Biotech program aims to build workforce

The March 18 edition of the Arizona Republic features a story about a collaborative effort between Glendale Community College and ASU's New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences enabling students to pursue careers in the growing fields of biotechnology and cell/molecular biology research.

New College, the core college on ASU’s West campus, has added a concentration in Cell and Molecular Biology Research (CaMBR) to its existing Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree program. Students who have completed GCC’s Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Biotechnology and Molecular Biosciences are able to transition seamlessly into the New College program.

“BAS graduates with a CaMBR concentration will be well-positioned and competitive if they choose to apply for high-tech, biotechnology-focused careers,” says Todd Sandrin, associate director of New College’s Division of Mathematical and Natural Sciences. “Other students may use the degree to enhance their record as they apply to professional programs, including medical school.”

Biotechnology underpins some of the most relevant and transformative advances in the biological sciences today, Sandrin explains.

“Graduates of this program can pursue exciting opportunities in which they develop tools to, for example, produce new biofuels and pharmaceuticals efficiently,” he says. “CaMBR graduates may also pursue graduate degrees and help develop advances such as the next generation of biofuels or anticancer drugs.”

The Arizona Republic article features student Stephanie Schumaker, who had no intention of pursuing a bachelor's degree when she first enrolled at Glendale Community College. The Republic reports that she is now interviewing at pharmaceutical firms as she prepares for a new career once she completes her BAS degree.