Panel and dinner conversations highlight the breadth of opportunities available to science graduates.

Students, alumni and campus partners gathered Feb. 18 at the UC Riverside Alumni and Visitors Center for “Dinner with Alumni: Science Careers Beyond Healthcare,” an evening designed to broaden career exploration and strengthen connections across the Highlander network.

Hosted by the Student Alumni Association (SAA)  and the Associated Students UCR (ASUCR) Alumni Relations Committee, the program was sponsored by the UCR Alumni Association (UCRAA), the UCR College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) and the UCR California Teach – Science & Math Initiative (CalTeach–SMI).

Dinner with Alumni is a signature Student Alumni Association program held one to two times each quarter, bringing students together with accomplished alumni and industry professionals in an informal setting designed for meaningful connection and career exploration. Open to all students, the event creates opportunities to build professional relationships, explore career pathways and gain real-world insight across industries.

The evening included a networking mixer, a panel discussion with Q&A, and small-group dinner conversations that gave students direct access to alumni at their tables—encouraging candid dialogue about career journeys, opportunities across scientific fields, and the realities of professional life after UCR.

Dean Atkinson on the Future of Science Careers

CNAS Dean Peter Atkinson opened the program by reflecting on the evolving landscape of science and the wide range of opportunities available to today’s graduates.

“The future of science is constantly evolving, and your career path may take unexpected turns,” Atkinson told students. “Embrace that uncertainty. The knowledge and skills you gain here will allow you to adapt, innovate and help shape what comes next.”

He encouraged students to remain open to change as scientific fields expand and intersect in new ways, noting that the challenges ahead—from environmental sustainability to advances in medicine and agriculture—will require scientists who are prepared to think broadly, collaborate across disciplines and apply their expertise in emerging fields.

“It’s a remarkable time to be entering the sciences,” he said.

Building Community Through Career Exploration

For Annalicia Garcia, assistant director of programming and career development in the Office of Alumni Engagement and staff lead for the event, Dinner with Alumni is designed to build both professional readiness and a sense of belonging.

“Dinner with Alumni… Science Careers Beyond Healthcare was an opportunity for alumni to be able to connect with our current student population to talk about different industries and career aspects that are happening within the science world,” Garcia said.

She added that the goal extends beyond networking—especially for students navigating uncertainty about the economy and the future.

“What I’m hoping that the students get out of the experience is a sense of being in community… being able to come together with Highlanders, and talking about different aspects of careers, but also their personal aspirations as well.”

Garcia also highlighted the role of the Student Alumni Association, which connects current students with alumni through programs, events and professional development opportunities including panels, mentorship and networking experiences. SAA partners closely with the UCR Alumni Association to help students transition seamlessly into the alumni network and remain lifelong members of the UCR community.

“This aspect of programming allows them to get connected—maybe elsewhere they wouldn’t have,” she said.

Participants typically include undergraduate and graduate students as well as young alumni, creating opportunities for peer-to-peer and cross-generational networking across different stages of professional development.

Alumni Share Career Journeys—and the Turns They Didn’t Expect

During the panel, alumni speakers emphasized a shared theme: career paths are rarely linear, and students should give themselves permission to explore, pivot and learn through experience.

Savannah Sprague ’18, M.Ed. ’19, a sixth-grade math and science teacher, described how mentorship and early involvement shaped her trajectory. A high school teacher encouraged her to consider education, and once at UCR she found her direction through involvement and advising—including through pathways connected to science and math teaching programs.

She spoke candidly about beginning her teaching career during the pandemic and the importance of staying grounded in purpose—while still embracing new challenges, new grade levels and new ways of teaching.

Ryan Kudla, Ph.D. ’16, who now works in cosmetic chemistry, told students he “fell into” the industry through relationships and opportunity—an example, he noted, of how connections can open doors when your original plan changes. He described the satisfaction of applied product development and encouraged students to meet professionals, attend industry gatherings and start building networks early.

Leslie Hickle ’74, Ph.D. ’81, CEO and co-founder of FarmSense, shared a career narrative rooted in curiosity and experimentation—moving from chemistry into entomology and ultimately into entrepreneurship and startup innovation. She emphasized how a strong technical foundation can translate across industries and roles, and described the unique energy of startups that take discoveries and turn them into real-world products.

Dr. Tina Hambuch ’93 traced her shift from a pre-med mindset to genetics after taking courses that changed how she saw the world. She encouraged students to explore classes beyond their original plan and resist the pressure to treat graduation as a “clock ticking” moment. Her career—from academia to applied clinical testing and lab innovation—was shaped by staying open to the next step, not just the next title.

