Price: $35.00 Special student price: $20

Sponsored by IBM Corporation

Caroline A. Kovac oversees the development of cutting-edge information technology at IBM for the life sciences market, which includes the biotechnology, genomics, e-health, pharmaceutical, and agri-science industries. She is responsible for overall strategy for Life Sciences, developing partnerships with other enterprises and directing IBM investments in this fast-growing market. During Dr. Kovac's tenure, IBM Life Sciences has become one of IBM's most successful new businesses. It provides innovative services and technologies that allow researchers to turn the vast quantities of biological data from the Human Genome Project and other research efforts into useful medical and scientific information. The convergence of IT and biology promises to help speed up drug discovery and the development of new treatments for genetic-based diseases.

Before assuming her current position in 2000, Dr. Kovac held executive management positions at IBM Research, as head of computational biology and vice president of technical strategy and division operations. She joined IBM in 1983. Dr. Kovac is a member-emeritus of the IBM Academy of Technology. She holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Southern California and a B.A. from Oberlin College.