...Dr. Jared Ragland '96 will be the keynote speaker at the 20th Annual UBRP Conference on January 17, 2009.

Dr. Ragland grew up in Washington State and moved to Phoenix in eighth grade. After graduating from high school in 1991, he attended the UA and graduated in 1996 with a BA in Anthropology and East Asian Studies with a focus on Chinese and a BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics. As a UBRPer he worked in the Genomic Analysis and Technology Core (GATC), under the direction of Dr. Michael Hammer, where he conducted research on human Y-chromosome polymorphisms to better understand human evolutionary history and pre-historic migration patterns. He also was a BRAVO! participant and   worked with Dr. Kozo Tsuchida in Tokyo, Japan at the National Institute of Health (now the National Institute of Infectious Disease) determining the cDNA sequence of an important apo-lipophorin in Bombix mori. Dr. Kozo Tsuchida was a long-term collaborater with Dr. Michael Wells, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at the UA. 

Dr. Ragland pursued a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Washington in Seattle (1998-2004). He specifically studied the molecular signaling mechanisms involved in neural crest cell fate specification zebra fish (Danio rerio) embryos. During his PhD work Dr. Ragland became interested in science policy, particularly controversies surrounding stem cell research and biotechnology, as well as alternative opportunities for scientists interested in non-traditional career tracks. Nearing the end of his doctorate, Dr. Ragland applied for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) policy fellowship in Washington D.C. AAAS is an international non-profit organization dedicated to advancing science and engineering around the world. He was accepted into the Science and Technology Policy Diplomacy Fellowship program and joined the Department of State, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Office of Economic Policy.  In this capacity, Dr. Ragland acted as the Bureau's regional environment, science, technology and health officer, providing policy advice on such matters as biotechnology, avian influenza, pharmaceutical/medical/chemical industry and trade related issues, climate change and energy policy related issues, among others.

In November 2007, Dr. Ragland joined the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).  As a director in the Office of Intellectual Property and Innovation, Dr. Ragland works on U.S. trade policies to encourage U.S. trading partners to ensure adequate and effective protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR), including copyrights, trademarks and patents. In addition, he works to promote improved market access for innovative U.S. industries in overseas markets, including the pharmaceutical sector and medical device industries.  Dr. Ragland's area of focus is the Western Pacific region, where he negotiates with trading partners including Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, and Taiwan. He also has responsibility for ensuring effective implementation of the intellectual property rights provisions by the member states of the U.S. - Central America and Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR).  He finds working in the realm of IPR stimulating because of the obvious intersections between the importance of protecting the legal rights of IPR and the promotion of innovation, particularly in the high-technology sectors.  Interacting with counterparts throughout the U.S. interagency, the private sector, and international trading partners is also highly rewarding.

Dr. Ragland offered some advice to the current undergraduate science students at the UA. He said to continue to identify and follow what you are interested in and do not worry too much about having a precise path. It is easy to get caught on the notion that having a set plan is the only way to succeed in life, but no one ever knows what s/he will experience. Thus, he urges everyone to be perceptive of opportunities that cross his/her path. There are, perhaps, more direct paths to a career in policy, be it science or trade or any other area, but opportunities such as the AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship program, among many others, provide incredible opportunities for students of science to engage in interesting alternative careers. Above all, for students that still have the chance, he recommends students to partake in the BRAVO! program because for him as well as many others, it is a profoundly rewarding and life-changing experience!

Saman Nematollahi, UBRPer in Dr. Carol Barnes' Neural Systems Memory & Aging laboratory.