Arleen Paulino

Describe the path you took to end up where you are now.

I was born in Guam, a small island in the Pacific. I always start there because where I grew up and how I was raised is the core of who I am and what I believe. As far back as I can remember, I was interested in science and how things work, and I was constantly taking things apart and dissecting things. In high school I loved biology and chemistry, and this led me to study biochemistry in college. I started in the biotech industry as an operator supporting development and generating clinical and commercial product. That role helped me to understand what biologics manufacturing was about. From there I took on roles focused on developing processes at larger scales. One of the best opportunities I had was to create and lead a global process engineering organization. We had process engineers working alongside development scientists to scale up and transfer processes. We created unit operation platforms to improve processes and manufacturing operations. We established a new materials sciences organization and formed a digital development group focused on real time data analytics and modeling. So, I guess you can say I’m a biochemist by education but a process engineer by practice. I have focused on developing, deploying, and optimizing processes to transform starting materials to end product. I have worked at multiple companies, in different countries and multiple roles. I have been privileged to be part of commercializing over a dozen products and have worked on almost all of the top 10 biologics drugs in the US. Most of my time has been in the space between pure R&D and commercial in the applied science of PD & Manufacturing working on development and scale up of processes to bring new products to the market. I can say my career can be characterized by being open to possibilities, being willing to take a chance, and not being afraid to fail. I remember the first time I was responsible for a scale up and commercialization of a product. I had never had that responsibility before. I was working with a different company in a different country. It was frightening and I was intimidated. I was young, a woman, and a minority amongst what appeared to be a group of very experienced men. Fortunately, I had a great mentor who helped me to learned to trust myself and my experience and to leverage the diversity I brought to the table. As a result, I had opportunities in my career to engage with regulatory agencies, improve my business acumen, build and start up new facilities, unfortunately close facilities, manage end-to-end supply chains, enable global clinical programs, develop new technologies, start up a new business in Singapore, create new organizational capabilities, lead in different cultures, and develop the careers of the talented staff I have had the opportunity to work with.

What does a normal day in your current job look like? What are some cool things you work on in your job?

Given my team is distributed across the globe and we are a 24/7 operation, a normal day starts with me checking my messages and email to see if there is anything urgent that needs to be addressed. If there isn’t anything urgent, then my day usually entails engagement in various meetings. These meetings cover everything from staff 1:1 time to technical reviews to business discussions to mentoring to external engagements. The meetings tend to include people from different locations and different functions. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, my days look a bit different than they used to. These days all of my work is done virtually, and I see people through video meetings. Prior to COVID-19 I traveled to our sites frequently to engage directly with my team.

What do you consider your biggest accomplishments up until now, both in your job and in your life?

I have been so fortunate to have had the experiences I have had and to be part of an industry focused on patients. One of the first big accomplishments I had was to lead an effort to bring a new drug to market six years after being out of college. I was the technical and operational lead to scale-up and transfer Enbrel® to a commercial site and have it approved by the FDA. Enbrel has been helping rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis patients for over 20 years.

In my life I am most proud of my ability to stay true to my values and to find ways to give back to my community. I am quite busy, but I always make time to contribute to important causes and ensure that my family knows that they are the most important things in my life.

Did you have a role model or mentor when you were in high school/college? How did he/she help you reach your goals?

I didn’t have a formal mentor, but I had so many people I looked up to and tried to learn from. I was a student of observation, and I watched others and tried to understand how they did the things they did so that I could incorporate some of the best practices into my approach. My parents were individuals I really looked up to and tried to be like.

What are your other interests and hobbies besides your field of study?

I enjoy travel and seeing new cultures. This is one of my favorite things to do. I love art but don’t really have the artistic skills others have, but I do try to keep up my artistic side. I make jewelry and cards as an artistic outlet. I also enjoying hiking, cooking, and wine tasting.

Have you ever faced discrimination, peer pressure, or gender bias as a woman interested in STEAM? How did you address it, and what is your advice to young women who might face the same things today?

I started in the biotech industry in the early days, about 30 years ago. I joined an organization where there were two other women in a group of 50-60 people. Unfortunately, that was characteristic of most of my career and meetings and projects. I didn’t focus on the diversity gap but of course it was there. My focus was and continues to be on active learning and seeking knowledge and translating that knowledge into action and value. It is important to focus and deliver on the job or assignment you have, then seek opportunities to volunteer for other assignments. This builds credibility and shows what you can do. When opportunities become available, be willing to take a risk, challenge yourself, get out of your comfort zone. It is in this space that you will grow. Lastly, I would say that it is important to have confidence in yourself, and don’t let self-doubt get in your way.

What advice do you have for high school age girls who want to go into your field of study (or STEAM in general)? What skills were most beneficial to you on your path? What do you wish you had known starting out?

I would advise those interested in this field to take science classes in high school and go into a STEAM-related field (biology, chemistry, engineering, etc) in college. Add some business and liberal arts courses to have a balanced education. If you can, do a work study in the labs at school and consider summer internships with companies in your field of interest. I wish I did more internships when I was younger. I also recommend seeking a mentor who is in the field to help give you advice.

What advice would you give someone who is interested in STEAM but not sure what area to focus in?

It’s okay if you don’t know. Explore, ask questions, test things out, and try to connect with people in different roles to see what they do and what their jobs are like to help you formulate a path. Consider informational interviews to explore different careers and paths. I also advise that you not overthink it or put unnecessary stress on yourself for not knowing. Be open to the possibilities and be inquisitive.

Why do you think it is important for women in STEAM to support each other? How can young women support and influence their peers?

There is gender inequality in many of the STEAM fields, especially in more senior level roles. If we don’t take a more active role in creating gender parity, it will take a couple hundred years at the rate we are going. Women should not be fighting one another for the one seat at the table but instead should be demanding a bigger table. We face obstacles and have our own self-doubt, and therefore women should be supporters of other women and greater diversity. Every act matters. We should encourage others to speak up, have the courage to take on or ask for a specific role, and be cheerleaders of one another.

What does it mean to you to use STEAM for positive change?

When I think of STEAM, I think about the opportunities for innovation and change and how data can be used to drive action and decisions. It is through innovation that we can make things better.

How do you view art and creativity as a part of STEAM?

I believe it comes down to innovation, and without creativity it is hard to be innovative.

Do you have any dreams or goals for yourself or women in STEAM for the future?

I aspire to have a true gender balance across all fields and levels in organizations focused on STEAM where we don’t have conscious or unconscious bias about women and their ability to excel in these fields. I can’t wait for the day when we no longer need a women’s group to raise the voices of women because it is just the way it is to have no question about whether a woman is qualified for a role. I believe that for every job there is an incredibly qualified woman and my hope is that my belief is one day shared by everyone.