Megan Davidson-Gall
2026 Saltire Scholar
Operations Engineering Intern, Chrysalis
Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Strathclyde
My name is Megan Davidson-Gall and I am an Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering student at the University of Strathclyde and I applied to the Saltire Scholars Programme because I wanted to gain practical, hands-on experience within an industry relevant to my degree. Having been interested in pharmaceutical manufacturing throughout my degree, the opportunity to work for a GMP-focused organization in the United States immediately interested me. I hoped the experience would develop my technical and professional skills while I stepped out of my comfort zone by living and working in a city I had never visited before.
That goal became a reality when I moved to the United States to begin my Operations Engineering Internship at Chrysalis in Boston. From day one, the internship aligned well with my degree while giving me a much broader overview of how a pharmaceutical facility operates. I had the privilege of gaining exposure across multiple departments in the company throughout the nine weeks, which gave me lots of learning opportunities and broadened my skillset. In engineering and operations, I performed routine equipment checks, completed preventative maintenance on cleanroom assets, and helped with a continuous improvement project to update their asset management system. I also worked with the project management team to create a client offboarding process flow to help streamline the process of offboarding clients from Chrysalis facilities. This project involved meeting with different departments in multiple facilities to get a well-rounded view of the process before presenting the completed process flow to the project management team. This significantly developed my networking and presentation skills.
Another major project I completed while at Chrysalis was with the business development team. The other Saltire Intern at Chrysalis and I completed a major market analysis project looking at the regenerative medicine sector and creating a database of potential clients in this sector, along with a comprehensive slide deck overviewing the whole market. This project was something neither of us had any experience in doing before, but we worked together well to complete it to a high standard and present it to the business development team. It was then incredibly rewarding to learn that our research would be used by the sales team for future conversations with potential clients and will help the business in the future.
Outside of work, the Saltire Scholars Programme gave me the opportunity to experience life in Boston and explore other parts of the United States. I visited many of Boston's historic landmarks, travelled across Massachusetts, Maine and New York on the weekends, and made lasting friendships with fellow Saltire Scholars and other students interning in Boston from around the world. Some of the most memorable experiences were being in the United States for America’s 250th Birthday and being in Boston while Scotland competed in their first football World Cup in almost three decades, and having the opportunity to attend one of the matches. It was an unforgettable experience that made home feel a little closer.
Looking back, this summer was transformative both professionally and personally. When I first arrived in Boston, I was naturally nervous about stepping into a full-time professional environment in a brand-new country. However, working and completing projects across multiple departments massively boosted my confidence and communication skills. It also opened my eyes to the commercial and business development side of engineering, showing me how technical knowledge intersects with strategic growth and the many paths that engineering can take you. Prior to this summer, I wouldn't have pictured myself leading a market research project or presenting to department heads, but doing so proved just how adaptable and capable I am. Above all, the experience has made me more certain on wanting to pursue a career in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors.
To any student considering applying to the Saltire Scholars Programme, I advise that you do it! This programme is much more than a summer internship, it is a platform for personal growth, world-class professional experience and unforgettable memories. My advice to future scholars would be to say yes to every opportunity, get out of your comfort zone and try to learn as much as possible from the people around you, they want you to succeed as much as you do yourself!
This programme gave me the most amazing summer and I leave Boston with more professional skills, self-confidence and unforgettable experiences that I will carry with me throughout my life and career.
