Biotechnology Institute News room
Governor Jim Hunt to Address Biotechnology Education Conference
Arlington, VA (May 11, 2009) – Former North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt will be the keynote speaker at the Biotechnology Institute’s Biotechnology Education Banquet, to be held May 17 in Atlanta, GA. The banquet brings together educators, students, and their biotechnology community supporters to celebrate the nation’s best biotechnology students and teachers.
The banquet is the signature networking event of the Institute’s Conference on Biotechnology Education, the nation’s premier professional development program for biotechnology teachers and students.
“We are honored that Governor Jim Hunt, a nationally recognized leader in education, will be our keynote speaker,” says Paul A. Hanle, president of the Biotechnology Institute. “The governor has been at the forefront of both education and biotechnology in his state and in the nation. We are eager to hear his thoughts on how we can better prepare our science students so they can compete in today’s global economy”.
“Biotechnology offers tremendous opportunities for economic development and job creation. But those jobs require a high level of scientific expertise,” Gov. Hunt said. “We must make sure that our schools are adequately preparing our students for the 21st century job market.”
As North Carolina’s only four-term governor, Gov. Hunt earned national acclaim for his work in education reform. The Rand Corporation reports that North Carolina public schools improved test scores more than any other state in the 1990s. He put into place in North Carolina one of the nation’s most rigorous approaches to measuring student performance, requiring mastery for promotion and graduation, and providing assistance to turn around failing schools.
Gov. Hunt also has been a leader in promoting biotechnology as a means of economic development. For example, he helped establish the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, the Microelectronics Center of North Carolina, and the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. Currently, he is an attorney at Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC, where he practices on the firm’s Economic Development and Federal and State Government Affairs teams.
Other highlights of the banquet include presentation of the Genzyme-Life Technologies Biotech Educator Award, which recognizes educators who serve as models for their colleagues on how to incorporate biotechnology into the classroom. Posters from the Lilly BioDreaming Poster Competition, which encourages K-12 students across the nation to use their artistic talents to create posters that demonstrate their understanding of the promise and challenges of biotechnology, will also be on display.
The banquet is sponsored by UCB, Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), Georgia Bio, and Sciele Pharma.
About the Biotechnology Institute
The Biotechnology Institute is as an independent, national nonprofit organization dedicated to education about the present and future impact of biotechnology. Its mission is to engage, excite and educate the public, particularly students and teachers, about biotechnology and its immense potential for solving human health, food and environmental problems. For more information, visit www.biotechinstitute.org.
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Contact: Jeff Ghannam 703-248-8681
jghannam@biotechinstitute.org
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