CBA Biotech conferenceOn Saturday, October 8, over 40 Skyline College students attended the 19th annual Chinese Bioscience Association (CBA) Conference at the Crown Plaza in Foster City.  The Chinese Bioscience Association (CBA) is a non-profit organization founded in the San Francisco Bay area in 1997. Its mission is to promote education, networking and community building for life science professionals. This year’s conference focused on harnessing therapeutic development for sustainable growth.

Students from the Biology, Microbiology, and Biotechnology programs joined their instructors to network with Bioscience industry leaders, CBA board members, and mingle with the CBA board president Kai Zheng, PhD. Our Skyline College students deftly shared their educational and professional accomplishments and practiced their networking skills in an effort to cultivate relationships and contacts for future internship opportunities and employment. Skyline College’s Biotechnology Career Advancement Academy Bio Bridge program hosted a table and showcased their “Skyline Altoids;” a product the Biomanufacturing students created as part of their Biotechnology class company project. A special thanks to Dr. Jing Folsom, Skyline College Biotechnology instructor and CBA board member, for coordinating student participation and arranging a special discount for participating students.

Next month, students from the Biology, Microbiology, and Biotechnology programs will be attending additional conferences and events including the American Peritoneal Association conference at Laney College on November 4, and the 6th annual Discovery Day at AT&T Park on Saturday, November 5, at AT&T Park. Please email Nick Kapp, kapp@smccd.edu, if you are interested in learning more about upcoming events.

Skyline College’s Career Advancement Academy Biotechnology program, BioBridge, is supported by grant funding from the National Science Foundation, grant number 1502042.  The BioBridge Program provides a broad foundation of scientific education, hands-on instruction, along with contextualized math and English courses in a highly supportive learning environment.  After completion of this two semester program, students receive a Certificate of Achievement in Biotechnology and are prepared for entry-level employment in bio-manufacturing. Skyline College also offers an Associate Degree in Biotechnology for students who are looking for a clear transfer pathway to a four-year colleges and universities. For more information on the Skyline Biotechnology program please visit http://www.skylinecollege.edu/biotechnology/.

For more information about the BioBridge program and other Career Advancement Academies, please contact, Jeremy Evangelista at skycaa@smccd.edu or (650) 738-4185, or fill out an online application.

Article by Alina Varona | Photo provided by Nick Kapp