Mike's blog listings.

Front Page of the Daily Oklahoman Business Section

Fri, 14 Apr 2006 18:48:53 -0500

It appears I made the Front Page of the Daily Oklahoman Business Section lol.

That was not the actual photo used in the paper, but the one I found online.

Wed April 12, 2006

Student job shops at BIO 2006

By Jim Stafford
The Oklahoman

CHICAGO - When Mike Steele wandered into the Oklahoma exhibition booth at the BIO 2006 meeting here Tuesday, the identification badge he wore sparked more than a few second glances.

BIO 2006 notebook

It read "University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK."

Turns out that Steele is a 29-year-old senior biomedical engineering major at UCO who wanted to explore the job opportunities offered by the growing biotech industry.

So, he registered online for a BIO exhibition hall pass and flew to Chicago to see it for himself. According to the BIO Web site, an exhibition hall pass costs $375.

"I can't say I know exactly why I'm here," Steele said after introducing himself to Roger Lias, vice president for sales and business development for Cytovance Biologics in Oklahoma City. "I wanted to see what companies are out here."

Steele said he was there accumulating material from companies in which he had an interest so that after graduation he would have a list from which to prospect. He has mapped out his career plans and wants to work in industry, eventually earn a doctorate and someday teach.

Steele transferred to UCO from Oklahoma City Community College, changed his major and still needs almost two years of courses to graduate. There are challenges beyond academics.

"I've got kids and a dog and a mortgage and a car payment," he said.

And a full-time job with the Oklahoma City-based Web hosting company Catalog.com.

So, encouraged by his wife, Steele rearranged his class schedule and flew to Chicago.

Before moving on from the Oklahoma booth, Steele met Chuck Seeney, chief executive officer of Edmond-based Nanobiomagnetics and Tom Kupiec, chief executive officer at DNA Solutions and Analytic Laboratories at the Presbyterian Health Foundation Research Park.

Seeney told Steele that he had hit the biotech jackpot with his investment in the BIO meeting.

"If you want to see anything from biotech in the world, this is it," Seeney said. "I congratulate you (for coming to the meeting). That takes a lot of interest, a lot of guts."

Kupiec was so impressed that he offered Steele a job, contingent upon the UCO senior making the much shorter trip down to the Research Park after everyone has returned to Oklahoma.

"I'm impressed because he was so willing to take the initiative, that he would potentially be a good employee," Kupiec said.

***

Woo Hoo!

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Biotech Convention - Chicago

Fri, 14 Apr 2006 18:41:10 -0500

Thank you to my wonderful beautiful wife who spearheaded this trip. I had such a great time. It was geared for executive networking, but was inspirational none the less. It was good to see the business side of everything. Nearly every booth wanted my business card and asked me what I or my company did. At first I was embarrased, but then after a few booths I began to enjoy telling them I did customer service for a webhosting company. It was worth the look on their faces heheh. I am a student I would finally say which invited questions about my major, goals etc. Sometimes it evoked questions of why I was there. I wanted to see what is out there. Surely that makes sense.

It was overwhelming. There were more than 1500 companies represented. They were organized by state and country and upon entering the exhibit hall I was greeted by Thailand. Each region had its own carpeting, hanging signs and/or works of art. It felt like I was transported to the represented state or country every time I entered a different set of booths. A lady representative of the leading Thailand bioresearch park enthusiastically asked if I was with a company. I guess I must have looked a little bit lost... because I was heheh. I quicky replied "no", which elicited a guilty blank stare and finally she said "well you can have a bag anyway". "Thank you" lol, I didn't even want the bag. Its very pretty though. I bet Ardis will love it.

So I decided I would just hit regions that both Ardis and I are willing to relocate to (distant distant future). I spent an entire hour in Maryland alone! At this rate I wouldn't get to see more than a small fraction of what is out there! During this hour I encountered an apparently key biotech focus, "small molecules". I had never encountered this focus phrase in literature or otherwise, but here it was thrown around like it was everyday language. By the third time a booth explained that their company worked with small molecules I very seriously replied "You must need to sell a lot of those to make any profit"...pause... laughter. I tried this a couple of times more with great success - heheh I kill me.

So I finally make it to the Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce and to my welcomed surprise, there were 70 people there representing Oklahoma. They were not there all at once and most were abroad networking, but it wasn't at all what I had expected. The companies were not registered individually so it appeared there would only be one booth. Wrong. I ended up talking with a Daily Oklahoman Journalist who repeatedly informed me that I would be his story! Everyone was shocked - impressed or dumbfounded that a student would take it upon himself to attend the exhibits of a biotech conference (geared for execs heheh). I am nearly positive I will hate whatever is published if I am quoted at all. I can't stand knowing that my every word could be in public print as the words come from my mouth. I think the first thing I told him was about my nervousness toward being in print. I guess we'll see if it will actually be in his biotech coverage anywhere at all. The journalist (where do all the names go... wheeeee) did introduce me to a few different people and had my picture taken with Dr Cupiek? (think it is pronounced coopick) so hopefully it will just be a "student attends biotech convention" with the included photo and no actual quoted responses. And yes, bonus! Yes Dr Cupiek was very interested in having me do some work for him. Score! He also seemed to recognize me from somewhere and I him...

