Roche US: New Jersey, a thriving economic power
Since colonial times, New Jersey has been a crossroads between New York City, one of the worlds major financial centres to the east, and Philadelphia, birthplace of the USA to the west. To this day, that reputation remains. Youre from New Jersey? What highway exit? is a caustic remark that residents deflect with a smile. They know that New Jersey is not just a congested highway to somewhere else. One of the smallest states in the US, it is a thriving economic power, a centre of innovation and technology and a geological wonder.
To the north and west, you can go skiing in the mountains; along the southeast coast, there are miles of beaches and from where I live, New York City is about 10 miles away, said Fei S., PhD, Senior Principal Scientist.
Nutleys campus and residential community
Fei Su completed her graduate studies and postdoctoral work at New York University, Columbia University and The Rockefeller University in New York City, where she lived on the posh Upper East Side. When she decided to continue her career in the pharmaceutical industry, she was attracted to Roche for its scientific reputation and its excellent location. I came here for my interview and fell in love with the campus, she recalled. That was eight years ago and Fei has felt at home ever since.
Nestled in the heart of the tiny town of Nutley, about 3,5 square miles, the Roche site is positioned between the busy thoroughfare of Route 3, a straight drive into Manhattan through the Lincoln Tunnel, and tree-lined, suburban Kingsland Street, the main entrance to the complex. Nutleys residential community includes a downtown area with lively restaurants, retail shops, service establishments and houses of worship. The names of local businesses reveal the legacy of Italian immigrants theres Terrazza, a popular bistro; Vitiello Bakery & Cake Shop; and Milano Cleaners.
High-stakes job
During the week, Fei doesnt have much time to enjoy the local amenities. Shes heads-down in the lab, working on a potential cure for metastatic melanoma. She leads a team of researchers and her job is to figure out how to extend the great benefit of promising new drugs and to prevent or decrease side effects. Its a high-stakes, high-stress responsibility that Fei takes very seriously.
Life in New Jersey
To decompress, she engages in a popular New Jersey pastime known as retail therapy. Fei and her husband, Wei, a professor at Columbia University, and their two daughters, Monica and Alyssa, live in nearby Paramus, the shopping capital of the US with over 5 billion in annual retail sales more than any other zip code in the country. The family loves to browse the Garden State Plaza, largest and trendiest in the tri-state area, where Fei occasionally treats herself to new shoes or expensive handbags or jewelry. The mall represents US culture just like DisneyWorld, says Fei, who grew up in Beijing, China, and is now an American citizen.
Culture and entertainment
For real culture, Fei and her family travel over the George Washington Bridge to New York, attending plays and musicals at Broadway theatres and visiting the world-class art museums. Feis favourite is the Museum of ModernArt (MoMA) in mid-town. Her daughters love to draw, and while Fei doesnt consider herself arty, the family finds relaxation wandering the vast galleries. We can spend the whole day in a museum, Fei said. They also enjoy New Jersey cultural attractions such as the Montclair Art Museum.
When Fei entertains visitors, she takes them to Hoboken, a city on the west bank of the Hudson River where they can see the gleaming Manhattan skyline and then stop for Italian pastries at Carlos Bake Shop on Washington Street, the site of the TLC channel reality television show, Cake Boss. Sometimes, she takes friends for a drive along the wooded cliffs of the Palisades Interstate Parkway or even spend a summer day at the Jersey shore, soaking up the sun, swimming in the steely blue Atlantic and eating sushi.
While some popular cable television programmes like HBOs The Sopranos or MTVs Jersey Shore cast the state in an unfavourable light, Fei feels those depictions are exaggerations. Although Fei describes herself as a city girl, and has lived in and traveled to some of the worlds greatest cities, she considers New Jersey her home. I love this area, she said. Its got everything.
Nutleys campus and residential community
Fei Su completed her graduate studies and postdoctoral work at New York University, Columbia University and The Rockefeller University in New York City, where she lived on the posh Upper East Side. When she decided to continue her career in the pharmaceutical industry, she was attracted to Roche for its scientific reputation and its excellent location. I came here for my interview and fell in love with the campus, she recalled. That was eight years ago and Fei has felt at home ever since.Nestled in the heart of the tiny town of Nutley, about 3,5 square miles, the Roche site is positioned between the busy thoroughfare of Route 3, a straight drive into Manhattan through the Lincoln Tunnel, and tree-lined, suburban Kingsland Street, the main entrance to the complex. Nutleys residential community includes a downtown area with lively restaurants, retail shops, service establishments and houses of worship. The names of local businesses reveal the legacy of Italian immigrants theres Terrazza, a popular bistro; Vitiello Bakery & Cake Shop; and Milano Cleaners.
High-stakes job
During the week, Fei doesnt have much time to enjoy the local amenities. Shes heads-down in the lab, working on a potential cure for metastatic melanoma. She leads a team of researchers and her job is to figure out how to extend the great benefit of promising new drugs and to prevent or decrease side effects. Its a high-stakes, high-stress responsibility that Fei takes very seriously.
Life in New Jersey
To decompress, she engages in a popular New Jersey pastime known as retail therapy. Fei and her husband, Wei, a professor at Columbia University, and their two daughters, Monica and Alyssa, live in nearby Paramus, the shopping capital of the US with over 5 billion in annual retail sales more than any other zip code in the country. The family loves to browse the Garden State Plaza, largest and trendiest in the tri-state area, where Fei occasionally treats herself to new shoes or expensive handbags or jewelry. The mall represents US culture just like DisneyWorld, says Fei, who grew up in Beijing, China, and is now an American citizen.
Culture and entertainment
For real culture, Fei and her family travel over the George Washington Bridge to New York, attending plays and musicals at Broadway theatres and visiting the world-class art museums. Feis favourite is the Museum of ModernArt (MoMA) in mid-town. Her daughters love to draw, and while Fei doesnt consider herself arty, the family finds relaxation wandering the vast galleries. We can spend the whole day in a museum, Fei said. They also enjoy New Jersey cultural attractions such as the Montclair Art Museum.When Fei entertains visitors, she takes them to Hoboken, a city on the west bank of the Hudson River where they can see the gleaming Manhattan skyline and then stop for Italian pastries at Carlos Bake Shop on Washington Street, the site of the TLC channel reality television show, Cake Boss. Sometimes, she takes friends for a drive along the wooded cliffs of the Palisades Interstate Parkway or even spend a summer day at the Jersey shore, soaking up the sun, swimming in the steely blue Atlantic and eating sushi.
While some popular cable television programmes like HBOs The Sopranos or MTVs Jersey Shore cast the state in an unfavourable light, Fei feels those depictions are exaggerations. Although Fei describes herself as a city girl, and has lived in and traveled to some of the worlds greatest cities, she considers New Jersey her home. I love this area, she said. Its got everything.