The New Orleans BioInnovation Center (NOBIC) has named Xavier alumna Dr. Ha’reanna Campbell (‘21) as its new Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) Innovation Program Manager. Campbell is responsible for the strategic direction, management, and oversight of the Division of Research Innovation and Venture (DRIVe) program. The NOBIC BARDA DRIVe program is designed to drive innovation in lifesaving medical technologies and solve challenging problems spanning health security threats, such as the spread of infectious disease and other factors endangering public health. Campbell is proud to take on her NOBIC role as she is passionate about combating health disparities and improving health outcomes.  

NOBIC is dedicated to developing bioscience innovation throughout Louisiana. Bioinnovation seeks to utilize biological processes to solve significant health challenges using a combination of biotechnology, innovation, and economics. Campbell developed an interest in bioinnovation during her time at Xavier after participating in Xavier’s Entrepreneurial Institute program, X-ncubator. 

X-ncubator is a business incubator at Xavier that serves as an innovative and educational learning laboratory. Xavier’s Entrepreneurial Institute is also designed to educate students through teaching entrepreneurship and offering students the opportunity to develop business ideas with the assistance of Xavier faculty and business professionals.  

Campbell, a College of Pharmacy graduate, is thankful for Xavier’s intensive programs for equipping her with in-depth, entrepreneurial knowledge to accompany her clinical pharmacy education. Campbell also credits Xavier for strengthening her skillset and shaping her into a well-rounded job candidate.  

“Xavier helped me to become a competitive applicant for the NOBIC position. I believe with the help of Xavier’s Entrepreneurial Institute, I’ve been able to sell myself in the medical and entrepreneurial world,” Campbell said.  

Campbell has enjoyed working in the bioinnovation field because of the opportunities for growth, and she can be of service to others through working to solve public health challenges.  

“I have always been interested in helping people. I have a passion for health disparities and closing the gap in care for minorities,” Campbell expressed. “Working with NOBIC provides me space to grow and expand my skills. I’ll also be able to expand on the foundation of knowledge I built at Xavier.” 

Following graduation, Campbell discovered diverse career paths and that you don’t have to limit yourself to only one career field. She learned about a range of professional opportunities within the medical field, including bioinnovation.  

“I hope to pave a way for future Xavier pharmacy students to show you don’t have to take a traditional route post-graduation,” said Campbell. “They’ll be able to see me and see the options of what you can do with your pharmacy degree outside of retail and hospital settings.” 

Campbell expresses that knowledge can be built upon, allowing people to learn, grow, and discover new opportunities.  

“There are different ways to look at a PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy). Having a doctorate degree helps to show qualification and ability,” Campbell said. “You may not be trained in a specific area, but higher learning shows you are adaptable, teachable, and can learn and execute a job in different settings.”  

Campbell keeps Xavier close to her heart as she navigates throughout her professional career. She has found it essential to stay in touch with her XULA roots and hopes to share bioinnovation with her XULA community. 

“I’m still in touch with my friends, mentors, and [even] recently visited campus. I also worked with the College of Pharmacy throughout the summer, teaching ACT and pharmacy preparation classes,” Campbell remarked. “In the future, I would love to partner with Xavier to do programming initiatives or to one day teach bioinnovation and biomedical classes.” 

Campbell also shares the values that XULA has instilled in her that have aided in her success.  

“Xavier helped me to become a more persistent person. I also learned how to handle rejection and how to be adaptable. The characteristics I gained at XULA have been very beneficial to me in the real world, especially corporate America,” Campbell asserted.  

Xavier continues to serve as a support system for Campbell, and she hopes to create a supportive environment for others throughout her future endeavors.  

“Xavier is a very nurturing environment. The amount of support I received throughout pharmacy school, I would like to be able to give that and more to future generations,” she commented. 

A lesson Campbell says she has applied to her life is that if you want to go fast, you go alone but if you want to go far, you go together. She also emphasizes the importance of networking as a helpful tool to utilize throughout college and within professional careers. Campbell received the position at NOBIC with the help of a colleague’s referral, who thought Campbell would excel at the position. Following the referral, the CEO of NOBIC reached out to her personally.  

“My advice is to network and put yourself out there. Always put your best foot forward and be intentional and purposeful with everything you do,” said Campbell. “We’ve all had moments where we felt we underperformed or were very hard on ourselves, especially attending a prestigious institution. However, if you work hard and put good out into the world, you will reap the benefits one day.”