College Faculty
Find A Program Near YouINTRODUCTION
Faculty: The Bioscience Workforce Development Hub offers resources to support your program and student success, with tools for faculty and opportunities for collaboration.
Counselors: To help you guide students, we recommend browsing the website’s homepage, which covers bioscience career paths, certificates, degrees, job info, skills taught, and affordable education options starting in high school and at community colleges.
College Administrators: STEM and CTE/CE Deans may find useful information throughout the Home page.
At the Bioscience WFD Hub, we believe that:
– Faculty are the foundation of education. The Bioscience WFD Hub collaborates with them to share best practices and provide professional development.
– Colleges benefit from diverse, equity-minded faculty, many with industry experience, advanced degrees, and expertise in their fields.
– Faculty enhance student success by fostering a sense of belonging, improving retention, and guiding students toward bioscience career pathways.
STATEWIDE LEADERSHIP
Statewide Business & Industry Leadership Team (BILT)
The Bioscience WFD Hub is forming a Statewide Industry Advisory Committee using the BILT model, where industry experts co-lead and identify key skills for future workforce needs. Faculty can integrate these skills into their curriculum and, pending funding, join annual in-person meetings to stay updated on trends, network, and collaborate with peers.
California State Team (InnovATEBIO)
An InnovATEBIO initiative, funded by NSF, addresses gaps in bioscience training, builds biotech awareness, and promotes collaboration among faculty, industry, and workforce stakeholders in California’s thriving bioscience economy. The team represents key sectors across the state’s bioscience regions.
Bioscience WFD Hub Resources for Faculty
INTERACTIVE PROGRAM MAPS
The Bioscience WFD Hub has created two interactive Google maps, including a map of California colleges offering bioscience programs, complete with links to their websites, and a map of community colleges and surrounding high schools, showing those with dual enrollment and articulation agreements.
Communities of Practice
The Bioscience WFD Hub offers opportunities for faculty to engage in statewide Communities of Practice (CoPs), enabling collaboration and networking around shared interests. CoPs facilitate sharing best practices, discussing classroom experiences, exploring industry insights, and accessing resources, fostering collective growth. The Hub provides the following CoPs:
Extended CA CC Biosciences CoP: Join our virtual community meetings every Friday from 11 AM to 12 PM PST for networking and discussions on relevant topics with industry experts, faculty, and stakeholders. Each week features a different focus. You can find a summary of the 2023-24 meetings here. Register to join.
Accessible & Equitable Learning for Bioscience Careers CoP: This online CoP, in partnership with InnovATEBIO, aims to promote inclusive and accessible bioscience education while creating pathways to internships and employment. Meetings are held monthly on the first Tuesday of the month, from 9-10 AM PST. Register to join.
BioSCOPE (Bioscience Supply Chain/Operations Projects for Education) CoP: A virtual CoP that gathers partner biotech programs implementing the biomanufacturing supply chain operations model BioSCOPE. CoP is by invitation. For information about joining, Contact Us.
FACULTY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
The Bioscience WFD Hub encourages faculty to stay updated on trends and adopt innovative practices in their teaching. Gaining new skills and certifications fosters motivation and continuous growth. Visit the Resources page for upcoming professional development opportunities from the Bioscience WFD Hub, InnovATEBIO, and other trusted sources. Consult your Dean for Flex Credit for attendance.
Examples of PD training offered include Training for Experiential Learning in Supply Chain Operations, Quality Training, and Universal Design Learning (UDL) and Accessibility Training.
Training for Experiential Learning in Supply Chain Operations
The Bioscience WFD Hub offers faculty training on implementing the BioSCOPE (Bioscience Supply Chain Operations Projects for Education) experiential learning project. This initiative helps students understand supply chain operations while gaining hands-on experience in manufacturing lab kits and practicing quality and GMP compliance. Lab kits produced can be used by students in partner high schools and your college, making it a valuable opportunity for dual-enrollment courses. Learn more about the project in the Work-based Learning and Grants sections.
