Partnership Introduces Biotech Career Foundations Program to Greater Lowell and Merrimack Valley Residents
Image by Brooke Coupal
05/12/2025
Media contacts: Brooke Coupal, communications, economic impact and research development specialist, Brooke_Coupal@uml.edu, and Nancy Cicco, assistant director of media relations, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
LOWELL, Mass. – When Marco Vargas of Lowell learned of a life sciences workforce training program launching at UMass Lowell in partnership with Bioversity, he jumped at the chance to join.
“I was looking for new career options, and there are a lot of opportunities in life sciences,” he said.
Vargas is one of six area residents enrolled in Bioversity’s Biotech Career Foundations certificate program, which is being offered at UMass Lowell for the first time, backed by funding from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. The free, stipend-supported program is part of a broader vision to transform the city’s economic future through the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor (LINC), a 1.2-million-square-foot mixed-use development project designed to fuel job growth, innovation and access to emerging industries like biotechnology.
Bioversity, a nonprofit workforce training provider that spun out of MassBio in 2023, is a key partner in LINC and a leader in efforts to expand access to life sciences careers in Massachusetts.
“Bioversity seeks to connect underrepresented and low-income residents with new career paths in the life sciences through short-term, industry-aligned trainings,” said Bioversity Executive Director Zach Stanley. “When we consider where the nexus of talented individuals and industry job opportunity lies, Lowell is an obvious candidate, and we’re thrilled to start our first cohort on the UMass Lowell campus, where we get access to amazing instructors, volunteers, equipment and opportunities.”
Over eight weeks, students in the program receive hands-on lab training, technical instruction and career guidance to prepare them for entry-level scientific operations roles. Career coach Steve Jones and UMass Lowell biomedical engineering Ph.D. candidate Marla Hilderbrand-Chae serve as instructors for the program, which takes place at the UMass Lowell Innovation Hub and the Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center at 110 Canal St.
"This program reflects how UMass Lowell’s strengths in research and teaching can directly serve the needs of our community," said UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen. "Through our partnership with Bioversity, we’re helping to create clear pathways for Lowell and Merrimack Valley residents to build rewarding careers in life sciences. It’s an important step forward in realizing the vision behind LINC and strengthening the city’s innovation economy."
Image by Brooke Coupal
On May 12, local and state officials, industry leaders and community partners gathered at UMass Lowell to celebrate the inaugural cohort, hear from the students and tour the training lab. The event featured a roundtable discussion on the value of workforce development and the role of cross-sector partnerships in building pathways to meaningful careers.
“I can think of no better way to fill available jobs at Massachusetts-based life sciences companies than with individuals from our own great communities like Lowell, Haverhill and Lawrence, and this is exactly why MassBio launched Bioversity,” said MassBio CEO and President Kendalle Burlin O’Connell. “What Bioversity is doing is connecting a readymade talent pool with opportunities in an industry that is changing and saving lives, and as a resident of the Merrimack Valley, I am beyond excited to have its first expansion be right here in Lowell. Chancellor Chen and UML have been consistent partners in advancing innovation, and we're grateful to collaborate with them on training the next generation of life sciences workers.”
Bioversity opened its first training center in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood in January 2024 and has since graduated 88 students through seven training cohorts of its Biotech Career Foundations certificate program, making Bioversity the largest life sciences certificate training program in Massachusetts.
Alongside the technical training students receive in the lab, they also receive extensive job search skill development including a new resume, LinkedIn profile and interview skills. After graduation, Bioversity assists students with job placement through its network of employer partners.
“This program exposes you to so many areas in life sciences while helping you make connections with different companies,” Vargas said. “It’s teaching us not just lab skills, but also skills needed to get hired.”
Bioversity plans to run a second eight-week training cohort at UMass Lowell in the fall. Community members interested in learning more about the program and enrollment opportunities are encouraged to visit the Bioversity website.