Another booth worthy of mention. On my way to different companies I was compelled to stop at a booth in Japan. They had a live video display of the blood cells circulating through the capillaries in the tips of someones finger. I just had to sit down and try it! The guy didn't speak english well and so was not able to explain it to me, but he added some clear gel to my finger which presumably allowed this highly specialized microscope to see through the surface of my skin and into my capillaries! I could see individual blood cells pumping through! So there were these printed images of normal capillaries versus "burden on the heart" and many more and I laughingly commented that I am probably going to be diagnosed with some problem. I was!!! The guy told me I have "thick blood"! Thick Blood?!? wtf is that?!? ..long pause.. "Well.. is that bad or good?!?" "Its Bad" long freaking pause. I mean what the hell lol. "Well, what do I do?!?" (still shocked). "Change lifestyle. Excercise. Eat lots of nutrition. Everyday. Drink more water. Sweat. Everyday. Sweat. Excersize. This predisease - not disease. Change lifestyle. Not disease". LOL ahh the Japanese... so an executive chap from some European country was coming in just as I was being diagnosed and I quickly explained to him what the machine was doing and what my prognosis was. "You're next," I say to him, "Sit down. Let's see what you've got". He was happy to sit down and only ever so slightly appearing to have some anxiety about the diagnosis, but certainly he had a good humor about it. He had a bad diagnosis too! lol. I cant remember what it was, but the Japanese rep immediately went into "Not disease. Predisease. Change lifestyle..." Gotta love the tact.

So yeah... I am going to really start excerising when I get back. I had already planned on it, but that really put the nail in the coffin. Heheh again I kill me.

So, many, many booth goodies later, many, many, converstions with different biotech firms, startup law firms, and intellectual property rights law firms, a smoothie from a "green kitchen" with hemp countertops, and too many commas in one sentence later, the day closes with complimentary food stuffs, drinks, and live music. Most notably music from Ireland (gaelic?) with free Guiness, dueting flamenco guitars, and a really top notch band from Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico had a wide variety of Rum. That was it. I would henceforth be planted in Puerto Rico with repeat visits to the Rum Bar. It was fantastic. Couples started latin dancing and I recognized some of the moves Ardis and I have been working on. Awww I wished she were there. But it was so much fun just watching and talking to people nearby.

I had entered many different drawing contests for various prizes (one was a 2 yr lease to a truck) after scanning my badge and/or completing surveys, but I hadn't realized you had to be there at closing to claim your prize or it would go to the next person drawn. I had not entered the Puerto Rico drawing nor did I know what it was for. They started the drawing. 9 business cards later they were still trying to draw a winner who was present. I didnt have a business card so I ran up to the stage and dropped Ardis's card in the bowl. The guy didnt even notice and drew her card LOL! I ran up to claim my prize and the other band members laughingly excalimed "he just dropped that card in there. Didn't you see him?!?" laughter from band and crowd while I implored jokingly "oh c'mon!" LOL, again, I kill me.

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The new year begins

Fri, 20 Jan 2006 22:54:16 -0600

OK. It's been a while since my foray into the world according to blog. The holidays were great all-in-all. Lots of family gatherings, lots of parties, no school, good food, and happy kids.

Now the new year begins.

My boss wants me here 40 hrs per week to be considered fulltime. What gives? geez. J/K Actually I need the money. Financial aid has been denied until I graduate. I'll be working 42-43 hrs/wk.

I'm on a 3 day/week 11 machine YMCA workout program which should be good.

I'm taking three courses: Organic Chemistry, Engineering Dynamics, and Engineering Experimentation.

To complicate things

I am a UU 4-6th grade co-guide sunday mornings
Both my wife and I meet semimonthly for a young adults covenant church group
My wife is taking classes biology and health
My wife is taking ballet
My wife is a member of church committe for religious education and has monthly meetings
My wife is being instilled as vice president of the Oklahoma NOW chapter
My wife works from home 18hrs/wk to be upped to 22hrs/wk
My 3yr old is going from 2 half days and 1 full day to 4 full days per week, takes ballet, and swim lessons.
My 11yr old son is homeschooled (by my wife) and outside of the home has a YMCA workout program, swim lessons, drama, and choir practice.

With our competing schedules where am I supposed to find time to study?!?!?

IN SUMMARY

The break was a brief repite. It is going to be a horrendous 4 months.

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First Blog

Sat, 12 Nov 2005 01:12:24 -0600

This is my first blog post. I am very busy but hope to add more content related to my pursuits later.

Mike

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