Student Spotlight

Christopher Willingham

Sr. Supervisor Laboratory Services , Werfen

Residence: Georgia, USA Nationality: USA

Class of 2026

Chris Willingham had no intention of pursuing a master’s degree. A U.S. Army reservist and personal trainer, he has worked in laboratory settings for more than a dozen years, first in the military, then for Immucor and now for Werfen, the Spain-based company that acquired Immucor in 2023.  But after reviewing the curriculum for the NYU Law and NYU Wagner MS in Health Law and Strategy, he decided to go back to school, with financial assistance from the post-9/11 GI Bill. Halfway through the program, his verdict was in: “I made an excellent choice.”

As Senior Supervisor for Laboratory Services for the blood-bank products manufacturer, Willingham confronts the requirements of regulatory compliance every day. “In Quality Laboratory, we need to abide by many policies for the safety and efficacy of our products. We are heavily regulated, which leads to many audits. When testing our products, we must test and document accurately to show quality and compliance. As a Senior Supervisor with 19 total reports, I must lead and ensure the staff follows our guidelines to not only comply, but to ensure the timely release of our products to customers globally.

“The greatest challenge of the job is investigating products that do not measure up to specification while meeting the fast-paced demands of manufacturing. Our products have a short shelf life, so we have daily and weekly timelines. It’s important I work quickly to help demands of our customers worldwide, while ensuring our products are quality. Often, products fail specification and/or resolve without a clear answer as to why.”

Despite his initial ambivalence about hitting the books, Willingham has no regrets. Even though the material may not be applicable currently to his day-to-day responsibilities, he believes it will be useful as his career evolves. “I believe the MSHLS program sharpens your decision making and leadership and broadens your view of not just our healthcare system, but of society. The learning never stops.”