The main goal of the AC2 Bio-Link Regional Center is to network the biotechnology educational workforce community composed of high schools, community colleges, and 4-year schools in the states of Kentucky and Texas. The purpose of networking the institutions is to share best practices in teaching, develop career pathways from high schools, to 2 -year biotechnology programs into 4-year programs or jobs. The effort is spearheaded by the community colleges that host Biotechnology Programs, namely Austin Community College, Del Mar College, Collin College, Lone Star College, and Bluegrass Community and Technical College. The high schools and 4-year schools that articulated with these programs are part of the working group. Industry is kept in the loop through advisory boards, and trade organizations located in these states.

The network accomplished several major tasks and continues to operate as a unit, to undertake tasks as barriers, challenges, and opportunities arise. As the biotechnology industry continues to grow in these states, more colleges are joining the existing network. Some of the major tasks that were accomplished and are being sustained are as follows:

(1) Texas State Education Agency adopted the biotechnology pathway courses leading to an entry level biomanufacturing/biotechnology certificate. The professional development for Texas high school teachers continues and is funded by CTE. Teachers from other states also attend the annual meeting. The certificate is being disseminated across Texas as well as into other states. At Bluegrass Community and Technical College, a dual credit high school program is flourishing and preparing students for employment. Local companies are hiring the students.

 (2) The Austin Community College Bioscience Incubator started during the grant time period, and is filled with companies, and student interns (picture included). Presently, it has a waiting list of companies who want space. The Bluegrass Community and Technical College contract service organization, B Cell, was started with start-up companies and USDA projects. The CSO Summit brought community college contract service organizations and incubators together to share and document best practices. This group continues to network to share best practices. (picture included)

(3) Del Mar College spearheaded the undergraduate research initiative. Dr. Zang and Dr. Hatherill organized an annual meeting for community colleges and partnering 4-year schools during the grant period. The meeting was held annually and coincided with their Research Day where students held an undergraduate research poster session fort faculty, family and friends (picture included). Many of their students went on to win awards at prestigious meetings such as American Association for the Advancement of Science and American Society for Microbiology. They presented at the Gordon Conference on undergraduate research. They also wrote several articles on the topic. Collin College dramatically shifted the focus and trajectory of their major and non-major biology lab courses by developing research-based laboratory exercises instead of using canned labs. Austin Community College has added undergraduate research to both Biology and Biotechnology courses. The Biotechnology Program hosts a student research poster session twice a year. Bluegrass Community and Technical College continue to sponsor undergraduate research projects and industry-based projects.

(4) A bioinformatics course for instructors was developed and taught for 3 years by Dr. Porter. It is still available in the Course in a Box site at the InnovATEBIO website. The course has proved helpful to instructors who needed to add bioinformatics to their programs.  Some of the colleges that use the course are Austin Community College (Richard Nuckels) in Austin, TX, Ohlone College, in California (Laurie Issel-Tarver), and Flathead Valley Community College in Montana (Ruth Wrightsman), Bluegrass Community and Technical College in Kentucky (Deborah Davis). The availability of the course was especially helpful during the pandemic since the opportunities for professional development were limited.

(5) Finally, and probably most importantly, the Texas network came together to save the two core courses BIOL 1414 and 1415 that are part of the entry level certificate. These two courses are classified BOTH as academic and workforce which is extremely important if the courses are to transfer to 4-year schools. The Texas Coordinating Board wanted to remove the academic distinction which would have made them untransferable for the dual credit high school programs and the community college students who wish to continue their education at a 4-year school. On the day the board was to vote, the Texas group including students, traveled to the board meeting in Austin to testify about the need to keep these courses as core courses. As a result of their testimony, the courses remain core courses.

The network is still working together, the latest challenge is adding a biomanufacturing course to all of the programs and the sharing of best practices in teaching this course. Biomanufacturing has come to Texas and Kentucky and together the team will work together to meet the needs of industry.

Last Modified: 03/30/2021
Modified by: Linnea A Fletcher