Daniel Mardirosian

Sr. Operations Manager, Biomanufacturing Education & Training Center | WPI

Daniel Mardirosian had been working in the carpentry and building industry for 15 years when he decided it was time for a change.

As a member of Worcester Local 107 Carpenters Union, he worked on many local commercial projects, including the Biotech Park on Plantation Street. He saw an advertisement about a new bio-manufacturing certificate program being offered by QCC, and decided to check it out.

“Biotech seemed like the right fit for a career change. It was new, it took advantage of my desire to be hands-on and most importantly, it provided the satisfaction of producing a product that would benefit others in a significant way. With the education I received at QCC, I have been able to work at numerous Biotech companies and have grown my career substantially,” Mr. Mardirosian said. “Today, in my current position as the senior operations manager for the Biomanufacturing Education & Training Center at WPI, I have come full circle and have the opportunity to give back and share my knowledge and experiences with those currently in the biotech industry, as well as those that are looking to enter the industry. It feels good to be able to contribute to the development of the Worcester area economy and the people who live here.”

Mr. Mardirosian was born in Worcester, growing up in a three-decker house in the Elm Park area in the 1960s. His grandparents, survivors of the Armenian genocide, owned the property, his family occupied the second floor and his cousins occupied the third floor.

In 1971, his family moved to Millbury, where he attended and graduated from Millbury Memorial High School in 1977. He initially enrolled in a computer science program at QCC, but did not continue after his first semester, as he had started working in carpentry.

He completed the bio-manufacturing certificate program in 1994. “The program provided me with the background and knowledge to enter the industry and hit the ground running. I began working in the fall of 1994 at Alpha-Beta Technology, a Worcester-based biotech company,” he said. While he was at ABT, he continued his classes at QCC and earned his associate’s degree in 1996.

At Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the Biomanufacturing Education & Training Center provides hands-on training and educational opportunities for the multi-layered workforce needed to produce medicines and research compounds using engineered living cells. Industry experts worked closely with WPI faculty at every step of the Center’s development, from facility planning to curriculum design. The center is funded in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center.

As a senior operations manager at the center, Mr. Mardirosian works on curriculum development, does some teaching and oversees the facility.

Mr. Mardirosian is a member of the Volunteer International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers (ISPE). He is a member of the education program committee, which helps determine education tracks, organize events and recruit members. He has been a volunteer member of the Riverview Resort Board of directors since 2005, and was president from 2009-2013.

When his two sons were younger he volunteered as a coach in his hometown of Charlton.

“QCC is known for its workforce development, I think it has continually grown and remained aligned with the needs of the city’s population,” he said. “It is an honor to be named a QCC Guardian.”