Wajdie Ahmad ’01, a biopharmaceutical entrepreneur, shared how he ultimately chose industry over medical school and learned the pharmaceutical world through experience—first in labs, then through increasingly complex roles and challenges. He emphasized that motivation and long-term perseverance matter in industries like biopharma, where timelines to bring therapies to market can stretch for years.

“If you’re not inspired, there’s no way you can ever push yourself to see the finish line when that finish line can be so far away,” Ahmad said.

Q&A Highlights: Industry Insight, Burnout and Career Navigation

Student questions reflected both curiosity and realism: how industries work, how to enter them, and how to sustain motivation without burnout.

Panelists discussed regulatory environments, emerging technologies, and the wide range of roles that exist within science-driven industries — including business, operations, logistics and product development. Speakers emphasized that building relationships, exploring new opportunities and staying adaptable are essential to long-term career growth.

Students also raised questions about maintaining passion in demanding fields such as education. Sprague encouraged staying connected to personal purpose, continuing to learn and embracing new opportunities for growth — a message echoed across the panel.

Alumni Spotlight: Science Careers Across Industries

A central feature of the evening was the opportunity for students to learn directly from accomplished UC Riverside alumni whose careers demonstrate the breadth of possibilities available to science graduates.

Wajdie Ahmad ’01
Co-Founder and Chairman, Amplifica
A biopharmaceutical executive, entrepreneur and investor with more than 20 years of industry experience, Ahmad has co-founded multiple companies and currently serves as co-founder and chairman of Amplifica, a biotechnology company developing novel treatments for androgenic alopecia (hair loss). He previously co-founded Bonti (2015) and served as COO; the company was acquired by Allergan in 2018. Earlier in his career, he spent 13 years at Allergan in biologics manufacturing and development, contributing to neurotoxin innovations, including Botox. Ahmad holds an MBA from UC Irvine and a bachelor’s degree from UC Riverside.

Dr. Tina Hambuch ’93
Vice President, Laboratory Medical & Pathology, Exact Sciences
Dr. Hambuch leads the integration and innovation of molecular test offerings across multiple laboratories and assays at Exact Sciences. Her career has spanned major advances in genetic testing and genome sequencing technologies, including leadership roles at Ambry Genetics, Illumina, Invitae and Quest Diagnostics. She earned a B.S. in Biology from UCR, a Ph.D. in Population Genetics from UC Berkeley, completed postdoctoral training at the CDC and is board certified in clinical molecular genetics.

Dr. Leslie Hickle ’74, Ph.D. ’81
CEO & Co-Founder, FarmSense, Inc.
Dr. Hickle has built a career translating advanced technologies into products that improve outcomes for people, animals and the environment. With experience across startups in agriculture, animal health, vaccines and renewable energy, she now leads FarmSense, a UC Riverside spinout working at the intersection of computer science, AI/ML and biology to advance crop protection and entomology innovation.

Dr. Ryan Kudla, Ph.D. ’16
Account Manager, West Coast, Barnet Products
A trained solid-state NMR spectroscopist who transitioned into cosmetic chemistry, Kudla works in product development and industry innovation. He serves in leadership roles with the Society of Cosmetic Chemists and helped establish the first West Coast Cosmetic Chemistry Certificate Program, while supporting scholarship opportunities for students entering the field.

Savannah Sprague ’18, M.Ed. ’19
Secondary STEM Teacher, Grade-Level Chair, Etiwanda School District
Sprague teaches middle school math and science and serves in instructional leadership roles supporting curriculum and student success. Her career reflects a commitment to preparing future scientists and mathematicians while shaping STEM education at the classroom level.

A High-Touch Model for Mentorship and Connection

Several student organizations also participated through informational tabling, including the Associated Students of UCR (ASUCR), the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Association (MSME-GSA), and The Actuarial Science Club (TASC).

For alumni panelists, the program offers a meaningful opportunity to give back to the UCR community by sharing expertise, mentoring students and strengthening professional connections across the Highlander network. The event supports continued alumni engagement with campus and university partners while reinforcing the lifelong connection between graduates and UC Riverside.

By design, Dinner with Alumni creates an environment where students can speak directly with alumni—asking candid questions, sharing goals and building the relationships that often shape career decisions long after graduation.

Programs like Dinner with Alumni continue to strengthen the Highlander network by bringing generations of students and graduates together in conversation—reinforcing UC Riverside’s commitment to mentorship, professional growth and lifelong engagement.

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