Her Story
About Megan
Megan Dupper has spent the past seven years working in the pharmaceutical industry, where she specializes in qualifications and validations. Using established methodologies, she qualifies and validates client sample materials to ensure that drug products meet the requirements of the FDA and other regulatory agencies. A typical day involves checking messages, writing protocol documents, and collaborating across departments on various assays. Megan earned her degree in molecular biology from Penn State University, inspired by a high school biology teacher who encouraged her to pursue her strengths in the sciences. She began her career as an intern at CSM before joining Charles River. She values caring, genuine connections, hard work, being a team player, and taking ownership of responsibilities. Megan advises others to get messy and do it anyway despite fears of failure, and she encourages young women entering the field to not fear mistakes, ask questions, and stretch themselves with new opportunities.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Megan
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Based on how I started off in the industry, where I was holding myself back out of fear of failure, one of the best advices was basically get messy, or do it anyway. You might fail when you first try something, but that's okay. Do it anyway. That has been a huge growth achievement for me.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Don't be afraid to try your best, and ask questions. If at first you don't succeed, get up and try again. Stretch yourself. Grow with whatever opportunities come your way.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Knowing what exactly a client will want at times, so I may have to do further or reach back out to get more clarification because each qualification and validation is very client-specific. Sometimes working with other departments can also be a bit of a challenge. But I love the opportunities for growth that's associated with that, and being able to learn a whole bunch of different assays.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Caring would be one of them for both my career and my personal life. It makes a lot of things a bit more easier, especially in high-stressful situations. I also value a lot of genuine connection and hard work, being a team player, taking ownership of responsibility.
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