A Lesson in Time Management 

Bryan Knight (MSIT ‘24) started a new job in April 2022 at Inceptor Bio, a life-science startup focused on developing new treatments for cancer. As information technology director, he is the company’s lone full-time IT employee.  

Just five months later, he began Northwestern Engineering's Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) program.  

To say there's a lot on his plate would be an understatement.  

“The most important lesson has been time management,” Knight said. “Juggling my current role within Inceptor Bio and building an information technology department from the ground up while focusing on academics is a mission in itself.”  

His full-time role at Inceptor has him jumping among short- and long-term projects that help the company meet the ever-present challenges that confront any life-science startup. There’s creating strategy around data, cybersecurity, and infrastructure, as well as mentoring and developing his team, all while being hands-on to support the company and its goals.  

Those goals are lofty. Inceptor is trying to use cell therapies to cure difficult-to-treat cancers.  

“Biotechnology is an extremely rewarding field to work in,” Knight said. “The idea that you are indirectly saving lives and making a difference in others’ lives is extremely rewarding. You can’t ask for more.”  

But Knight was aware he needed to know more to truly excel at the job. That’s why he turned to the MSIT program.  

He said he was initially attracted by the program's flexibility, meaning he could continue with his full-time job while taking classes part time. The idea that he could learn lessons in class and immediately apply them to his work was appealing.  

Knight’s learning hasn’t come just from his professors.  

“My favorite experience has been meeting so many students from around the world,” he said. “I am baffled by just how smart and dedicated they are, and the amount of potential everyone has in my cohort.”  

There have been difficult moments for Knight as he has juggled his studies and full-time job, but he's been okay with that. After all, the MSIT program has pushed him far outside his comfort zone – in a good way. 

“Being overwhelmed and uncomfortable can help you learn better time management skills and grow at an exponential rate,” he said. “I’m learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.”  

That’s why he’s a strong advocate of the program for those in a similar situation to the one he found himself in last year.  

And he has some advice for those considering the MSIT program.  

“The program will test you in many ways. Surround yourself with people who want to see you succeed and challenge yourself to help those around you succeed,” he said. “Challenge yourself to grow your critical thinking that this program will help develop. It's very much worth it.”