Biotechnology Education with a Focus on Careers at the Portland NSTA conference

Session Type: Presentation
Summary: Dr. Sandra Porter will discuss the benefits of participating in Bio-Link, a national community of industry partners and biotech educators at two-year colleges and high schools.

Description: The biotechnology industry has grown substantially in the past 14 years and become a major contributor to the U.S. economy. Numerous job opportunities have accompanied this growth, especially for entry-level workers with specialized certificates or a two-year biotech degree. In some cases, a high-school diploma may suffice. Bio-Link, an Advanced Technology Education Center of Excellence, funded by the National Science Foundation, developed in response to educators’ need to identify biotech-related skills and create curriculum to meet that demand. As a community, Bio-Link works to share best practices in biotech education and partner with industry to ensure that the education students receive leads to opportunities for employment and career growth. This presentation will discuss the benefits and resources, like Biotech-Careers.org, that Bio-Link can offer educators in all areas of life science. New trends in biotechnology education, such as stem cell technology, genome engineering with CRISPR/Cas9, interactive movies, bioinformatics, biomanufacturing, a set of validated skill standards, the Bio-Link curriculum clearinghouse, and the establishment of school-based organizations for on-site internships and contract research will be described.

November 10, 2016, 12:30 PM - 01:00 PM

Oregon Convention Center, B110