VGCC Awarded Grant for Bioprocess Facility
Vance-Granville Community College will receive a $49,994 grant from the North Carolina Community College System BioNetwork, the State Board of Community Colleges recently announced. The grant was one of 42 approved by that board in September, representing more than three million dollars in grants for specialized biotechnology training at community colleges across the state. Community colleges use the grants to obtain new or used equipment, purchase laboratory supplies, upgrade outdated equipment and enhance laboratories.
VGCC’s successful grant proposal will purchase video-conferencing equipment for the new, state-of-the-art Bioprocess Technology laboratory, located on the college’s main campus in Vance County. Bioprocess Technology program head/instructor Christine Klahn said the equipment would allow classes to be taught from the main campus to students at the Franklin County Campus (home of the one-semester BioWork courses) via online “distance learning.” Classes could meet at the same time on both campuses, for example, and instructors would not have to travel back and forth. The equipment would also provide the ability to record and upload experiments to the Web, thus decreasing classroom time and making the program even more convenient for students with full-time jobs, Klahn said. It is possible that the introductory Bioprocess course could one day be taken completely via the Internet, before students go on to more hands-on training. Currently, most Bioprocess courses are “hybrid courses,” in which at least some material is learned online. VGCC staff plan to have the new video-conferencing equipment installed for use during the next semester, which will begin in January 2007.
BioNetwork has now funded 142 grants since its inception in 2004, totaling more than $12.2 million. The grant process is competitive and review panels comprised representatives from industry, the State Board of Community Colleges, the NC Biotechnology Center, and the NC Community College System office. Because pharmaceutical and bio-manufacturers will not hire people without the specialized training needed to work in this highly-regulated sector, the BioNetwork grants provide community colleges with the equipment they need to be able to offer realistic training. The biotech industry is growing by an estimated 3,000 jobs annually, of which 2,000 require education and training at the community college level, according to a survey conducted by the NC Biotechnology Center.
BioNetwork is a statewide initiative that connects community colleges across North Carolina, providing specialized training, curricula and equipment, to develop a world-class workforce for the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and life sciences industries. All community colleges serving the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector, including VGCC, are part of the BioNetwork.
Klahn recently conducted a tour of the new Bioprocess lab for members of her program’s advisory committee. One member, the BioNetwork Bioprocessing Center Curriculum Coordinator, Greg Smith of Greenville, provided support for the design of the lab. Smith, who came to BioNetwork with considerable industry experience, complimented VGCC on its facilities and on the enthusiasm that Klahn demonstrates. Smith called the new lab “very impressive, a model for others throughout the state.” He also noted that most such labs in other colleges only have the capacity to hold 16 students at one time, while VGCC’s facility accommodates 24 students.
Klahn also took the opportunity to update the advisory panel on enrollment in the VGCC program, which quadrupled from the previous semester. She reported that many businesses are contacting her to inform her of job openings in the Bioprocess field. Advisory committee members, including representatives of private businesses and a local high school guidance counselor, gave Klahn input on the needs of the community and on planning for the future.
Above: VGCC Bioprocess Technology program head Christine Klahn (right) shows the new Bioprocess lab to advisory committee members (from left) Dickson Pratt of Procter & Gamble, Don Macpherson of Novozymes and high school guidance counselor Dana Small. Not pictured: committee member Greg Smith. The committee was one of many such groups that met on October 24 at all four of VGCC’s campuses. Advisory committees are composed of citizens with particular interests or expertise and VGCC alumni who offer input on the college’s various programs and the needs of employers. (VGCC Photo)
