Shellene (Henkelmann) Rodriguez
Shellene (Henkelmann) Rodriguez
Class Year
’91
Current home
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Major(s)
Chemistry
Current Position
Director of Quality at Regis Technologies, Inc.
Shellene (Henkelmann) Rodriguez ’91 has truly grown in her career at Regis Technologies, Inc. — a pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing company. Starting as a quality control staff member in 1997, she moved her way up in various quality assurance roles, and she is now director of quality at Regis. Her duties include reviewing and approving manufacturing, quality control and stability testing, and packaging and labeling for product releases for clinical trials and commercial use.
What have you enjoyed most about your career?
“I’ve enjoyed learning and expanding my knowledge in the pharmaceutical industry. I started at Regis in quality control in 1997 and moved to quality assurance in 2001. I have had many opportunities for growth and development and was promoted from QA associate, to senior QA associate, QA manager, associate director of quality, and now finally director of quality. Hosting customer audits and FDA inspections has allowed me to interact with quality counterparts from all over the world, giving me exposure to different information and perspectives, which I find interesting. I always seem to be learning new things.”
How did Carthage prepare you?
How has your liberal arts education benefitted you?
“Being able to think critically and see problems from multiple angles is a necessity when investigating failures and deviations from processes in order to determine a root cause and implement the appropriate corrective/preventive actions to prevent a repeat in the future.”
Why did you choose Carthage?
“The faculty to student ratios, the amount of instrumentation in the Chemistry Department, the ability to get ‘hands-on’ experience with that instrumentation, and the beauty of the campus.”
What opportunities were made possible because of your Carthage experience?
“Carthage helped me get a job in QC Laboratories to start my career.”
What's your favorite Carthage memory?
“My favorite memories include Halloween movie night my freshman year with my friends, waking up to the sunrise from my lakeside Tarble Hall dorm room, and being in small classes with the ability to ask in-depth questions.”
Tips for current Carthage students?
“Get involved in as much as you can, and learn as much as you can in as many areas of study as possible. Even if it’s not in your major of study, you will be amazed at the skills you can gain that will help you in your future career. Being able to read people and situations (interpersonal skills) is invaluable.”