DE222 Honoree: Kelvin Lee
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Title: Institute Director & Gore Professor
Workplace: NIIMBL & University of Delaware
Kelvin Lee
Alma Maters: Princeton University, California Institute of Technology
Boards: Delaware Bioscience Association, United States Manufacturing Innovation Council
Q&A: What was your first job? “Washing glassware in a research laboratory.”
When the University of Delaware looked to host the creation of the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), a federally designated accelerator for work in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, it turned to former Delaware Biotechnology Institute Director Kelvin Lee. Since taking the helm of NIIMBL in 2017, Lee has led the private-public organization to new heights, raising hundreds of millions in funding to advance projects that build upon lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. The presence of NIIMBL has raised the profile of Delaware and UD in the biopharmaceutical industry, helping to attract new economic development. It is preparing to break ground on its latest expansion, the SABRE Center, that will work as a manufacturing plant test bed.
