The San Jacinto College community celebrated two milestones for the college system’s biotechnology program on Jan. 26.
Two-minute impact
SJC leaders, community members and leaders for collaborating companies gathered at the future site of the 10,000-square-foot Center for Biotechnology on Jan. 26 to celebrate the project’s groundbreaking. The biotech center is anticipated to cost $4 million-$5 million and will be largely funded by a short-term loan, according to a Feb. 2 email from a spokesperson for SJC. Once complete, the center will be housed by SJC’s Generation Park Campus, which is located at 13455 Lockwood Road, Houston.
The center will offer an associate of applied science degree in biomanufacturing technology once it opens, according to a Jan. 29 news release.
“We've got an incredible industry, an emerging industry, here in Houston, and we're absolutely delighted that SJC is going to be one of the lead trainers, and I think the lead trainer, of the workforce for this industry,” SJC Chancellor Brenda Hellyer said Jan. 26.
The center is expected to be complete by the first quarter of 2025, according to the release.
To view photos from the Jan. 26 ribbon cutting ceremony, click through the gallery below:Diving deeper
SJC has partnered with the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training to offer students NIBRT-licensed training and with McCord Development—the owner of Generation Park—for the biotechnology center, as previously reported by Community Impact.
“We believe [the center] will create significant value within Generation Park and within the region, not just for the pharmaceutical companies, but also for the job opportunities that these employers will provide to the community,” McCord President Ryan McCord said.
In other news
On Jan. 26, SJC’s biotechnology program launched at the college system’s South Campus in southeast Houston. Community members and SJC leaders gathered at the South Campus for a second ribbon-cutting to honor the start of this program.
The program provides a 90-hour hybrid program for biomanufacturing professional onboarding certificates, as previously reported by Community Impact.
“This program is designed to provide a seamless entry into the field for new professionals, with a focus on practical experience and exposure to industry practices,” said Christopher Wild, executive director of SJC’s Center for Biotechnology, in a statement.
