Commitment Rewarded: BRE Founder and CEO to be Honored by Alma Mater
Bear Rock Electric, Inc. (BRE) Founder and CEO, Nicole C. Close, recently received a surprise invitation to join the Juniata Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society at Dr. Close’s alma mater, Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.
Each year, the Circle ODK invites an alumnus into membership as a way to honor their achievements and commitment to Juniata. The current leadership was said to be enthusiastic in deciding to invite Nicole to join their honored ranks.
Nicole C. Close, born and raised in southwestern Pennsylvania chose nearby Juniata College for her undergraduate work due to the institution’s strong science programs. With her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology complete, Nicole went on to complete her Master of Science degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio), and her doctorate in Epidemiology at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Nicole credits the strong foundation she received at Juniata College for her love of science and success as a Clinical Trialist, Biostatistician and more importantly as a Women Entrepreneur. She has stayed active in alumni programs and stayed committed to helping mentor and counsel budding science and business leaders on their education and career paths by way of speaking engagements, mentorships, scholarships, and career fairs.
Having founded her own successful and much sought-after contract research organization (EmpiriStat, Inc.), in addition to her electrical contracting firm (BRE), in honor of her electrician father and grandfather, and to provide quality jobs to electricians, Nicole is a unique perspective for students to learn from. Nicole returns often to Juniata to participate in their Career Week, where she also provides entrepreneurial talks, seminars, and one-on-one consultation sessions with students.
Juniata’s motto, “think-evolve-act,” is at the core of BRE, and Nicole expands upon these words every day in her business.
The Circle ODK will induct Nicole at an initiation ceremony in April at Juniata College’s Liebig Center for Science.
For more information on Juniata College’s multiple Programs of Emphasis, please visit www.juniata.edu.
For more information on the Juniata Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa national honor society, we encourage you to visit www.odk.org.
