Hacker to GAMPer: Year One

A year ago, I was thankful to be allowed to step into the world of ISPE with great curiosity and intensity to approach unknown topics. I was quite excited and initially overwhelmed with these unknown topics I was diving into.

Commemorating my first full year with ISPE by being able to attend the 2024 Annual Meeting in Orlando has inspired me to reflect on this first year with the organization. Since October 2023 I have been able to seek immersion and challenge within multiple settings to some now familiar topics in comparison to last year, while exposing myself to still unfamiliar concepts and new projects.

My experience at the 2024 ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo will likely forever hold a special significance for me. I was fortunate enough to assist the ISPE International Emerging Leader Hackathon Chair, Ryan Mazur, and Co-Chair, Anand Ashutosh, along with ISPE Emerging Leader member Silas Tamufor, in helping plan this year's hackathon event—I cannot thank them enough for the opportunity to participate.

My experience assisting with the hackathon brought about quite a change in perspective as I had been engaged in a different capacity the previous year, as a participating ISPE Emerging Leader hacker. Volunteering for the event allowed me to think in different ways about how I was going to learn new material and help my team orchestrate ways to solve the industry problem statement posed for the competition.

As part of the planning process, we had to develop a problem statement and suggest resources to assist ISPE Emerging Leader hackers in identifying a solution. The most important aspects of our work were planning how we thought teams would collaborate, as well as anticipating how the student and recent graduate participants would interact with and work with their coaches and the ISPE guidance documents available. Looking at the event from this planning perspective also gave me a deep appreciation for the value of collaboration and problem-solving among teams.

My participation in the ISPE GAMP® Americas Steering Committee and the ISPE AI/ML Special Interest Group as an ISPE Emerging Leader helped me in planning for this event. The year I’d spent working with these groups prepared me well. I’ve enjoyed being part of the ISPE GAMP Americas Steering Committee, where we have been looking to expand interest and community involvement around GAMP-related topics. I have been privileged to have mentors like Brandi Stockton, Co-Chair of the ISPE GAMP AI/ML Special Interest Group (SIG) and Chair of GAMP® Americas. They have supported my growth and continue to be champions for me— sharing invaluable guidance about how to best approach GAMP and its various topics while staying involved in other ISPE-related activities and completing my undergraduate degree.

My GAMP Americas colleagues Petch Ashida Druar, Tanya Sharma, Lorrie Schussler, and I are excited to have established a regional cohort of the ISPE GAMP Community of Practice (CoP) for the ISPE Carolina and South Atlantic Chapter. I have also contributed to planning discussions for the ISPE GAMP Blockchain SIG’s 2025 initiatives focusing on decentralized information technology with Petch and Tanya, along with James Canterbury. I’ve pursued this work in addition to my continued work within the AI/ML SIG.

Our groups have also been collaborating on use cases for topics like AI/ML and computer system validation (CSV) to determine how to best present them to the broader GAMP CoP. I have also been extremely fortunate to be included in helping draft an upcoming new ISPE GAMP Guide that will be coming out in the near future.

My immersion into the topics mentioned above as an ISPE “GAMPer” over the course of the past year helped prepare me for the 2024 ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo and the ISPE International Emerging Leader Hackathon. I was able to follow presentations throughout the Digital Transformation track and was able to discuss thought-provoking topics on automation as they related to the ISPE International Emerging Leader Hackathon. This deeper understanding of these topics impacting the industry have given me a different perspective from the one I had as a first-time ISPE Emerging Leader hacker at the 2023 ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo the year before. I feel fortunate to have collaborated with so many fantastic colleagues on important topics that are gaining prominence in the industry.

In my original blog post, I discussed looking at fear as a cliff to step off of and then taking that initial step—I have continued to take more steps. I was able to take that initial jump and have expanded my comfort zone to learn about topics I had not previously researched. Many different colleagues within the GAMP and ISPE community helped me take that initial jump—they were there for me when I struggled in attempting new work.

In reflecting back, the most significant aspect after that initial jump is in finding collaboration with different people who will ultimately help you fly and grow. I see this essential element of collaboration reflected within ISPE as a whole. I’m amazed by how many professionals were so willing to help someone who was trying to improve and make an impact.

I strongly encourage ISPE Emerging Leaders to participate in the ISPE International Emerging Leader Hackathon, as it can provide them with great industry experience as well as a gateway into many other paths within ISPE. Many industry professionals and members of the ISPE Communities of Practice (CoP) participate in the ISPE International Emerging Leader Hackathon as coaches or judges or closely follow the event. This makes the ISPE International Emerging Leader Hackathon a great first step toward joining a CoP, SIG, or another group within ISPE that interests you!

Learn more about becoming an ISPE student member and get involved today!

Visit Emerging Leaders to learn about the ISPE Emerging Leaders group, available to ISPE student and recent graduate members.

More information about CoPs and how ISPE members can join is available on the  Communities of Practice webpage.