SPRINGFIELD, Mass., August 8, 2024 —Western New England University (WNE) is the recipient of a $500,000 grant to establish an interdisciplinary Master’s in Pharmaceutical Engineering degree program. The grant was announced by the Healey-Driscoll Administration as part of an overall $13.1 million awarded through the Massachusetts Life Science Center (MLSC). 

The new Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Engineering program will take advantage of university strengths in pharmaceutical sciences within the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and mechanical and biomedical engineering within the College of Engineering.  

“At Western New England University, our pharmaceutical engineering degree epitomizes our commitment to reimagining the future for our students,” stated President Robert E. Johnson. “This innovative program aligns two of our flagship disciplines—pharmacy and engineering—to forge a career pathway that directly addresses federal initiatives to enhance the nation’s biotech and biomanufacturing capabilities. Simultaneously, it contributes to cultivating a competitive and diverse life sciences workforce in Massachusetts.”

The degree will provide a comprehensive education in the biopharmaceutical industry with a unique focus on the transformative field of Advanced Therapeutic Medicinal Products (ATMP). ATMPs are medicines for human use based on genes, cell or tissue engineering. 

“Demand for openings in our pharmacy program is exceptionally high each year. Introducing a new degree program can further enhance our students' potential to transform patient care especially in critical areas such as cancer, heart disease, and neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s disease,” said Bart Lipkens, associate professor of pharmacology at WNE.

The new degree builds on both colleges’ reputations of advancing scientific knowledge, allowing students the opportunity to learn from faculty and other researchers who are widely recognized for their contributions to the fields of pharmaceutical and engineering sciences. Students with a BS degree in sciences, engineering, mathematics, or pharmacy sciences with a desire to enter the field of biotechnology, biomanufacturing, bioprocessing, biopharma, and cell and gene therapy are eligible to apply. Enrollment is slated to begin in the late fall 2024 semester.

About the Grant

MLSC is awarding $10.3 million in capital funding to 20 institutions through the Workforce Development Capital Grant program. The funding will serve more than 5,000 students. This program aims to develop and expand life sciences education and training programs offered by post-secondary academic institutions and nonprofit organizations through capital investment in industry-aligned certificate and degree programs.

About WNE

Western New England University (WNE) is a private, nationally ranked, comprehensive institution with a focus on preparing work-ready and world-ready graduates. Founded in 1919 in Springfield, Massachusetts as a division of Northeastern College, WNE’s 215-acre suburban campus serves more than 3,700 students, including over 2,500 full-time undergraduates. More than 47,000 alumni have earned degrees through its 90+ undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs at Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering, and Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and School of Law. Students come from 39 U.S. states and territories and 23 countries. Of 45,104 living alumni, 30% remain within the region, residing in the four WesternMassachusetts counties and northern Connecticut.

WNE is classified among nationally ranked universities in US News and World Report, and among the Top 100 Undergraduate Engineering programs, and in the Doctoral/Professional Universities category in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.