Sanofi and Raritan Valley Community College Partner to Benefit Students

Sanofi's continued investments toward STEM education has supported a number of dedicated students and educators at the local and national levels. A partnership with Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) has not only expanded Sanofi's STEM related efforts, but also opened up various skills-based volunteering opportunities for its employees.

Lydia Petronino, Sr. Manager, Continuous Improvement Program, explained, “Last summer, with a focus on driving talent management activities, IS Lead Cindy Conde introduced Talent Committees across the IS organization. As co-chair, along with Sarmad Salim, of the IS Diversity and Community Outreach subcommittee, I reached out to John Spinnato, our Vice President for North America Corporate Social Responsibility, for opportunities for skills-based volunteering near the Bridgewater community. We were particularly interested in opportunities related to the STEM fields – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.”

At John’s suggestion, the subcommittee is building on CSR’s efforts to reestablish a relationship between Sanofi’s Bridgewater campus and its nearby neighbor, Raritan Valley Community College.

RVCC President Michael McDonough says he passed the Bridgewater campus every day and often wondered about the work that went on here.  “With construction under way on an addition to our science center, this is an exciting time for STEM education at Raritan Valley and a great time to re-engage with Sanofi,” he said. “Partnering with Sanofi will help advance the college’s mission to prepare students to succeed and thrive in the workforce of the future.”

Partnership Opportunities

The first RVCC/Sanofi collaboration in this renewed partnership involves the college’s Science Seminar Series for students. The subcommittee is currently recruiting Sanofi speakers to provide guest lectures in this series. 

Cindy Conde, Vice President and NA Chief Information Officer, can attest to the experience of speaking at RVCC. "Visiting RVCC and speaking on a Women in Leadership panel was a great experience. I was impressed with the number of students who attended, as well as the richness of their questions. It’s invigorating to see students with such ambition,” she said.

Sanofi also supports RVCC’s Galileo Scholars, a program that offers scholarships, as well as seminars and workshops to students pursuing  careers in health science, mathematics, engineering, environmental science and technology fields. With backing from the Sanofi Foundation for North America, RVCC gave 10 students Galileo scholarships in 2015.

Brian Goodwin, one of the recipients, worked 30 hours a week, took a full course load and still managed to graduate with honors from RVCC this May.  “Thank you for this scholarship opportunity,” said Brian, who will now pursue a degree in computer science at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.  “Your help in achieving my goals will never be forgotten.”

Another scholarship winner, Graham Lundeed, plans to enter the field of genetic counseling. “This scholarship really helps take a substantial chunk out of my tuition this semester, which allows me to decrease my hours at work and devote more time to school,” Graham said.

The Foundation also provided financial support to RVCC’s Science Education Institute, an education initiative to help prepare New Jersey educators for the new K-12 Next Generation Science Standards.

John Spinnato, Vice President, North America Corporate Social Responsibility, said, “Sanofi has been a proud supporter of RVCC during the past decade through a variety of STEM-related programs, positively affecting hundreds of area students. Through these efforts, the Sanofi Foundation for North America has demonstrated its continued commitment to our local New Jersey community, to diversity and inclusion, and to skills-based volunteerism, further enhancing our mission.”

About Sanofi

Sanofi, a global healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients’ needs. Sanofi has core strengths in diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, consumer healthcare, emerging markets, animal health and Genzyme. Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).