Interested in learning more about Hudson Valley’s biotechnology and biomanufacturing programs, faculty members from Ireland’s Limerick Institute of Technology recently visited the Hudson Valley Community College Science Center.
Professors Ian Foley and Brendan Murphy were joined by representatives from the biopharmaceutical company Regeneron, which is opening a facility in Ireland and hopes to replicate the training partnership they’ve formed in this region with Hudson Valley.
Regeneron is a strategic partner for Hudson Valley’s Biotechnology Certificate Program (BIC) and provides input on curriculum development. The two-semester program is designed for people with 40 college credits in math and science looking to gain hands-on experience to work in a research or industry setting. Many BIC students have also interned at Regeneron.
Department Chair Peter Schaefer and faculty member Dr. Laurie Bradley showed the guests around the new state-of-the-art facility and discussed the college’s role in helping fuel the biotechnology sector.
“Regeneron is looking to set up a facility in Ireland and they would like to build a training partnership with Limerick Institute of Technology,” said Schaefer. “They were very impressed with the science center. The Limerick representatives mentioned they would like to connect via videoconferencing with Hudson Valley and possibly have exchange students train here. That would be very exciting!”
In addition to the certificate program, the college’s Biology, Chemistry and Physics Department also offers a biotechnology associate’s degree and has created several module-based programs in biomanufacturing . These modules are aimed at teaching industry-specific skills to help students land careers in the biopharmaceutical industry. A non-credit biomanufacturing module program is being offered now in the science center with a small number of students.
Regeneron has been an ongoing partner with the college as they continue to expand their workforce in the region. Schaefer said a dozen BIC graduates have been hired by the pharmaceutical company in the past few years.
Published: Mon, 14 Apr 2014 12:38:09 +0000 by e.bryant