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Valley Colleges Boosting Biotech/Med Device Curriculums

Universities and community colleges in the greater San Fernando Valley area are tuned-in to local biotech and medical device companies’ needs for a well-trained and well-educated workforce. California State University at Channel Islands, California State University, Northridge, College of the Canyons, Moorpark College and Pierce College are some of the local institutions that have programs geared to the industry. “We identified biotechnology as one of the need areas in our region, because we’re next door to companies like Amgen and Baxter,” said Dr. Ching-Hua Wang, director of the MS in Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Program at CSU Channel Islands in Camarillo. CSU Channel Islands offers two biotech specific programs: an MS in Biotechnology and Bioinformatics; and a dual degree MS in Biotechnology and master’s in business administration. The school launched the programs in 2005 and 2007 respectively. Wang said the curriculum stresses the importance of internships. Students have interned at Amgen, City of Hope, Beckman Coulter, UCLA, and UC Santa Barbara. Baxter and UC Berkeley also agreed to host students. The programs include hard sciences, business education, human resources management, project management and more. Scientists from Amgen and other biotech companies and research organizations teach many of the courses. Since 2005, the university has enrolled more than 200 students and graduated more than 60 in both programs, she said. Relevant funding includes $100,000 from Amgen and a $1.73 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Finding jobs “When creating these programs, we first identified the needs of local companies,” said Wang. “And all of our graduates have found jobs in the field or proceeded to other professional schools.” California State University, Northridge (CSUN) has long offered courses and degrees relevant to biotech, medical devices and related industries. Biology, biochemistry, physics, engineering and health related coursework are some of the school’s mainstays. The university recently created two new master’s level programs geared to the healthcare, biotech and medical device industries: a Master of Science in Assistive Technology Studies and Human Services, which is set to launch in 2010; and a Master of Science in Assistive and Rehabilitative Technology that begins in 2011. “The goal in creating these programs was if somebody has a background in engineering and is interested in working in healthcare, we can help steer them in that direction,” said Dr. S.K. Ramesh, dean of CSUN’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. The school plans on keeping the Master of Science in Assistive and Rehabilitative Technology program small, not exceeding approx. 20 students, he said. And students will complete internships at local companies such as Amgen, Baxter, and Medtronic. Moorpark College’s biotechnology program is geared towards preparing students to move on to four year colleges, and/or help students directly enter the biotechnology workforce. It’s also one of several in the state with a comprehensive biomanufacturing curriculum. Industry input The school designed the program by consulting with members of the local biotech industry, such as professionals at Baxter and Amgen. It offers Associate in Science degrees, a Biotechnology Certificate of Achievement, and a Manufacturing Operator Certificate of Achievement. College of the Canyons in the Santa Clarita Valley also offers a certificate of achievement in biotechnology. The school’s curriculum includes a foundation in theory and hands-on training in biotechnology. It has facilities on campus and a clean room training facility at the Al Mann Biotechnology Park. The school also runs a biotechnology outreach program for high school students. The Amgen-Bruce Wallace Biotechnology Lab Program, founded in 1990, has a strong presence in the greater San Fernando Valley area. The outreach program provides equipment, curriculum and supplies to middle schools, high schools and colleges. “Our goal is to improve science literacy,” said Marty Ikkanda, national director, adding the ancillary goal is to get kids excited about science and increase the chances of them choosing biotechnology as a career path. The curriculum focuses on crucial laboratory experiments being done in biotechnology that lead to the creation of medicines and human therapeutics, said Ikkanda. The Amgen Foundation pays for approx. $20,000 worth of equipment for each school. The program is offered at 87 schools and 16,000 students in the greater Los Angeles area, said Ikkanda. Some of the Valley schools include Portola Middle School in Tarzana, Pierce College, and College of the Canyons in the Santa Clarita Valley. “To major in science is a difficult road to take, and most students aspire to go into medicine,” said Ikkanda. “I think we can do a better job of educating them about all of their options.”

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