Ornesha Watson

Dr. Ornesha Watson is a post-doctoral fellow at Bristol Myers Squibb through the Rutgers Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowship program. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Saint Joseph School of Pharmacy. With a focus on the importance of global knowledge exchange, her training included Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience in the United Arab Emirates and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Dr. Watson has a unique perspective of global public health having earned a Master of Science degree in International Relations at New York University (NYU). After which she served as a Communications Officer in the Executive Office of the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN). Her work at the UN focused on policy advocacy for sustainable energy access, as a key driver of global development. She has a passion for bringing people together to build impactful partnerships. As a member of the organizing teams for UN Climate Summits, culminating in the signing of the Paris Agreement; the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit, ending with the adoption of the SDGs and the Sustainable Energy for All Annual Forums that placed sustainable energy as a central goal among the SDGs, her passion and purpose aligned. Further, understanding that education is key to meaningful change, she taught courses in Global Civilization, Race, Class and Gender as an adjunct professor with the State University of New York. 

Committed to impacting the lives of others, Dr. Watson is a member of the Industry Pharmacists Organization’s (IPhO) core-working group that established the IPhO Diversity Initiative with the goal to increase the equality and industry representation among underrepresented ethnic subgroups within the pharmaceutical industry. She continues to be an active member of the Brooklyn College, NYU and USJ Alumni community, serving as guest lecturer and contributor to various courses and seminars.