MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Q A& Member: Katie (Esch) Vande Berg, Delta Nu-A alumna Undergraduate degree: Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Kettering University '17 Current job title: Quality Control Chemist II at Par Pharmaceutical in Rochester, MI

Learn more about Delta Nu-A alumna, Katie (Esch) Vande Berg, and the work she’s been doing as a chemist at Par Pharmaceutical during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tell us about your experience with Alpha Sigma Alpha:

“I joined Alpha Sigma Alpha during my freshman year. From the start, I knew this was a group of women that I wanted to be a part of. During my first full year as a member, I was our vice president of alumnae & heritage and our public relations chairman. While the VP of alumnae & heritage, I was able to help in planning our chapter's 40th anniversary celebration with our Delta Nu-B counterparts. My final year as a collegiate member, I had the honor of serving as our chapter president and attending the Imagine convention in Orlando, FL. Convention was one of the highlights of my Alpha Sigma Alpha membership; being able to meet sisters from across the nation and learn different activities and abilities to bring back to my chapter. Aside from the positions I was grateful to have held, I met several of my closest friends, and have formed bonds that have lasted across time and state lines.”

“Convention was one of the highlights of my Alpha Sigma Alpha membership; being able to meet sisters from across the nation and learn different activities and abilities to bring back to my chapter. Aside from the positions I was grateful to have held, I met several of my closest friends, and have formed bonds that have lasted across time and state lines.”

How has Alpha Sigma Alpha helped shape you into the person you are today?:

“Alpha Sigma Alpha gave me the tools I needed to excel as a leader in my job. Being a part of a small chapter - at our largest, we had 28 members - we had plenty of opportunities to take on leadership roles early on in our membership. Taking on the role of president allowed me to find my own leadership style and learn valuable skills that I have carried with me into my professional career.”

Briefly explain the work that you do:

“I work as a Quality Control Chemist at Par Pharmaceutical. Our plant focuses on sterile injectables, and I specifically focus on the materials that go into our final products. I schedule the material testing out to a small team consisting of myself and two others, and the three of us perform all of the tests associated with each material before releasing it for use in our final products. We perform a wide breadth of tests that make sure each material we use has the right amount of the chemicals needed, and that each material is low in harmful and non-harmful impurities. Every material that goes into our products goes through our team, ensuring that it is of the highest quality before being added into its final state.”

What made you interested in pursuing this type of work?:

“As a student at Kettering University, I had an internship at another pharmaceutical company in Michigan where I worked with the detergents that cleaned the equipment used in manufacturing their final products. This gave me exposure into the workings of a pharmaceutical lab, helping me to gain confidence there. Pharmaceutical labs require high attention to detail on a day-to-day basis, and I found that I thrived in this type of environment. I knew coming out of Kettering that I wanted to stay in pharmaceuticals because of the attention to detail required, and the constant, fast-paced atmosphere."

What is your favorite part about your job?:

“The group that I work with is a great group. We function like a family and everyone is very helpful. I also enjoy feeling like I make a difference in people's lives. As a part of the ‘behind the scenes’ workings of healthcare, I know that the materials I work on will go towards products that will help people regain their health. Indirectly, I know that I am a crucial part of a lot of people's healthcare, and that is so rewarding to me at the end of the day.”

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?:

“To date, I am proud of myself for taking on the lead position in our materials group. It has been very rewarding to be able to oversee a specific area of our larger chemical testing group. I have become a main point of contact for my colleagues in the lab for technical questions, and as a contact point when management is unavailable. I have been trained on most of the technologies in our lab, and am proud of my role as a ‘jack of all trades’. It definitely makes each day different than the last! In the future, I hope to take on a management role in the lab with more ability to help those in my group grow in their own abilities.”

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your job with working in pharmaceuticals?:

“Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, work has stayed consistently busy. We have had several changes in shifts worked, but we have been back in the lab-full time since mid-summer 2020. Several of our products have been used to help those who were hospitalized with COVID-19 and we have been working with Novavax on a potential COVID-19 vaccine. The materials-side of our lab work has been focused largely on supporting these in-demand products to ensure that we have the materials we need to continue to get these products to those who need them most.

“It is an honor to be recognized for the work we are doing. Often the behind the scenes workers in healthcare aren't the main topic of the news. It is humbling to be able to share what we do, especially since it may have a potential impact on this huge moment of our history. So many people in a variety of different fields are critical in the fight against COVID-19, and it is awesome to be recognized as one. Thank you to all who are helping in this fight. Stay safe and remember to spread kindness in this unsure world.”