Quality Training
Quality and regulatory skills are crucial in the industry. The Bioscience WFD Hub provides faculty training in quality courses to prepare for certifications in Certified Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA) and Lean Six Sigma (LSS). In collaboration with Rx Research Services and the American Society for Quality, we are developing a bundle of CQIA modules that focus on essential quality skills for students. This training will help faculty integrate quality concepts into their courses.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Accessibility Training
The Bioscience WFD Hub provides UDL training for faculty to enhance the engagement and accessibility of Biotechnology and Bioscience curricula for diverse learners. See the Resources page for details.
Visit the Resources page for current Faculty Training opportunities and recordings of past offerings.
WORK-BASED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR STUDENTS
Internships offer students valuable, hands-on experience related to their field of study or career interests. They provide opportunities for career exploration, and skill development, and are typically paid for a short duration. For details on the Bioscience WFD Hub’s internship projects, see the Grants section on this page.
Apprenticeships combine paid on-the-job training with formal classroom or online instruction, equipping apprentices with the skills and knowledge needed for their careers. Employers use this model to address workforce challenges, including replacing an aging skilled workforce, attracting diverse talent, upskilling current employees, and keeping up with industry advancements.
Visit the Grants section on this page for information about the Bioscience WFD Hub’s apprenticeship programs in biotech and food safety.
BioSCOPE (Bioscience Supply Chain Operations Projects for Education) offers a work-based learning experience that prepares students for internships and employment. Students create lab products related to biotech courses while learning biomanufacturing processes. This model trains them in industry supply chain practices and develops soft skills. The products are used in other college classes or high schools. The Bioscience WFD Hub, in collaboration with BABEC, provides faculty training for implementation. More information is available at the InnovATEBIO Supply Chain Hub and in the Grants section of this page.
BIOSCIENCE AND RELATED CAREERS FOR YOUR STUDENTS
HIGH SCHOOL OUTREACH ACTIVITIES
Colleges conduct outreach activities year-round to engage local high schools and strengthen community relations. These activities include campus visits, summer camps (with and without credits), Quiz Bowl contests, career days, and more.
Dual Enrollment &
High School Articulation
The Bioscience WFD Hub promotes dual enrollment and articulation to boost bioscience class enrollment and help students prepare for their careers. We’ve developed a Google map tool to highlight high schools with dual enrollment and articulation agreements with local college bioscience programs. Does your program include these agreements? Click here to let us know if yours or others are missing from our map.
HS/CC DE/Articulation Map
GRANTS
The Bioscience WFD Hub fosters statewide grant partnerships and provides support for faculty developing individual college proposals. Our grants benefit partner colleges, including:
Podcasts
The Biotech: Impacting Tomorrow, Today podcasts raise awareness of cutting-edge applications in life sciences and biotechnology, inspiring students to pursue careers in these fields. Featuring experts and thought leaders, the podcasts discuss relevant topics that highlight career opportunities and the importance of the bioscience industry in California, driven by the passion of our instructors and industry leaders.
Faculty Spotlight
Solano College Biotech Program Wins Top Workforce Award
Solano College’s Biotechnology Program – A Complete Education and Training Pathway has been awarded the 2024 National Council for Workforce Education (NCWE) Program Award.
NCWE’s long-standing exemplary awards recognize excellence, and the impact that dynamic leadership, partnerships, and programs have on students, industry partners, and communities.
Dr. Chander Arora, receives "Educator of the Year" Award
Dr. Chander Arora was honored with the prestigious “Educator of the Year” Award at the HI-TEC Conference held on July 31, 2024, in Kansas City. This award celebrates the exceptional achievements of community college educators who have made significant contributions to advancing technology education. Dr. Arora’s dedication to fostering innovation and shaping the future of technology education through her work has been recognized on a national stage, further solidifying her impact in the field.
Dr. Chander Arora, second from the right
Professor Jim DeKloe receives Biotechnology Teaching Award
Congratulations to Biotechnology Professor Jim DeKloe for being awarded the 2023 Ron Mardigian Biotechnology Teaching Award, sponsored by the National Association of Biology Teachers. This award recognizes a teacher who demonstrates outstanding and creative teaching of biotechnology in the classroom.
