SCC received a $988,731 Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. government’s independent science agency.
The three-year grant will help fund the college’s new biotechnology program, which will test SCC’s faculty members’ ideas to improve technician education in the St. Louis region.
“This grant is more than just funding—it’s an investment in the future of biotechnology education. By supporting workforce development and industry-aligned training, it paves the way for students to become skilled, work-ready biotechnicians who will drive innovation and strengthen the St. Louis region’s biotech sector,” according to Dr. Monica Hall-Woods, Professor of Biology, and the project’s Principal Investigator. As the principal investigator, Dr. Hall-Woods will lead the new initiative with Dr. Mara Vorachek-Warren, Dean of Mathematics and Sciences, Tammie De Los Santos, Executive Director for Outreach and School Relations, and Amanda Sizemore, Assistant Vice President for Workforce Development. The team will work in partnership with an advisory board comprised of faculty, industry partners, and K-12 school districts.
The project, entitled, “Biotech Prep: Pathway for Work-Ready Biotechnicians” has four primary objectives to: (1) develop and implement a new Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in biotechnology with industry-aligned, stackable certificates; (2) prepare students to earn industry-recognized certifications and microcredentials, such as the Biotechnician Assistant Credentialing Exam (BACE) or Bioscience Core Skills Institute (BCSI); (3) establish strong workforce connections in order to create a work-based experiential program that supports retention, degree and certificate completion, industry-recognized certifications, and workforce readiness; and (4) create and implement a robust K-12 high school recruitment program.