RAS student completes his program from Florida

From lab manager to senior specialist, the Regulatory Affairs and Services (RAS) graduate program at St. Cloud State University has helped Jason Woehrle ’14 take his career to a new level.

For the first eight years after earning his bachelor’s degree, Woehrle supported the medical device industry in pre-clinical research labs, but he knew that if he wanted to move forward in his career he’d need an advanced degree in veterinary science, business or engineering.

But it was a tip from a former colleague about the RAS program at St. Cloud State that sent his career toward regulatory affairs.

Woehrle attended the program in-person for the first year before his family made the decision to relocate internationally for his wife’s job. After a year abroad, Woehrle, now living in Florida, returned to the RAS program as a synchronous-online student studying remotely via Adobe Connect.

“The Adobe Connect interface was an ideal learning tool for remote attendance,” he said. “Through the Adobe Connect interface I was able to interact as if I was actually in the room. I could view the same slides the class was viewing and hear the lecture and participate in any discussions. The instructors did an excellent job remembering I was on the line and giving me the opportunity to participate.”

The remote RAS option is ideal for anyone who does not have access to an in-person graduate program, Woehrle said.

“You are provided with tremendous support from both the instructors and the program administration,” he said. “In the age of global companies where many interactions are over conference calls across time zones, it makes sense to attend a program that sets you up for success in this environment.”

Now a senior RAS specialist at Medtronic, Woehrle credits his RAS degree as an integral part of his part of his career both now and in the future.

“Participation in the RAS program was instrumental in helping me gain my first regulatory position even prior to graduating,” he said. “The real life course work and instructors were key to supporting my expedited promotions within the department.”