Bio-1 Spotlight on Peter Peter R. Reczek, Ph.D., Executive Director, NJ Commission on Science & Technology
By Matthew Alcalde
As a Bio-1 Governance Board member, Dr. Peter R. Reczek brings tremendous experience from his career in academia, industry and government. His ability to transition between these facets has prepared him for his newest position as Executive Director of the NJ Commission on Science & Technology, which he has held for about 14 months.
Dr. Reczek received his Ph.D. in Biophysics at the University at Buffalo and has served in several academic positions at Brandeis University, Harvard Medical School, Dartmouth College and the University at Buffalo. As founding Director of the Tech Transfer office at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, he established a technology transfer committee that reviewed all new invention disclosures for potential patenting. For his work, the NIH twice cited him for “best practices” for federally funded institutions – a credit to his portfolio management of 110 patents, which generated over $6 million in revenue. His research interests are founded in molecular biology, where he has knowledge of signal transduction pharmacology of the nuclear steroid hormone receptor superfamily. With respect to this research, Dr. Reczek has created a program at Roswell Park for the treatment of breast and cervical cancers.
On the industry-side, Peter’s portfolio includes the founding of three biotechnology companies and consulting for biotech companies in drug discovery and technology transfer. He has also created a major research group at Bristol Myers Squibb Co., coordinating 30 employees at five sites around the world with an annual budget of over $20 million. His main concentration for the past 10 years has been promoting academic-industrial partnerships, a testament to his career in both aspects. In his current role as Executive Director of the NJ Commission on Science and Technology, he coordinates NJ’s science and technology programs like the NJ Stem Cell Institute, the Edison Innovation R&D fund and the Edison Clean Energy and Renewable Energy Technologies funds.
When asked about why he made the switch to the government side, Peter said, “As president of one company, you can change the course of that company. But as part of the system that oversees policy, you can change the course of the whole industry.” He added that his relatively new position with the Commission was facilitated by the philosophy of doing what you know. “When I came into the Commission, it was not unlike managing other groups [scientists; companies] that I’ve managed all my career. These are just the things one has to do to make the process run smoothly,” he said.
What Peter loves about his new role in the Commission is the impact he can have with NJ’s constituents. In fact, speaking with people who are even remotely involved in the science and tech industry is the most rewarding part of his job. He feels that a new business paradigm of collaboration is evolving, where parties – that in the past would have never worked together, such as competing firms or a network of businesspeople and scientists – will symbiotically come together. For instance, today Peter might be meeting with a marketing person – someone not even aware of the scientific community. And tomorrow, he might meet with a CEO of a small pharma company looking for someone to manage the marketing of their upcoming products. Being able to connect people who share mutual needs is his passion, and he loves that he gets to do it every day. “Those things go beyond money – which is what the Commission does by rewarding grants,” he said. “But the long-term relationship that comes out of helping two people come together with similar needs; that far outweighs the importance of the money.” “At least in my eyes…,” he chuckled.
As a member of the Bio-1 Governance Board, Dr. Reczek represents the state and, by extension, the federal government. He is a relatively new member, only serving for about six months since Bio-1’s Executive Director, Mary Ellen Clark, asked him to join. Nevertheless, he sees the importance Bio-1 carries in promoting workforce development in NJ’s science and technology industry. According to him, Bio-1’s effort – in not only creating a talent pool but also keeping it in NJ – is an extension of that collaborative paradigm which is changing the economy. Peter notes that one of Bio-1’s key tools is its ability to create social and professional networks, such as its online forum and its fellowship program, which can be found at: l, scheduled to begin in Fall 2009. In fact, he and the Commission will be partnering with Bio-1 in coordinating outreach to companies who might want to participate in the fellowship, which is designed to train 50 life science graduates for three months in order to prepare them for today’s competitive employment market.
The future of NJ’s science/tech industry might be unpredictable, but Peter is hopeful that the work of Bio-1 and the Commission will make it a bright one. Until then, he will continue reaching out to his constituents and opening new channels of discussion about NJ’s employment initiatives.
