The CASSS Board of Directors announced the appointment this week of Nadine M. Ritter, Global Biotech Experts, LLC and Mark A. Schenerman, CMC Biotech-MAS Consulting as Distinguished Fellows in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the CASSS community. This lifetime appointment is bestowed on fewer than 1% of members.
The appointments were announced by board president Julia Edwards at the annual Associate Directors meeting in Washington, DC. Edwards noted the passion of both individuals who have led many volunteer initiatives over the past quarter century. Both Ritter and Schenerman were founding members of the scientific organizing committee that launched the CMC Strategy Forum series of meetings. In addition, Edwards recognized Ritter for breaking the glass ceiling of the CASSS board of directors as she was the first female elected to the board, then subsequently board vice president and president. Ritter is now the first – and only – female Distinguished Fellow.
Ritter, President and Analytical Advisor at Global Biotech Experts, LLC served on the CASSS Board of Directors for eight years, including the last four as vice president and president, and has been a volunteer in a variety of roles since 1996. As noted above, Ritter was one of the founders of the CMC Strategy Forums. Since their inception she has remained a vocal and passionate advocate for the CMC Forum papers that are jointly authored by industry and FDA participants and published following each forum. Discussing her commitment, she said, “I am very proud of CASSS, and of everyone in CASSS who makes this an extraordinary non-profit professional organization dedicated to communicating the best technical and regulatory practices needed to bring safe and effective biological medicines from research labs to real patients around the world.”
Schenerman, President at CMC Biotech-MAS Consulting, Professor at University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University has also served many years as a volunteer leader within CASSS, including the past eight as a member of the board of directors. Mark’s passion for connecting the academic community with CASSS has led to the formation of the mentoring program in partnership with Johns Hopkins University which provides opportunities for CASSS members to “give back” by providing students guidance and information about career pathways in biopharma.
CASSS Distinguished Fellows are retired Directors, Associate Directors and others who are appointed by the Board of Directors based upon such individual’s outstanding contributions to CASSS. To date, this honor which includes lifetime membership in CASSS and waived registration fees annually at the CASSS conference of individual’s choosing, has been awarded to only fourteen members.