"Overall it was just a great learning experience" one young alumnus said of Summer Ventures in Science and Mathematics, a free, state-funded program for academically talented North Carolina students who may pursue careers in science and mathematics. These summer camps are offered at six college campuses across the state. "Rising juniors and seniors come together in residential settings for four weeks of intensive study," says Ragan S. Spain, a science consultant with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Selection is based on academic ability and science and mathematics motivation. The courses, taught by university professors and master high school teachers, take students beyond the traditional boundaries of high school science and mathematics. According to Spain, "They learn experimental design, laboratory skills, instrumentation, mathematical modeling, strategies in mathematical problem solving, and exploratory data analysis. And they learn these basics while engaged in specific scientific and mathematical topics of interest to them."

Beyond Summer Ventures, other programs also offer science exploration for high school students. "The Governor's School of North Carolina is another outstanding summer experience," says Spain, noting that this is the oldest statewide summer residential program in the nation for intellectually gifted high school students. "The six-week program for rising seniors integrates academic disciplines, the arts, and unique courses on each of two campuses," one in Winston-Salem and the other in Raleigh. The curriculum focuses on exploration of the most recent ideas and concepts in various disciplines, including mathematics and natural science. Moreover, this school does not give credit, tests, or grades. Best of all, it's entirely free to students.

"Faculty and staff are drawn from bright, dedicated teachers and professionals across the country, from public and private schools, colleges and universities, and independent artists and scholars," Spain says. "The Governor's School is a place where students and teachers gather purely for the love of learning and the joy of creativity."

In taking on the future of life sciences and biotechnology, many programs in North Carolina could make a difference. Many people - from academics to state officials - understand the need to educate tomorrow's students about new scientific techniques.

One of the greatest spots in the state for exploring technology exists in a park-like campus in Durham. There, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) gives 630 high school juniors and seniors a prep-school education at state expense. This was the first public, residential high school in the country when it opened in 1980 and has served as a model for others since. State support for the school remains strong. Starting with the class of 2004, graduates can attend any school in the University of North Carolina system tuition-free.

Each year, 1,200 high school sophomores from across the state apply for admission. Students are selected by Congressional district, based on their SAT scores, grades, and teacher recommendations. Those accepted pay no tuition, room, board, or other fees.

Myra Halpin, dean of science, has taught chemistry at the school for 18 years. "About 50% of our alumni end up pursuing careers in science and math," she says. "But the school also provides a well-rounded education in the humanities. Some go on to other fields and come back to science later in their careers."

It's not unusual for NCSSM students to place highly in national science competitions. In 2005, two won first place in the student competition at the Biotechnology Institute Education Conference in Philadelphia. "Only 12 students in the country were invited to participate," Halpin says. "The two young women who won first place had worked at Duke University on breast-cancer research. One of our students also got an honorable mention for a fuel-cell project using bacteria."

Not doubt, NCSSM students represent the cream of the crop. But judging by the applicant pool, how well is North Carolina preparing its students? "We're making progress in science education," Halpin says. "The NC Biotech Center is training teachers so they can integrate biotech in the classroom. They've done an excellent job of preparing teachers as well as students."

Peter K. Kilpatrick hopes to create an industry-focused workforce at the BTEC.

© ROGER W. WINSTEAD, NC STATE UNIVERSITY

The state creates even more opportunities after high school. One example is the state's Biomanufacturing and Pharmaceutical Training Consortium, with $60 million in funding from the nonprofit Golden Leaf Foundation, which administers half of the state's tobacco settlement money from cigarette manufacturers. This consortium includes new high-tech facilities at North Carolina State University (NCSU) and North Carolina Central University (NCCU), plus a statewide community college initiative called BioNetwork that provides specialized education and training across the state.

"Five or six years ago, we started asking people in industry what North Carolina's educational system lacked in terms of workforce development for biomanufacturing," says Peter K. Kilpatrick at NCSU. "The new NC Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center here is a big part of the answer. Our goal is to create the best trained, industry-focused workforce in the world."

Students from the NC SSM

COURTESY OF NCSSM

Scheduled to open this summer, the $34-million center, known as BTEC, is designed for advanced, hands-on biomanufacturing training and education. "It's absolutely unique," says Kilpatrick, center director and chair of the NCSU department of chemical and biomolecular engineering. "The facilities and equipment will match those in place at the world's leading biomanufacturing companies. We'll have the capacity to train about 1,000 students a year."

Kilpatrick says that BTEC will simulate a biomanufacturing pilot plant capable of producing biopharmaceutical products and packaging them in a sterile environment. It will also have bench-scale labs to teach and train in microbiology, quality assurance, bench-scale bioreactors and bioseparations, cloning, animal cell culture, immunology, and other basics of biotechnology.

Industry played an essential advisory role in the design of the center and the curriculum, and also in equipping the facility. "BTEC will be of tremendous benefit to them," Kilpatrick says. "It's one of the primary reasons Merck and Novartis are locating new plants in this area."

Artist rendering of the BRITE Building

COURTESY OF NCSSM

As she watches the $21-million Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE) building rise on the campus of NCCU, director Li-An Yeh talks with obvious excitement about what it means for the future. "We're establishing a program in discovery and drug manufacturing," she explains. "We'll offer hands-on training, using the same equipment found in industry."

With construction expected to be completed by the spring of 2008, the BRITE program will award bachelor's degrees in biology, chemistry, and physics, with a concentration in pharmaceutical science. Plans call for the addition of master's and doctoral programs.

"We've already recruited 30 students and have beefed up course offerings in cloning and protein-related topics," Yeh says. "We're also offering six allied courses in such areas as FDA regulations, quality assurance, and intellectual property."

