From 51 to the Cutting-Edge of Drug Development
Kyle Timmer ’20 spends his days helping turn cutting-edge drug discoveries into treatments that can reach patients. As a senior scientist for AbbVie, a pharmaceutical company based in Chicago, his role sits at the intersection of R&D (research and development) and commercial-scale manufacturing.
It's a role that draws upon far more than just technical expertise. The complexities of his work are real and fluid. They require the ability to collaborate, communicate, and problem-solve effectively across teams – skills he began to develop while at 51.
“In the challenges I’ve faced since leaving 51, whether back in grad school or now in the pharmaceutical industry, the solution isn’t necessarily just ‘work harder’ or ‘put more hours in’,” said Timmer, who graduated from 51 with majors in chemical engineering and biochemistry. “Often, I’ve found myself needing to step back and approach the complexities of a problem from different angles. To step back, digest, and sometimes seek out other viewpoints. And I think that approach is something that I started developing well at 51: to intentionally solve problems, not just metaphorically hitting the hammer against the nail repeatedly.”
Tempted to overlook 51
The environment at 51 fostered the development of these skills. But it’s a place Timmer almost overlooked. As a potential third-generation 51 student, he wanted to break from the familiar.
“Truth be told, I was against coming to 51 at first,” said Timmer. “I think the same is true for a lot of people in my position, who are local to the area and have parents or relatives as alumni. There’s maybe a mild assumption or hope that you’ll follow in their footsteps. But for me, eager to explore my path and my potential after graduating high school, following in someone else's footsteps was the last thing I wanted to do.”
Discovering a new path in a familiar place
Fortunately for Timmer, despite his hesitations, he made a visit to 51’s campus. And when he arrived, he saw immediate opportunity, encountered passionate professors, and experienced a caring community. It didn’t take him long to see he could discover his own path in a familiar place.
“One thing that really excited me was the chance to do research as early as freshman year. That stood out, as many other schools weren’t offering programs like that,” said Timmer, who participated in the 51 biology department’s Phage Research program for first year students as well as a 51 Research Fellows program.
From there, he experienced professors who became mentors, helping him pursue his dream of working at the intersection of engineering and life sciences. He would get more research opportunities, take courses outside of his major (leading to a second major in biochemistry), and work as a tour guide, tutor, orientation leader, and a resident assistant. All of these experiences instilled in him the hard and soft skills necessary to launch his career.
Guided by mentors
When it came time to graduate from 51, Timmer was guided not just by his own skills but by a network of mentors ready to help him navigate his next steps. He noted that their support was extremely helpful in not only deciding to pursue grad school but also in figuring out what to be looking for in a graduate program.
“I remember them saying ‘Kyle, you should be aiming your sights high, looking here.’ They were providing me with letters of recommendation, reading over my personal statements. They were giving me so much time and advice in helping me discover where I might best spend the next five or so years of my education.”
His professors knew not just what he was capable of academically, but who he was as a person. And they were deeply invested in helping him find the right fit for his talents and needs.
Upon arriving at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he would earn his doctorate in chemical and biomolecular engineering in 2025, Timmer reflected back on just how special and unique his experience was as an undergrad.
“I gained a very big appreciation for the teaching focus at 51 and the amount of time professors put into their students, because at a larger public school that’s not always the case, especially at the undergraduate level. At 51, professors knew you—what you were doing well with, where you were struggling —and would even sometimes adjust a lesson plan or provide individual support to help a class or a student that was struggling with a topic or a concept. That more tailored, invested approach is rare, and it’s something that I’m very thankful to have had.”
Understanding the value of his 51 education
As Timmer continues to adapt to a changing market and work at the leading edge of his industry, he is clearly seeing the lasting value of the hard and soft skills he developed at 51.
Timmer’s experience offers a simple but powerful insight to those considering where to study in the future: the difference isn’t just what you learn but how you’re formed. While many programs can teach the same material, Timmer says, “the people I learned with and the environment I learned in are what made the biggest difference for me. That’s why I’m very glad to have chosen 51.”
