Empowering Confident, Career-Ready Scientists: Emmanuel's CERTI Initiative

Why CERTI?

As the job market for roles in the sciences grows more competitive, employers are expecting candidates to have more applicable skills than ever – and the aptitude to go above and beyond just repeating processes. This is how Project CERTI differentiates itself: students engage in an iterative cycle of practice, assessment, and reflection, receiving guidance and mentorship from faculty at every juncture of the learning process.

Mirroring the realities of scientific research, the Project CERTI framework teaches students that reattempts are common, and that problem-solving and adaptability are key. Receiving instruction at each step helps students to understand the ‘why’ behind the process, and how to troubleshoot effectively.

Project CERTI’s implementation was marked by elevating adjunct faculty member, Dr. Anna Payne-Tobin Jost, to be the full-time CERTI program coordinator in November 2025.

Jost, who has over ten years of experience teaching microscopy and supporting researchers at Harvard Medical School, explained that big changes in scientific instrumentation have increased the minimum amount of techniques that new scientists are expected to grasp – so many so that it’s almost impossible to be an expert in all of them.

With such high expectations, Jost said new scientists can sometimes find themselves in a position where they may misuse techniques or misinterpret results.

“We want our students to be well-rounded and experience a lot of techniques, but also go into depth on some of them. We want them to understand the nuance and depth, rather than just following the kit instructions,” she said.

Integrating that idea directly into biology coursework helps everything “click” for students, Jost explained, approaching lab work with context, and then executing what they’ve learned on a machine to find an answer.

Developed with the student experience at its core, Project CERTI originated as part of a senior distinction thesis that alumna Chris Akut ’24 worked on with Dr. Deighan.

“While co-developing the idea alongside faculty, I gained a strong sense of belonging and assurance that I could pursue a career in scientific research, which was a path that felt out of reach before working on this project. 

I think this speaks to how powerful this initiative is: considering that, even in development, faculty helped me recognize the importance of both my work and my value as an up-and-coming scientist,” Akut said.

Reaping the Benefits of Lab Resources

The motion behind Project CERTI was made possible by a generous workforce development grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC). With the state-of-the-art equipment that’s available to student scientists in Emmanuel’s labs, the in-class experience closely resembles lab equipment that they will use in a professional setting – including instruments that are rare for the undergraduate level.

And by offering one-off CERTI modules, students can pick and choose specific instruments or lab techniques to seek certification with, allowing them to tailor their training to their particular interests or career goals.

“Our students having access to this equipment is incredible and gives them a competitive edge,” Jost said, “and it isn’t something that a lot of students have access to elsewhere.”

The Emmanuel labs are so well set up, Jost added, that the College routinely hosts partner institutions to use the space and equipment. In 2025, Emmanuel welcomed partners from MLSC and Benjamin Franklin Cummings Tech for lab visits, as well as hosted trainings held by the Institute for Protein Innovation (IPI).

Intangibles that Cultivate Post-Grad Success

Student scientists that complete Project CERTI modules will graduate with even more than what they get on paper.

“Project CERTI badging allows us to showcase Emmanuel students’ skills that don’t always fit neatly on a transcript. By validating specific lab competencies that are unique to Emmanuel graduates, we’re giving our students and graduates a distinctly powerful way to demonstrate their job readiness and what sets them apart. Our Registrar team is committed to partnering with the School of Science and Health to develop these badges in a streamlined, innovative, and efficient way that highlights the distinctive skills our students and graduates bring into the workforce,” said Kimberly Camasso, Emmanuel College’s Registrar.

Entering the workforce with confidence to deliver is one example. Even if alumni come across a machine that isn’t an exact match to what they used at Emmanuel, the skills and use cases are applicable across the sciences, Dr. Deighan said, so alumni can jump into their entry-level role and feel prepared to execute on day one.

Another is the value that alumni bring to their companies or institutions. By combining the technical skills gained through Project CERTI with Emmanuel’s liberal-arts-informed approach, the School of Science and Health has added another layer to what its graduates can contribute, whether it’s excelling in lab techniques or approaching their work with insightful and ethical awareness.

“One level of understanding is being able to guide a colleague or future employer through the steps of an experiment,” Dr. Deighan said. “Another is being able to explain why an individual result matters – and how it connects to society, humanity or an institution. That’s the kind of insight Emmanuel students and graduates can contribute.”