As with BTEC, industry has been an enthusiastic partner in this project. "We've had very strong support from industry," Yeh says, "both through design advice and a commitment to providing internships, research collaborations, and matching funds for equipment."

Yeh comes to NCCU after more than 21 years of biomedical-research experience in major pharmaceutical companies, small biotech companies, and academic settings. Six out of the other seven new BRITE faculty members also have industry experience.

"Typically, entry-level workers in biotech spend three to six months in on-the-job training," she notes. "It's expensive for industry. By the time they graduate, our students will have a competitive edge. They'll know how to use the equipment, how to design experiments, and other facets of the field. They'll be able to hit the ground running."

Li-An Yeh

COURTESY OF NCSSM

"College that really works" is the motto of the state's 58-campus community college system, and the BioNetwork, begun in 2004. "About two-thirds of new biotech jobs require training at the community-college level," says Norman Smit, BioNetwork marketing and recruitment director. "BioNetwork connects community colleges across the state to provide specialized training, curricula, and equipment to develop a world-class workforce for the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and life-sciences industries."

Training for students ranges from short courses up to a two-year associate degree. BioWork, an introductory course developed in collaboration with the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, provides the basics needed to become an entry-level process technician. Smit says, "BioWork is intended for high school graduates, traditional manufacturing workers who have lost jobs, or anyone interested in a new line of work."

Five Functional Skills Centers within the community-college system serve as lead institutions responsible for initiating projects, developing curricula, and accruing expertise that can be shared with all colleges within the state who have biotech companies located in their communities.

Each center has a particular area of expertise. "Any community college that has a need for bioprocessing instructors, for example, can have them trained at the Bioprocessing Center in Greenville," Smit explains. "These centers can also help with lab designs, equipment lists, new protocols, supply lists, and so on, so that nobody has to reinvent the wheel. It means the system can gear up quickly to meet a demand."

So far, BioNetwork has provided millions of dollars in equipment grants to local community colleges and innovation grants for curriculum development to meet the needs of local businesses. Smit says this investment in education is like putting out the welcome mat. "Companies know this is a good place to locate," he says.

Many schools in the 16-campus University of North Carolina system are building partnerships that will open doors of opportunity for biotechnology manufacturing and training. UNC-Pembroke, for example, offers a BS degree in biotech. Its federally funded Project BIO will establish a Biotechnology Business and Industrial Training Center near Lumberton.

Private schools are also heavily involved in this emerging field. For example, Campbell University in Buies Creek offers a BS in pharmaceutical science and will soon open a new $10 million pharmacy building. This program started with 15 students in 1995 and has grown to about 120. It blends the basic and applied sciences and culminates in a required industrial internship, during which students gain practical experience.

"We are bridging with industry to train students," says Emanuel J. Diliberto, Jr, chair of Campbell's department of pharmaceutical sciences. "We're delivering a workforce and providing a resource in product development. Our Research Triangle Park office is also training clinical-research scientists, for which there is a great need."

Superior Talent: Regional Winners of Siemen's competition in Math, Science, and Technology. From Left: Sagar Indurkhya, Nicholas Tang, Hattie Chung Hong Son Kim, Michael Pham.

COURTESY OF NCSSM

As revealed at the beginning of this article, students even get biotech training before college. For instance, a course called "Exploring Biotechnology," developed in collaboration with the North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBC), introduces middle school students to some basic concepts in the field. "We're trying to reach out to students all across the state," says Spain. He says the state's standard course of study places an emphasis on inquiry-based learning. "All science courses encourage student research," Spain says, "and honors-program students are required to conduct an independent research project."

Starting with this year's freshmen, the state's high school exit standards will require all students to undertake a graduate project. "We're pushing hard for the science," Spain says. "This involves mentoring, as well as developing a paper and making a presentation. We're pushing for increased enrollment in upper-level science courses."

The NCBC in Research Triangle Park contributes to biotech education at every level. "We've trained more than 1,300 teachers in summer workshops," says Kathleen E. Kennedy, head of the center's education and training program. The workshop text, Recombinant DNA and Biotech, was developed by former center staff. "Teachers receive a copy of the text and learn hands-on experiments they can replicate in the classroom," Kennedy says. "They also receive a $200 lab-supplies gift certificate upon completion of the course." She says the Biotech Center has an equipment-loan program and awards educational-enhancement grants of up to $6,000 to teachers and up to $100,000 for any institution or nonprofit, even museums.

One indication that these educational efforts are paying off came last fall. Nine of 14 high school students who went to the Southern regional finals of the 2006 Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology were from two North Carolina schools. The NC School of Science and Mathematics team of Nicholas Tang and Sagar Indurkhya went on to win third place nationally for a project in synthetic biology, applying computer science and engineering to biology.

© NC BIOTECHNOLOGY CENTER

"One of the judges observed theirs was really a doctoral-level project," says team adviser Myra Halpin, NCSSM dean of science. "The students programmed bacterial genes to flash on and off and in different colors. It was a proof-of-concept project, demonstrating that gene programming is possible. It could ultimately have applications in the development of therapeutic drugs." Two Duke University faculty members served as mentors.

"The willingness of university professors to share their knowledge and resources has been invaluable to our students," says Chad R. Ogren, chair of the science department at William G. Enloe High School in Raleigh. Four of the students at the Siemens Competition regional finals attend Enloe. Ogren says students there have also placed in the top 10 each of the past nine years in the International Canon Envirothon. What's the key to this success? "Our students tend to be very self-motivated," Ogren says. "The level of expectation at Enloe and the competitive spirit among students are both high. The rigor of the curriculum allows them to challenge themselves."

And to what does Ogren attribute the remarkable level of collaboration that exists across North Carolina's educational system among industry, academia, government, and nonprofits? "I've met a lot of passionate people," he says, "who make it work in North Carolina."