Events
Biotech Students Receive Lab Coats
FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies Provides Generous Gift
RALEIGH, N.C. (October 20, 2023) – Wake Tech biotech students have received a vital cost-saving gift, thanks to the generosity of one of the college's key industry partners. FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, a world-leading contract development and manufacturing organization with experience in the development and manufacture of recombinant biopharmaceuticals and viral gene therapies, is sponsoring 500 lab coats for current and future biotechnology students.
The coats were handed out Friday during a special ceremony at Wake Tech's RTP Campus. The lab coats are for students in the Biotechnology and Biopharmaceutical Technology associate degree programs, biotech students at the Wake Early College for Information and Biotechnologies and biopharma students at Vernon Malone College and Career Academy. Students in Wake Tech's non-degree BioWork program will also receive lab coats.
"When you put these lab coats on, something special happens," said Wake Tech President Dr. Scott Ralls. "Thank you to our partners at FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies for supporting our community and our students and making another great day possible here at the RTP Campus. There is no better place for biotech education and career opportunities than Wake Tech."
The goal of the partnership with FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies is to expose Wake Tech students to the importance of careers in life sciences and to cultivate a talent pipeline for the local biotechnology companies. The lab coat donation alleviates a significant cost for students.
"Seeing the students accept and put on their lab coats today gave me a great sense of pride," said Christine Vannais, chief operating officer for FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies in RTP. "Biotechnology is a rewarding field, and the work we do every day ultimately benefits patients. Having supportive partners such as Wake Tech helps prepare the workforce of the future to ensure North Carolina has highly skilled biotech individuals ready to embark on a meaningful career in life sciences."
FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies is one of Wake Tech's key partners at the Lilly Science and Technology Center at the RTP Campus. The FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies Early College Suite houses the Wake Early College for Information and Biotechnologies, a partnership between Wake Tech and the Wake County Public School System. Students pursue both high school and college credits in the new dual-enrollment facility focused on careers in biotechnology and information technology.
FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies donated $200,000 to "Building Tomorrow's Talent," a Wake Tech Foundation program that invites life-science industry leaders to support the high-tech training their future workforce requires. Funds raised through the program will advance the college's biotechnology and life science programs and support scholarships, faculty training, program development and equipment and technology enhancements.
Wake Tech's Biotechnology associate degree program is designed to meet the increasing demands for skilled laboratory technicians, while the Biopharmaceutical Technology degree program prepares students for employment in pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. The non-degree BioWork program is an accelerated course that leads to an entry-level position as a bioprocess technician and can provide course credit toward an associate degree.
