A Trusted U.S. Pharmaceutical Company

Irada Rybak is a Senior Scientist in Technical Services, in the Maple Grove office. Her team’s goal is to make sure the floor is operating. Irada begins her day ensuring that equipment is running smoothly. “If there is an urgent issue, I address that first. It takes priority over everything else.” If all is good, Irada works on the multiple projects assigned to her, which are typically six-month projects. She usually works onsite, but when she is working on documentation, she can do that at home. Irada’s family lives in Eden Prairie. Her son Yanek is 8 and daughter Maya is 6. The family enjoys biking, soccer and playing board games.

Brian Gonzalez Melgar is an Associate Project Engineer in Maple Grove, who had the unique experience of going from Upsher-Smith intern to part-time employee to full-time employee in a very short timeframe. Brian’s journey with us begins with his involvement in the Achieve Minneapolis Step Up Program, which he joined during his freshman year in high school. The program helps Minneapolis youth prepare and train for their professional future by working with Twin Cities employers, allowing them to gain valuable work experience. Originally a program just for high schoolers, Step Up eventually evolved to accommodate college students. That’s how—while pursuing his mechanical engineering degree at Dunwoody College of Technology during his junior year—he was accepted for a metrology internship at Upsher-Smith. (In case you were wondering, metrology is the science of weights and measures, and Brian’s role dealt with equipment calibration and maintenance.) During his internship, Brian impressed enough of his leaders that he was offered a part-time position as a manufacturing technician before Brian had even graduated. So, when his internship ended, Brian was able to continue working part time in his new role in the Plymouth facility. Then, when it got closer to the end of his senior semester, Brian was offered his current role as associate project engineer. His main focus has been the commissioning of utilities—compressed air, nitrogen and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning)—for Plant C, our latest building expansion.

Carrie Kirscht is Senior Director of Financial Planning and Analysis in our Maple Grove office. She spends her days leading Upsher-Smith’s financial planning process, monitoring the cost of products and analyzing financial results. On a given day she may review the manufacturing cost of a key product, analyze results for the month or compile an expense analysis. She met her husband on a touch football team and they enjoy cheering for their son’s baseball, basketball and soccer teams. The family ends each day with a walk around the block. “It’s a tradition we started during the pandemic.” Carrie is an avid runner and enjoys early morning runs with her running group. She runs a few races each year and has trips planned to San Diego and Disney World for half marathons.

Kim Dupuis is a Manager of Quality Operations in our Plymouth office. She works 2-3 days a week in the office and other days remotely reviewing and approving documents that support commercial production and the product transfers from our Denver and Plymouth locations to Maple Grove (as we are now consolidating all of our manufacturing from three sites to one). She also provides guidance to the Plymouth and Pilot Plant Operations team. Since she joined Upsher-Smith during the pandemic, she took part in the October 2020 Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota (EFMN) Epilepsy Walk “for a chance to meet more people from Upsher-Smith and to be a part of something great.” Kim and her husband Harrison have a 4-year-old German Shorthair Pointer named Millie. They enjoy kayaking, camping and fishing in the summer, and Kim spends winters on craft projects including screen printing, glass etching, making decals and shirts. She also enjoys travel and has visited 15 countries.