Billions, Biotech and Bots

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Posted on June 15, 2026 by Alumni

Alumni

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Alumni trailblazers Dr. Laurie Owen ’80 and Dr. Michael Wojciechowski ’78, MBA ’81, shared insights on entrepreneurial leadership during an April session of the President’s Cabinet at the MacQueen Alumni Center.

With 35 years in biomedical research, Owen has guided multimillion-dollar initiatives at University of California, Riverside; University of California, San Diego; and USA Health. She now advises global investors. Wojciechowski brings 45 years of experience in real estate and tech, having developed 60,000 multifamily units and raised over $3 billion. He currently serves as a senior lecturer at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

1. Carve Your Own Niche

You can’t control every turn your career takes, but you can master where you land. Wojciechowski credits serendipity for his path into real estate. “It picked me,” he says. His key to success? Becoming a subject-matter expert in a niche tax law, which made him as essential as “one of two plumbers in town.”

2. It Pays To Pivot

Leaving MD Anderson Cancer Center after 14 years working there was a turning point for Owen, but her biggest shift was moving from academic leadership to the biotech industry. “It was like starting at the beginning,” she says of her move into human therapeutics. “I had to become an early influencer just to get products out there. It was humbling, but it paid off.”

3. All Aboard The AI Train

Both leaders urge students to embrace artificial intelligence. Owen uses her own dedicated AI agent. “Ten years ago, understanding social media was your edge,” Wojciechowski says. “Today, that edge is AI. If you don’t have a basic understanding of large language models, you’ll struggle to compete against those who do.”

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