 |
 Biotechnology Institute News DigestFebruary/March 2005 The News Digest looks at the world of biotechnology education, and includes Institute news, links to current articles, and a schedule of upcoming events. The News Digest is published by the Biotechnology Institute, the national organization dedicated to biotechnology education. In this issue:
Biotechnology Institute Launches New, Interactive Web Site In January, visitors to the Institute’s Web site at www.biotechinstitute.org were greeted with a new design! The new look and feel includes enhanced navigation features, resources, and reference links to help students and teachers better learn about the promise and challenges of biotechnology. In the coming months, the Institute will introduce a discussion board, or e-community feature, to enable teachers and other visitors to engage in online chats, as well as share ideas, classroom materials, and other resources through a virtual document library. Second Workforce Development and Community Colleges Forum Convenes in Bay Area The second in a series of statewide forums for the Biotechnology Workforce Development and Community Colleges in California Program was convened on February 11 at the J. David Gladstone Institutes at the University of San Francisco, Mission Bay. The forum featured local community college leaders and industry executives, who highlighted successful partnerships and best practices. The program’s goal is to create awareness among industry employers that today’s community college graduates have hands-on skills needed for jobs in biomanufacturing and R & D, and to make community colleges more aware of the current and future workforce needs of companies. Reports summarizing the outcomes of each forum will be available soon on the Institute’s Web site. The program is made possible through a grant from Gilead Sciences, Inc. ‘04 Teacher-Leader Award Winners Use Awards to Advance Biotech Education The Biotechnology Institute introduced the National Biotechnology Teacher-Leader Award in 2004 to recognize excellence among biotechnology educators. The top three finalists receive cash prizes of $10,000, $5,000, and $2,500 respectively. The competition’s first place finalist, Ellyn Daugherty of San Mateo High School in San Mateo, CA, is using her cash prize to publish a textbook on biotechnology. Rosalind Servinsky of the Greater Johnstown Career and Technology Center in Johnstown, PA, used her award money to bring her students to the state capitol for Life Sciences Biotechnology Day last November and National Vocational Education Week this month, where they conducted biotechnology demonstrations with state legislators. Click here to learn more about Ellyn and Rosalind’s experiences. If you are a Teacher-Leader, click here to apply for this year’s award. This program is sponsored by Genzyme Corporation and Invitrogen Corporation. The application deadline is March 31, 2005. New to 2005 BioDreaming Poster Competition-Cash Awards Students, break out your art supplies! New to the 2005 BioDreaming Poster Competition are cash awards of $500 to the first place finalist from each age group. BioDreaming is a poster contest for K-12 students that encourages young people to express, through art, the promise that biotechnology holds for the future. Click here for an application. The deadline for submitting posters is April 22, 2005. Click here to see the winning posters from 2004. Program Deadlines Approach for Biotechnology Institute Education Conference March and April mark the application deadlines for the main programs conducted during the 2005 Biotechnology Institute Education Conference in Philadelphia June 16-18. In addition to the Teacher-Leader Award and BioDreaming Poster Competition, other program deadlines include: Minority and Indigenous Fellows Program DEADLINE: March 3, 2005 National Biotechnology Teacher-Leader Program DEADLINE: March 31, 2005 Aventis International BioGENEius Challenge DEADLINE: Contact Institute for details NEW! Tri-State Biotechnology Teacher-Leader Day DEADLINE: April 15, 2005 Introduced this year, the program is a condensed, one-day version of the Institute’s National Biotechnology Teacher-Leader Program designed for teachers from New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania.
Upcoming Events Institute Events March 5, 2005: National Biotechnology Teacher-Leader Professional Development Session, Michigan Science Teachers Association Conference, Detroit Renaissance Center, Detroit, MI The session is based on the information from the traveling exhibit Genome: The Secret of How Life Works, funded by Pfizer, Inc. Presenter: Julie Milewski (Teacher-Leader '04), Ionia High School, Ionia, MI. To register for this event, visit http://www.msta-mich.org. Other Events April 7, 2005: “Building Career Interest in a Vital Field: Mentors Working with Higher Ed Students,” International Mentoring Association Annual Conference, Oakland, CA This presentation will focus on the unique application of mentoring as a strategy to interest college students in biotechnology careers. Biotechnology Institute Vice President for Educational Programs Kathy Frame will present with Rogene Baxter of The Bridgewater Group. For more information, visit www.mentoring-association.org.
April 11, 2005: “Successful Partnerships: Building a 21st Century Biotechnology Workforce,” American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Annual Convention, Boston, MA Kathy Frame moderates this panel which will highlight the successful partnerships forged by a growing number of community colleges and biotechnology companies to meet the increased demand for skilled workers. For more information about the AACC Annual Conference and this session, visit www.aacc.nche.edu. April 27-28, 2005: BayBio Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA BayBio's new Annual Conference will include two major components-a business meeting for sharing best practices among industry managers, and a public dialogue to explore the intersection of our businesses. More information may be found at www.baybio.org. Biotechnology News Headlines The following are recent selections of news stories that may be of interest to our teacher and student readership. For more news headlines on the latest developments in biotechnology, visit www.biotechinstitute.org and click on the News Room. Los Angeles Times, February 14, 2005: Gene may help restore hearing Researchers have restored hearing in deaf mammals for the first time, a feat that represents a major step toward the treatment of the 27 million Americans with acquired hearing loss. By inserting a corrective gene with a virus, the team induced the formation of new cochlear hair in the ears of artificially deafened adult guinea pigs. Click here for the complete story. New Scientist.com, February 18, 2005: Genetic Variation Map May Promise Tailored Drugs A new map of genetic "signposts" that reveal general variations in the human genome could lead to more effective, genetically-tailored drugs. Click here for more information. About the Biotechnology Institute The Biotechnology Institute’s mission is to engage, excite and educate the public, particularly young people, about biotechnology and its immense potential for solving human health, food, and environmental problems.
|
|
|
© 2005, Biotechnology Institute, all rights reserved. Privacy Statement Terms & Conditions | Contact Us |