This fall, ChEnected is introducing readers to the recipients of AIChE’s 2020 Institute and Board of Directors’ Awards, which are AIChE’s highest honors. Recipients are nominated by the chemical engineering community and voted on by the members of AIChE’s volunteer-led Awards Committee. These awards recognize outstanding achievements and world-class contributions across a spectrum of chemical engineering endeavors.
The Industrial Progress Award
The Industrial Progress Award is given for early-career accomplishments and contributions to industrial practice by an individual working in industries served by chemical engineers.
This year’s award recipient is Brenda Remy, Director of Product Development Analytics at Bristol Myers Squibb.
Dr. Remy is being recognized for accomplishments in developing laboratory scale-down tools that enable robust pharmaceutical process development and elucidate key mechanisms controlling process performance in the drug substance and product areas.
In 2020 and beyond, chemical engineers have an opportunity to help close the gender and minority gap in science and industry through active participation in STEM mentoring.
Dr. Remy's work
Brenda Remy is a passionate scientific and business leader who seeks new ideas in the development of medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. Her career spans pharmaceutical manufacturing, product development and data analytics. She started her career as a process engineer at Merck & Co., Inc., where she was responsible for manufacturing active ingredients. She joined Bristol Myers Squibb in 2004, where she has contributed to the development of more than 25 clinical drug candidates.
At Bristol Myers Squibb, Brenda has led development teams in product and process design, process scale-up, clinical supply manufacturing, technology transfer, and regulatory filings. She also led a multidisciplinary team responsible for developing new technologies in computer modeling and simulation, data science, and real-time analytics in support of drug product development for small molecules and biologics.
In her current role, Dr. Remy and her team of data scientists develop innovative data analytics solutions to answer key business questions that guide business strategy. She is a long-time active member and leader in AIChE’s Particle Technology Forum. She earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a doctoral degree in chemical and biochemical engineering from Rutgers University.
Dr. Remy reflects on receiving the Industrial Progress Award
Reflecting on her Industrial Progress Award, Dr. Remy said:
I would like to thank AIChE for this recognition, as well as my family and my employer, Bristol Myers Squibb, for their support over the years. Throughout my career, I have found great personal satisfaction in applying my chemical engineering skills to help get medicines to patients, improve the quality of pharmaceutical products, increase the speed in clinical development and develop patient-centric product innovations. I have benefited from having an amazing support system made up of family members, friends, teachers, peers, supervisors, and mentors. I owe much of my success to the many people that have helped me along the way.
As a Latina in STEM, I have devoted time and energy to help grow the next generation of women and minorities in STEM during my time in industry. In 2020 and beyond, chemical engineers have an opportunity to help close the gender and minority gap in science and industry through active participation in STEM mentoring. Additionally, chemical engineers have unique opportunities in the development of new therapeutics that can help fight COVID-19 and the design of robust and efficient manufacturing processes that can ensure a global supply of those drugs.
Stop back for more entries in our series on the 2020 Institute and Board of Directors’ Award recipients, and catch up on any previous posts in the series you've missed.