109. Justin Topp | The Iowa Idea

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The Iowa Idea: Justin Topp

“Every day I have to learn something new.”

On this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I’m joined by Justin Topp. Justin is an Iowa native and alum of the University of Iowa, graduating with a degree in Biomedical Engineering from the College of Engineering in 2000. After a Ph.D. in Biochemistry post-doctoral fellowship in Molecular Biology, he pursued a career in higher education at liberal arts colleges. Justin taught as an Assistant Professor at North Park University and Associate Professor at Gordon College prior to moving to Endicott College as a Professor of Biology and Bioengineering and Assistant Dean of STEM. While there he managed a team of 40+ faculty, oversaw 10+ undergraduate programs, led the creation of new programs in Engineering and Bioinformatics, and worked with a nearby incubator to develop its technology capabilities and promote startup success. He returned to Iowa in 2019 and works at IDT DNA, while consulting with or serving on the scientific advisory board of biotech startups. Justin is a natural collaborator who has established multiple partnerships, including the Life Sciences Consortium of the North Shore, a novel affiliation of colleges, a research institute lab, a startup incubator lab, and government to promote regional economic and workforce development. Justin enjoys all things Iowa Hawkeyes and longs for the day when ALS can be called a curable disease instead of an underfunded one. Justin asks you to visit the ALS Association (Iowa chapter) and ALS Therapy Development Institute websites if you feel the same (links are available in the episode description).

We dig into Justin’s journey from growing up in Pella, IA, spending his high school years in Rockford, IL and pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering and serving as a college professor and administrator; ultimately returning home to Iowa.

I appreciated Justin’s perspectives on problem solving and collaboration We mix it up on the importance of generalists and the power of a liberal arts education in the context of STEM, and how we might better cultivate curiosity.

It was an honor having Justin on the show. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Justin

Justin Topp is an Iowa native and alum of the University of Iowa, graduating with a degree in Biomedical Engineering from the College of Engineering in 2000. After a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from UT Southwestern Medical Center (2005) and post-doctoral fellowship in Molecular Biology, he pursued a career in higher education at liberal arts colleges. Justin taught as an Assistant Professor at North Park University and Associate Professor at Gordon College prior to moving to Endicott College as a Professor of Biology and Bioengineering and Assistant Dean of STEM. While there he managed a team of 40+ faculty, oversaw 10+ undergraduate programs, led the creation of new programs in Engineering and Bioinformatics, and worked with a nearby incubator to develop its technology capabilities and promote startup success.

Justin is a natural collaborator who has established multiple partnerships, including the Life Sciences Consortium of the North Shore, a novel affiliation of colleges, a research institute lab, a startup incubator lab, and government to promote regional economic and workforce development. He has identified and raised over $6M through private and public mechanisms to fund educational programs, research projects, lab facilities, student scholarships, and entrepreneurial education.

A passion project/lifelong dream of Justin’s was to move back to the midwest and promote development of the startup ecosystem. He returned to Iowa in 2019 (Coralville) and works at IDT DNA, while consulting with or serving on the scientific advisory board of biotech startups. Justin is at his happiest when collaborating and is always looking for ways to connect local entrepreneurs to mentors, partners, and capital. Justin hopes to increase the venture capital available to midwest companies while also promoting the benefits of adopting an entrepreneurial mindset to increase the number and diversity of startups formed in the region. If you are like-minded, his DMs are open.

A father of three, Justin is very happily married to his wife Meta and a proud #girldad. He is a voracious reader and proponent of Range, but that’s probably because he fails the MBTI test. He enjoys all things Iowa Hawkeyes and longs for the day when ALS can be called a curable disease instead of an underfunded one. Please visit the ALS Association (Iowa chapter) and ALS Therapy Development Institute websites if you feel the same.

Links

Twitter: @JustinTopp
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-topp-7ba1a34/

Credits

Episode produced by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/).

The Iowa Idea Podcast theme music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).