Biotech center sees Calhoun pipeline

Friday, July 13, 2007

By KENNETH KESNER

Times Staff Writer kenneth.kesner@htimes.com

Grads of new 2-year program could fill many jobs at institute

DECATUR - In two or three years, when the Hudson-Alpha Institute for Biotechnology is fully up and running at Cummings Research Park in Huntsville, it ultimately could employ about 900 people, institute President Jim Hudson said.

And he said many of those jobs could be filled by graduates from Calhoun Community College's new two-year associate's degree program in biotechnology - the first in the state.

Biotech is a vast and fast-growing field, Hudson said Thursday during a press conference at the college's Decatur campus to announce the program.

"The growth has created demand for a variety of jobs. You do not have to have a four-year degree to work," he said, adding that graduates from Calhoun's program could fill a large fraction of Hudson-Alpha's positions and find work elsewhere.

The biotech degree classes will be held on Calhoun's Huntsville campus just off Interstate 565 in Cummings to be nearer Hudson-Alpha and other biotech firms, said Necia Nicholas, instructor and coordinator of the program. Some companies have already committed to internships, hiring and other support.

Students will become entry-level technicians, learning how to operate high-tech lab equipment and freeing researchers from such time-consuming work as growing cell cultures, she said.

Nicholas will teach the first course offering, "Introduction to Biotechnology," when classes begin this fall. Calhoun hopes to start the program with 20 to 25 students and then grow as more courses are offered. Some scholarships are already available for biotech majors, she said.

"This is something that I get so excited about," Nicholas said. She is a Calhoun graduate and went on to earn bachelor's and master's degrees in biology. The first course will look at opportunities and overall work in biotech, as well as explore local, state and global companies.

Neal Lamb, education and outreach director for Hudson-Alpha, said the institute and the Alabama Partnership for Biotechnology Research have been working with Calhoun for more than a year to help develop the biotech courses and make sure that key questions are addressed.

"What would the curriculum look like?" he said. "What are the skill sets that the biotech industries in the area want in their entry-level workers?"

Equipping and starting the biotech associate's degree program is costing the school about $500,000, Calhoun President Marilyn Beck said. Some of the money is coming from Calhoun's budget and some from a U.S. Department of Labor grant.

"We think that that number of students in the program will support it," she said. And it will cost no more than Calhoun's other course offerings, about $95 per credit hour.

"I love it," student Ryan O'Boyle of Huntsville said after hearing about the new associate's degree. She's taking biology classes at Calhoun and was worried that she might have to go to the University of Alabama at Birmingham to get a start in the biotech world.

"This is what I wanted to do in the first place," she said.

Hudson praised Calhoun officials for taking the initiative to contact the institute and the Partnership for Biotechnology Research about the degree program, and said the timing is good. Hudson-Alpha has scheduled a ribbon-cutting in November, and the labs probably will open in January but take time to set up.

"True job opportunities probably won't occur until the next fall, a year from now," he said. "And then they'll ramp up."

Hudson-Alpha will focus on using our own genetic code to produce drugs and treatments, ultimately tailoring them to individuals and leading to "personalized medicine," Hudson said.

"Everything about this will lead ultimately to an increase in the quality of life," he said, adding that he couldn't think of a more rewarding field in which to work.

Nicholas agreed, pointing out that there are also booming biotech opportunities in farming, fuel development and other areas.

"This is a very, very exciting field to be in," she said. "What could you do better with your life?"



Biotech center sees Calhoun pipeline Friday, July 13, 2007 By KENNETH KESNER Times Staff Writer kenneth.kesner@htimes.com Grads of new 2-year program could fill many jobs at institute DECATUR - In two or three years, when the Hudson-Alpha Institute for Biotechnology is fully up and running at Cummings Research Park in Huntsville, it ultimately could employ about 900 people, institute President Jim Hudson said. And he said many of those jobs could be filled by graduates from Calhoun Community College's new two-year associate's degree program in biotechnology - the first in the state. Biotech is a vast and fast-growing field, Hudson said Thursday during a press conference at the college's Decatur campus to announce the program. "The growth has created demand for a variety of jobs. You do not have to have a four-year degree to work," he said, adding that graduates from Calhoun's program could fill a large fraction of Hudson-Alpha's positions and find work elsewhere. The biotech degree classes will be held on Calhoun's Huntsville campus just off Interstate 565 in Cummings to be nearer Hudson-Alpha and other biotech firms, said Necia Nicholas, instructor and coordinator of the program. Some companies have already committed to internships, hiring and other support. Students will become entry-level technicians, learning how to operate high-tech lab equipment and freeing researchers from such time-consuming work as growing cell cultures, she said. Nicholas will teach the first course offering, "Introduction to Biotechnology," when classes begin this fall. Calhoun hopes to start the program with 20 to 25 students and then grow as more courses are offered. Some scholarships are already available for biotech majors, she said. "This is something that I get so excited about," Nicholas said. She is a Calhoun graduate and went on to earn bachelor's and master's degrees in biology. The first course will look at opportunities and overall work in biotech, as well as explore local, state and global companies. Neal Lamb, education and outreach director for Hudson-Alpha, said the institute and the Alabama Partnership for Biotechnology Research have been working with Calhoun for more than a year to help develop the biotech courses and make sure that key questions are addressed. "What would the curriculum look like?" he said. "What are the skill sets that the biotech industries in the area want in their entry-level workers?" Equipping and starting the biotech associate's degree program is costing the school about $500,000, Calhoun President Marilyn Beck said. Some of the money is coming from Calhoun's budget and some from a U.S. Department of Labor grant. "We think that that number of students in the program will support it," she said. And it will cost no more than Calhoun's other course offerings, about $95 per credit hour. "I love it," student Ryan O'Boyle of Huntsville said after hearing about the new associate's degree. She's taking biology classes at Calhoun and was worried that she might have to go to the University of Alabama at Birmingham to get a start in the biotech world. "This is what I wanted to do in the first place," she said. Hudson praised Calhoun officials for taking the initiative to contact the institute and the Partnership for Biotechnology Research about the degree program, and said the timing is good. Hudson-Alpha has scheduled a ribbon-cutting in November, and the labs probably will open in January but take time to set up. "True job opportunities probably won't occur until the next fall, a year from now," he said. "And then they'll ramp up." Hudson-Alpha will focus on using our own genetic code to produce drugs and treatments, ultimately tailoring them to individuals and leading to "personalized medicine," Hudson said. "Everything about this will lead ultimately to an increase in the quality of life," he said, adding that he couldn't think of a more rewarding field in which to work. Nicholas agreed, pointing out that there are also booming biotech opportunities in farming, fuel development and other areas. "This is a very, very exciting field to be in," she said. "What could you do better with your life?" © 2007 The Huntsville Times © 2007 al.com All Rights Reserved.