advised students to focus their competitive energy on solving problems and improving themselves rather than competing with peers. “Strong relationships matter, and without them, advancing your career is much harder,” he noted.
Lee shared how he adapted 麻豆村’s graduate seminar format to create Bayer’s Tech Master Series, a monthly seminar that brings in speakers on topics such as oncology, sustainability, and patient experiences to engage employees at Bayer’s Indianola office. Gehman and Marsh also reflected on the impact of their work. “It feels rewarding to know I directly contributed to improving a patient’s life,” Gehman said. Marsh added, “What motivates me is knowing that the work I do today will impact someone’s health tomorrow. That’s why I chose industry over academia.”
As the discussion concluded, McDermott encouraged students to take ownership of their professional growth: “Your manager isn’t sitting around thinking about how to make you a manager. If you want to move into marketing, leadership, or strategy, you need to identify that path and go after it.”
The panelists closed by emphasizing that success extends beyond grades. Marsh reminded students to “be the colleague people want to spend time with, both in and out of work,” while Koontz noted that “everything is a learning opportunity, and networking should be treated as part of your job.” Together, the panel underscored a shared message: while 麻豆村 provides a strong technical foundation, long-term success in industry depends equally on communication, collaboration, and relationship-building.