The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) is an international membership organization with 38 chapters and affiliates serving 20,000 members worldwide. With over 1600 members, the Boston Area Chapter is the largest of the 13 ISPE Chapters located in the U.S.

ISPE was created to support the educational and networking needs of drug developers and manufacturers, their suppliers and those seeking to enter and advance in this exciting and dynamic arena. Although ISPE primarily targets the engineering professionals responsible for drug manufacture, it also attracts and supports professionals in related areas such as R&D, quality assurance, clinical trials and regulatory affairs.

Committed to “sharing pharmaceutical knowledge,” among the many benefits ISPE provides are multi-day training sessions on a variety of technical topics led by industry experts; guidance documents describing industry best practices; and online Communities of Practice (COPs) facilitating knowledge sharing among members.

The Boston Area Chapter is the largest of the 13 ISPE Chapters located in the U.S. and includes the six New England states and the Albany/Schenectady area.  The Chapter currently serves over 1,600 members, including 300 student members attending colleges and universities throughout the region.

The Chapter’s mission is to provide technical education, professional development, knowledge sharing and professional networking opportunities for its members. To complement these goals, the Chapter seeks to inspire promising students in STEM fields to enter the pharma and biopharma industries through its partnership with the ISPE Boston Area Chapter Scholarship Foundation and its Joel Goldenberg Memorial Scholarship program.

To accomplish its mission, the Chapter sponsors an array of monthly events, from educational programs to networking socials and recreational activities such as ski trips and golf outings. The Chapter’s annual flagship event is a one-day Product Show, the largest in New England, which generates the revenue needed to fund the Chapter’s many activities and enables the Chapter to make a generous, annual contribution to the Scholarship Foundation.

The Boston Area Chapter has developed an array of activities and member benefits designed to fulfill the unique needs of its youngest members:

• students enrolled at a college, university, or other educational institution; and
• young professionals just starting out in the industry (1-4 years post-graduation).

In addition to the activities geared for students at the 14 ISPE Student Chapters located at local colleges and universities, these include:

• a mentoring program that pairs industry veterans with undergrads and job seekers,
• an Annual Career Forum for those newly entering the industry,
• an online Job Board filled with career opportunities and internships, and
• an array of casual, fun activities for students and young professionals.

To encourage students and young professionals to become members, ISPE offers attractive, discounted membership fees for these groups. Visit the ISPE website at ispe.org/membership/join to learn more about becoming an ISPE student or young professional member and begin taking advantage of the many benefits available to members at both the international and local levels.