Tayaba Naz Thompson
“Success is not immediate. You will have small wins, big fails, big wins, and small fails. The key is your passion for science. As long as you work hard and love STEM, you can be part of it.”
I love cooking, gardening, and hosting parties to bring my friends and family together. I have a three-legged Siberian husky who hates peanut butter. I received awards from two different Presidents. I took a ten year break from school before earning any scientific degrees. I manage operations in research and development. I am a Molecular Biotechnologist.
Doing great, cutting-edge research or innovation can get complicated. There is a lot of collaboration within the scientific community to advance research and development. I am a Business Excellence Operations Manager. I work cross functionally with our program managers, procurement, and legal teams to ensure all our contracts are compliant. In addition, I also work on process improvement projects for our team to improve our efficiency. My background in biotechnology plays an important role in my ability to understand the scientific needs of my teams. I get to leverage my business mind and love of supporting people with my lifelong passion for science.
Biotechnology is a powerful and fascinating industry, and my job grants me access to learn about incredible scientific innovations. By acting as a sort of “facillitator”, I help build the processes and execute efficiently. My team is the behind-the-scenes workforce that assists in getting cures and therapies to patients. I’ve always enjoyed helping people succeed, and I love encouraging people to find their strengths and achieve their goals. In my role I can support both the science, but also the business and my team by making the operations process smoother. In my previous role, I had a chance to provide insight and advice to people interested in breaking into STEM fields, so that even if they aren’t the fit this time, they have a real chance next time. It is a part of who I am so even with no direct reports at this time, I still love encouraging everyone around me to grow.
I lived in Pakistan until I was 9 when my family moved to the US. Growing up, I saw women in positions of power and authority, so I never doubted my own ability to do whatever I put my mind to. We were raised to believe that, whatever your passion, you have to pursue it with hard work and dedication in order to succeed – and that’s a lesson I still live by today.
When I moved to the US, I faced a language barrier and cultural shifts, but school came easily. Too easily sometimes. I loved a challenge, so if the subject wasn’t hard or exciting, I’d read a novel under my desk or skip class to spend time at the library. I loved science, and my favorite show was The Magic School Bus, especially the episodes where they dive into the human body. I knew I wanted to be a doctor.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have support, and two years into college, I dropped out. I got a job working in IT for nearly five years, which gave me my first introduction to the business world. As time went on, that passion I had for science as a kid kept nagging at me, and finally, I re-enrolled at Middlesex Community College to pursue a degree in Biotechnology. Shortly after enrolling, I was invited to apply to a new program that would allow me to earn my Bachelor's and Master's degrees in partnership with Northeastern. People started referring to me as a “go-getter”, and it became clear that, by finding and surrounding myself with people who believed in me, I could do anything.
My latest obsession is gardening. I’m growing different types of roses, peonies, and lavender. In my greenhouse, I am also experimenting with hydroponics to grow herbs and vegetables. I’m excited to use what I grow in my own cooking. I love preparing food and hosting parties. It brings me a lot of joy to bring others joy. I also love the arts – both watching them, like attending Cirque du Soleil performances, and working on my own creative skills. I learned to crochet and knit using YouTube videos, and love making intricate afghans and beaded crochet items.
Finances have weighed heavily on the way I think about education. When I went to college, financing my education was daunting. I was juggling multiple part time jobs on top of my studies, and it wasn’t easy. When I went back to school the second time and became part of a new program, I had so much more support, both financially and emotionally. I graduated without any debt. There is a lot of financial assistance available to students, but sometimes you have to be proactive about talking to your teachers and advisors to find it!
I was a hiring manager; I used to decide whether or not someone gets the job in STEM. From my experience, I can tell you that the details matter. It’s not enough to just do an experiment once in a lab so that you can put it on your resume. It takes hard work and patience. Seek out mentors who can help you understand what really goes into the jobs that you want. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed or question your own abilities, so having a community of friends and advisors there to push you, motivate you, and celebrate the small wins can keep you going. Put yourself out there and don’t be afraid to ask for help. We NEED YOU!
