George Wang, ’03 : Founder, SIRUM
What was your path to graduation at The Ohio State University?
I remember the Time Magazine when the first iteration of the human genome was being sequenced, which was around the start of college. From then on, I thought molecular genetics was really fun and exciting. I was pretty keen on basic science research and biology from my (older) brother, and I had a strong interest in the new kind of path the field was taking. This is what motivated me to study molecular genetics during my undergrad.
Why do you support the Office of Diversity and Inclusion?
I was what you now call a Morrill Scholar during my time at Ohio State, and I was very grateful for that because it helped support me through school and covered a lot of the costs. I'm very happy to be more connected to the office now and do activities like this.
What do you do now?
Since I co-founded SIRUM (Supporting Initiatives to Redistribute Unused Medicine) 13 years ago, I've still been serving this organization in the same role. We are a tech-based non-profit trying to reduce the waste in the drug supply chain that exists today. We're a platform that matches the surplus of medicine with the need in a seamless way through our infrastructure and our technology.
What is your advice to current students?
Try to find a group of people who really resonate with you and with whom you share their values. The power of Ohio State, because of its size and potential activities that you can be involved with means that you can build a community around you. This is a huge opportunity for folks to find themselves.