Capstone Leadership Project Spotlight: Hillary Bergson, MSEM ’25

The Capstone Leadership Project (CLP) is the culmination of Tufts Gordon Institute’s MS in Engineering Management (MSEM) and MS in Technology Management & Leadership (MSTML) programs, where students apply their learning to a practical, on-the-job project for their current employer or a client organization. The CLP is an individual, student-led project that demonstrates an MSEM & MSTML student’s business acumen and leadership skills in a real business setting with the support of an advising faculty member. 

We interviewed MSEM & MSTML students in order to share the stories behind their CLPs and celebrate the success of our students making an impact at their organizations. Here’s what Hillary Bergson, Associate Director at MannKind Corporation and MSEM’25, had to say about her CLP and the MSEM program: 

Why did you choose to study in the MSEM program? 

I chose the MSEM program to enhance my leadership and management skills. As I advance in my career, I aim to be an influential leader and the MSEM program offered courses to build this skillset. I learned subjects such as finance and strategic management. These are areas I was not regularly exposed to during my day-to-day, so by learning these I can become a more effective leader.  

How did the idea for your CLP originate?  

When discussing goals for the next year, two feasibility projects were thrown out as ideas. The company had just acquired a new R&D site and more R&D staff, so I started to think about what feasibility means and how we could complete feasibility projects effectively across two R&D sites. Through conversations with the pharmaceutical development leadership, we decided developing a feasibility framework would be a worthwhile effort to ensure project efficiency and engagement among staff.  

You mentioned that your company was going through acquiring a new R&D site and additional R&D staff, how did this change affect your CLP?  

As the transition and integration was happening, many colleagues had expressed feeling uncertain about how we would integrate with our new colleagues, especially considering we were at two different sites. The new company also had a goal of advancing new R&D projects, which hadn’t been a main focus in the past few years, and the new team brought an expertise in R&D. A few months into my new job, there was a reorganization and in one of my first meetings with my new manager, I told her about my CLP and the idea I had, and she was incredibly supportive as she immediately saw the need to create a feasibility framework. 

How did your MSEM experience prepare you for – and assist you during – your CLP? 

Material from several of my courses, namely Project and Program Management, Building Financial Intelligence, and Practices of Ethical Leadership were particularly helpful during my CLP. Since I was building a ‘how to guide’ for projects at my company, I applied much of my learning from the project management courses. In addition to these courses, I applied learnings from the leadership immersive including influencing without authority and setting up organizational structures.  

How did your faculty advisor assist you while you worked on your CLP?  

My faculty advisor, Gerry Brown, was a helpful resource during the CLP. Gerry was able to provide an outside perspective that helped me to provide a better framework. Gerry and I met regularly to review my presentation as I developed it and guided me in areas where I had questions. His insight was valuable and helped me to prepare for questions I would receive from colleagues at my company.  

What were any outcomes from your CLP?  

The formulation development group at my company is implementing the framework for our current development program. Feasibility is the first stage for a pharmaceutical development program, so over the next year we plan to broaden the scope and build out the rest of the roadmap to span from intake to commercialization.  

Were there any surprising outcomes from the project? 

This project helped build a collaborative relationship with my manager, who was also my sponsor. She had become my manager in November, and this project kicked off in January, so we didn’t know each other very well. The CLP helped showcase my leadership skills and we both look forward to implementing the remainder of the framework and continuing to work together. 

What was the biggest lesson you learned through your CLP?  

The biggest lesson I learned was to think outside the box and step outside my comfort zone. The feasibility framework was something the company needed, but likely isn’t something I would have worked on if I wasn’t doing my CLP. The next time I have an idea like this, I will advocate to work on it for the betterment of myself and my company.  

Overall, looking back at your time in the MSEM as a whole, what is something you are most proud of? 

I’m proud of sticking with the program. I started the program in January of 2023 with a preschooler and an infant and after that first semester I questioned if I should continue. Being a full-time working mother and a part-time student was challenging, but I’m proud I stuck with it, achieved close to a 4.0 GPA, and now have my master’s in engineering management.