Alumnus Gary Charbonneau Honored for Career, Philanthropy and Service
Born and raised in Petaluma, California, Gary Charbonneau (Biological Sciences, ’89) transferred to Cal Poly as a sophomore after being recruited by coach Tom Henderson for cross country and track.
“I just chose [biology] because I was good at science,” Charbonneau said. “I didn’t know what I was going to do.”
Some of his favorite memories include running through Poly Canyon, living on campus and competing with the cross-country team. One highlight includes traveling to the Notre Dame Invitational in 1987 — his first time on a plane.
Charbonneau credits much of his professional success to three principles: hard work, lifelong learning and luck. “Sometimes it’s right place, right time. Sometimes it’s the right boss who sees something in you,” he said.
After graduation, Charbonneau built a career in drug development and regulatory science. He is now senior vice president, general manager and head of research and early development at Sarepta Therapeutics, a global biotechnology company focused on developing precision genetic medicines for rare diseases.
“It’s been very rewarding to be part of that process and see patients’ lives improved by the work you do,” he said.
Charbonneau and his company maintain strong ties with Cal Poly. Sarepta sponsors regenerative medicine master’s students, and Charbonneau and his wife, Sheila, fund a scholarship for transfer students on the cross-country team — a reflection of his own journey.
This fall, Charbonneau is also helping launch SCM 470, a new one-unit course on regulatory science and drug development. He and a colleague will co-teach the course, bringing in industry professionals with decades of experience.
“We wanted to give Cal Poly students a head start in the job search and show them career paths in biotech and drug development,” he said.
In 2024, Charbonneau received Cal Poly’s Honored Alumni Award for Athletics, the university’s highest alumni honor.
Outside of his professional work, he supports Just One Africa, a nonprofit that funds safe, trauma-informed education in Kenya. This May, he will travel there to help open a new high school built with donations from Charbonneau and his colleagues.
“I think my whole career has benefited from Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing philosophy,” he said. “There’s not a job I took that I was prepared for — and it didn’t bother me. I'm just going to do it. I think that has a lot to do with my training at Cal Poly. It’s ok to go and not know everything, you just do, and you figure it out.”
