The Biotechnology program at Montgomery County Community College began in 2002, and a Nanobiotechnology option was added in 2005. The program exists to prepare students for careers in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry or to prepare them for transfer to four year educational institutions. With a plethora of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in the Delaware Valley, MCCC is poised to help train skilled 21st century biotechnologists.
The current active grant expansion project led by Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) has students initiating education while enrolled in the North Montco Technical Career Center (NMTCC) and Center for Technical Studies of Montgomery County (CTS). The objective is to accelerate knowledge and skills during high school so that advanced college work and/or gainful employment will be available immediately following high school graduation. Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) and Cabrini College are fully participating in the project and have signed full credit articulation agreements with MCCC.
The current phase of the project has Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) and Penn State Abington as partners. CCP is working to approve programs or courses with a different emphasis in biotechnology than that of MCCC, in order to expand the curriculum offerings to students in Southeastern PA. Penn State Abington has developed a transfer guide for the A.S. in Biotechnology at MCCC to the B.S. in Life Science at Penn State Abington. This transfer option is fully available to MCCC students at this time. With our 2+2+2 educational partners and with a career track A. A. S. degree or a transfer track A.S. degree, there are multiple entry and exit points from education to the work place While the current project has greatly increased the capacity of the “pipeline,” the expected need for those skilled in Biotechnology in Southeastern PA still far exceeds the education and training resources available.
Bio International Convention
May 6, 2007
Dr. Linda Rehfuss, MCCC Dean of Math Science and Advanced Technology, will participate in the 4th Annual Community College session, “Innovative Models for Teaching Students the Business of Biotechology” at the Bio Convention in Boston, MA.
American Chemical Society Meeting
May 16, 2007
Dr. Linda Rehfuss, MCCC Dean of Math Science and Advanced Technology, will co-chair a session at the Mid-Atlantic Meeting of the American Chemical Society on Bioprocess Science/Biomanufacturing.
Teachers’ Workshop
June 7 and 8, 2007
Montgomery County Community College’s Biotechnology Department will host a hands-on Biomanufacturing Quality Control Workshop for high school and college teachers.
Summer Camp
June 18 to 22, 2007
The third annual Nanobiotechnology Camp
for high school students funded by the DCED
grant will be held at Montgomery County
Community College in June.
Bioman 2007
July 22 to 27, 2007
Dr. Linda Rehfuss, Dean of Math, Science and Advanced Technology and Kevin Lampe, Assistant Professor of Biotechnology, will be presenting a workshop on biomanufacturing quality control at the Bioman 2007 meeting hosted by New Hampshire Community Technical College in Portsmouth. This meeting will be attended by educators from two and four year colleges and universities and technical high schools. Its purpose is to exchange best practices and ideas to support and enhance biomanufacturing education and training for the workforce of the 21st century. It is sponsored by The National Science Foundation's ATE Regional Center for Biomanufacturing, the Northeast Biomanufacturing Center and Collaborative (NBC2).
ATC Opening
Spring 2007
The MCCC Advanced Technology Center, an innovative 60,000 square-foot facility that integrates advanced technology into education is scheduled to open May 2007. It includes a new Biotechnology lab and tissue culture room ready for Fall 2007 classes.
2+2+2 Grant Project Partners
Secondary Level Schools
2- Year Post Secondary Level Institutions
4-Year Post Secondary Level Institutions
Industry Partners
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Centocor
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Emerson Resources
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GlaxoSmithKline
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Merck & Co.
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PBL Medical Labs
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Puresyn
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Tengion
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Wyeth
Other Strategic Partners
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Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern PA
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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania TeamPA Southeastern PA
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The Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center
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Montgomery County Department of Workforce and Economic Development and Workforce Development Board
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Montgomery County Industrial Development Corporation
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The Pennsylvania State University
