RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Feb. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The North Carolina
Biotechnology Center has awarded 11 grants totaling $300,554 to improve
biotechnology education across the state.
The awards, made through the Biotechnology Center's Education Enhancement
Grants Program, will fund biotechnology-education activities at colleges,
universities, high schools, community colleges, museums and science centers.
"These grants permit educators around the state to initiate new
biotechnology training programs, enhance their teaching laboratories or create
innovative education materials that can be disseminated to teachers around the
state," said Dr. Bill Schy, manager of the Biotechnology Center's Education
and Training Program. "In this way North Carolinians learn about the many
beneficial applications of biotechnology, and students naturally develop an
interest in the career opportunities available in biotechnology and related
industries."
Following are summaries of the grants:
A.C. Reynolds High School, Asheville
Martha L. Cowan, $6,000, Connecting Concepts and Technologies in 10th
Grade Biology. The Project Director will incorporate more biotechnology into
her 10th grade Biology class. These investigations will reinforce the goals
and objectives in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, while
incorporating activities with a regional flavor. In one activity students will
conduct a bioprospecting exercise exploring properties from extracts of plants
native to Western North Carolina.
Duke University, Durham
Dr. Stephen B. Baumann and Dr. Glenda Kelly, Electrical and Computer
Engineering, $76,085, Development of Instructional Technology to Teach
Immunology to North Carolina Middle and High School Students. A computer game,
Immune Attack, which models immune system function, is being developed by the
Federation of American Scientists for Advanced Placement Biology students.
Through this award the Project Directors will adapt the game for use in middle
school and by introductory biology students in high school. The modified game
and accompanying lesson plans will be tested in local schools and distributed
to all interested science teachers in North Carolina.
Durham Technical Community College, Durham
Melissa Ockert, Clinical Trials Research Associate Programs, $30,000,
Implementation of the Data Management Certificate at Durham Technical
Community College. Durham Technical Community College will develop and
implement a Data Management Certificate Program to enhance its course
offerings that train students for work in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical
industries. The new program will be a four-semester, competency-based
certificate covering the management of data collected during a pharmaceutical
or biotechnology clinical trial.
East Carolina University, Greenville
Dr. Arun P. Aneja and Dr. Paul Kauffman, Technology and Computer Science,
$15,000, Enhancement of Undergraduate Bioprocess Manufacturing Education.
The award will permit planning for new biomanufacturing-related BS degrees in
Industrial Engineering and Industrial Technology at East Carolina University.
Friends of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh
Betsy Bennett and Roy Campbell, $5,258, Conservation Genomics Planning
Grant for the Nature Research Center. The award will support planning for a
Conservation Genomics exhibit as a component of the new Nature Research Center
addition to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. In addition to the
new exhibit, planning will support design of the new labs and programs to be
offered in Conservation Genomics.
Livingstone College, Salisbury
Dr. John E. Mayfield and Dr. Edward Smith, Biology, $26,030, Biotechnology
Enrichment in Science Training. Livingstone College's biotechnology initiative
will integrate hands-on biotechnology modules into seven different courses.
Seminar presentations by visiting scientists will provide students with
increased exposure to biotechnology. These academic enrichment activities will
help prepare graduates for jobs in the rapidly growing biotechnology industry.
Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, Chapel Hill
Jeff Hill and Denise L. Young, $20,000, Morehead Planetarium and Science
Center: Planning Grant for Nanoscience Exhibition. Morehead Planetarium and
Science Center will use this award to plan the development of an exhibition
exploring nanoscience for the general public. Educational content will include
the impact of nanoscience on basic biological questions and on biomedical
technologies such as sensing and drug delivery. UNC researchers will provide
technical support for the project.
Pfeiffer University, Misenheimer
Dr. Dane K. Fisher and Dr. Mark McCallum, Biology, $45,000, Pfeiffer
Integration of Biotechnology Across the Curricula. An integrated biotechnology
curriculum that employs active-learning laboratory experiences will be
developed through collaboration between the Biology and Chemistry departments
at Pfeiffer University. The award will enhance teaching laboratory facilities
and integrate biotechnology experiences across the biology and chemistry
curricula.
Vance-Granville Community College, Henderson
Garland Elliot and Julie Kinlaw, Economic Development Services, $3,000,
Workforce Development in Bioprocessing. The award will enable appropriate
staff to obtain professional development in current good manufacturing
practices (cGMP) or another area relevant for the continuing education
program.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Dr. Rudolph L. Juliano, Pharmacology, $34,192, Biotechnology
Instrumentation Training for Basic and Clinical Researchers. This project will
leverage the research expertise and cutting edge instrumentation available at
five selected biotechnology-related core facilities on campus to train
students and young researchers how to best utilize the instrumentation in
their research. The university's core facilities represent an untapped
educational resource to train local researchers, both those based at nearby
campuses as well as from the wider biotechnology industry community.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Dr. Nichola J. Lowe and Dr. Harvey Goldstein, City and Regional Planning,
$39,989, Transitioning to the New Economy: Early Lessons from North
Carolina's Biomanufacturing Training Program. The study funded by this award
will evaluate the employment outcomes of individuals completing North
Carolina's BioWork training program. The results will inform state training
policies, as well as make recommendations for additional support services that
will help members of disadvantaged socio-economic groups, especially displaced
traditional sector workers, transition to the new economy.
The Biotechnology Center is a private, non-profit corporation supported by
the State of North Carolina. Its mission is to provide long-term economic and
societal benefits to North Carolina by supporting biotechnology research,
business and education statewide.
North Carolina is the nation's No. 3 state for biotechnology, based on
number of companies, according to Ernst & Young's annual survey of the
industry.
SOURCE North Carolina Biotechnology Center
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Related links:
http://www.ncbiotech.org
CONTACT:
Barry Teater, director of corporate
communications, or Jim Shamp, news and publications editor, or
Dr. Bill Schy, manager of the Education and Training Program, all
of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, +1-919-541-9366
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