Some people have the uncanny ability to solve any problem they are presented with, no matter how big or small. This is particularly true for folks like Maria Escobar, Program Manager in Global Manufacturing and Quality Assurance Operations, who has worked on everything from integration processes and field quality to manufacturing and quality assurance throughout her 14-year career at Luminex.
Maria joined Luminex in 2007, holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Regis College, and is a testament to the power of perseverance.
Q: What are your responsibilities at Luminex?
A: As a Program Manager, I harmonize processes and assist with various operations under Senior Vice President Randy Myers. Our team is responsible for moving projects forward, improving communication, bringing people across Luminex together, and finding creative solutions to issues that arise in our Manufacturing and Quality Assurance (QA) operations. Randy calls us his ninjas because of how much we coordinate and organize.
Where did you before you worked here?
A: Before Luminex, I worked in Research and Development at the Morehouse School of Medicine. I loved working in research! Unfortunately though, academic research relies on grant funding, so I had to look for another job.
Q: What drew you to Luminex?
A: I realized that I didn’t have to go to medical school to help people—I could work for a biotech company and still make a difference in healthcare, which would have the kind of impact I wanted my work to have. So I was eager to get into the biotech industry. My interview at Luminex was the day I landed in Texas!
Q: How did you decide to move to Austin?
A: My sister is a Marine Corps veteran. She moved to Texas and had my two nephews. I wanted to be a present aunt—someone who could be there for baseball games and school plays. Family is so important. That’s how I ended up moving here from Boston, but now I could never go back. I don’t think I could even fathom having to shovel myself out my driveway before leaving the house again.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about Luminex?
A: My favorite part about my job is the people I work with. We’re like a family. When I was pregnant with my first child as a single mom, my colleagues had a baby shower for me, and I was amazed by how much support I received from all the people I had met here over the years. We have a great culture. People here really want the best for each other.
Q: If you could solve any clinical or genetic challenge, what would it be?
A: Right now, I’d like for COVID-19 to go away. I don’t even need to fully understand the science behind it… I just want it gone. I want to hug people again!
Q: If you weren’t a program manager at Luminex, where would you be?
A: I would really enjoy being a motivational speaker.
Q: What is something about you that no one at Luminex knows?
A: One of the things I don’t share enough is that I’m a first-generation immigrant and the first one in my family to graduate from college. I was born into a civil war in El Salvador and immigrating to the US wasn’t an easy process. Everyone experiences adversity, but I learned early on that with enough tenacity, we can get through anything.
Q: What’s your favorite thing to do in Austin on the weekend?
A: I’m a foodie—I love that you can find any kind of food here. There’s really good Colombian, sushi, Thai, and, of course, barbecue. A lot of the food trucks in Austin mix cuisines to create interesting fusions, so it’s fun to try new flavors.
At Luminex, we really are a family. With offices in Austin, Chicago, Hong Kong, Madison, the Netherlands, Seattle, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Toronto and more than 1,400 people working together, we’re constantly improving on what it means to empower labs around the world to advance health and healthcare. If you’re interested in joining us, check out our latest job postings at: https://lmnxja.acscreativedev.com/open-positions/.
