Bull City Biotech Summit to focus on workforce development

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – The North Carolina Biotechnology Center, Durham Technical Community College, the North Carolina Biosciences Organization (NCBIO) and North Carolina Central University are joining together to host a half-day event with talks, panels and Q&As covering the life science workforce landscape in the Triangle.

Slated for October 29 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the NCBiotech Center, the event aims to provide a venue for industry and academic leaders to collaborate on boosting workforce development in the biotechnology and biopharmaceutical sectors.

Bull City Biotech Summit 2019 is the third annual iteration of the program. This year’s event will feature speakers from major biotech companies including Merck, AveXis, Inc., KBI BioPharma and Precision Biosciences—all of which employ large workforces in the Triangle. Biotech leaders representing local community colleges and universities will also present talks at the event.

MORE CALENDAR NEWS: Check out WRAL TechWire’s extensive listings covering events across North Carolina for this month – and coming months.

The summit also serves as an introduction to the first Bull City Biotech Scholarship for the non-credit Biotechnology program at Durham Tech.

Here’s an overview of the sessions on the agenda:

“Building a Skilled Biotech Workforce and Pipeline” – featuring Rochelle Felizor of AveXis, Durham Tech Corporate Education Corporate Services Director Douglas Aitkin, North Carolina Central University BRITE Director Hernan Navarro and Capstone Center BioNetwork Associate Director Tara Hamilton.
“Workforce-Ready Success Stories” – featuring AveXis Bioprocess Engineer I Daniel Onuoka, Durham Tech BASF Associate Research Scientist Elizabeth Odera, Burt’s Bees Line Owner Bob Michael and Lindy Biosciences VP of Corporate Strategic Partnerships Neil Jones (moderator).
Jacob Dolan, employer engagement strategist for Made in Durham, will present a talk on the Durham Work-Based Learning Collaborative.
Vernon Shoaf, senior learning solutions team director for NC BioNetwork, and Len Amico, NC BioNetwork industry liaison and curriculum coordinator, will present a new update of the BioWork Process Technician training course, which is offered at community colleges across North Carolina.
“Effective Customized Training & Educational Partnerships with Community Colleges” – featuring Merck Director of Supply Chain Management Vinay Khanna, Precision Biosciences Talent Acquisition Manager Dawn Losinger, AveXis Training Manager Rick Lawless, KBI BioPharma VP of Manufacturing Operations Carnely Norman and NCBIO Biotech Manufacturers Forum Program Manager John Wagner (moderator).