Matthew Johnson is named McGowan Scholar for 2009-10

Johnson is in the MBA-Master of Microbial Biotechnology (MMB) program offered jointly by the NC State Jenkins Graduate School and the NC State College of Natural Resources. This spring, he completed his MMB degree requirements and will be completing his MBA program in the coming year. He also has a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from NC State and a minor in accounting from the College of Management.

Johnson said that he entered NC State as an undergraduate student in 2003 with intentions to pursue a career in microbiological research but realized in his sophomore year that he did not want to be a laboratory-based researcher. During his sophomore year, he learned of the joint MMB program which provided a blend of microbiology, biotechnology and business courses.

“I enrolled in the MMB program in 2007 and have since enjoyed taking business classes, interacting with local biopharmaceutical companies, and interning at RTI International, in the department of commercialization,” he said. That experience provided opportunities to interact with a wide range of people and to learn how research projects are executed in a corporate setting, he said.

“This is the first job that I have had strictly focused on business,” Johnson said. “I find it fulfilling to take leadership roles on projects, to work under pressure, and to know I can perform and succeed in a competitive environment,” he said. The internship at RTI International helped him decide to pursue the MBA degree as part of the joint program.

“Now I am positive that an MBA will help me achieve both my personal and professional goals,” Johnson said. Those goals include a career in biopharmaceuticals or biotechnology, working in positions that will challenge him, utilize his leadership skills and provide him the opportunities to interact and network with professionals across multiple fields. He hopes the positions will also enabling him to work in fields that coincide with his passion and desire to “benefit society,” he said.

Participants in the MMB program complete academic requirements for both the MMB degree in the NC State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the MBA in the NC State Jenkins Graduate School. The students typically follow the Biosciences Management concentration in the MBA program, which prepares individuals for leadership roles in the biosciences industries.

The William G. McGowan Charitable Fund established the McGowan Scholars program to provide selected colleges and universities with scholarships to help students pursuing a business education at an accredited business school. The recognition program provides a scholarship of up to $18,000 for a first-year MBA student, to be applied to the student’s second-year tuition. The McGowan Scholars program is designed to encourage leadership ability, interpersonal skills and a significant involvement in academic, campus and community activities. It also recognizes excellence of character, a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurial potential. The program currently has about 350 McGowan Scholar alumni.

Matthews lives in Apex, N.C.