PR # 28                 September 19, 2006

RVCC HOLDS CEREMONY MARKING OPENING OF NEW INSTITUTE FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) in North Branch marked the opening of its new state-of-the-art biotechnology labs today.

The $2 million Institute for Biotechnology Education—which is located in the College’s Christine Todd Whitman Science Center—has two wet laboratories, a cell culture room, a classroom and cutting-edge instrumentation to support the College’s biotechnology curriculum. The College offers an Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Associate of Science (AS) and a Certificate Program in Biotechnology.

The event featured remarks from John H. Johnson, company group chairman of Biopharmaceuticals Worldwide, Johnson & Johnson, and Dr. Al Schweikert., director of Regulatory Affairs of ImClone Systems Incorporated. Representatives from the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey and the Biotechnology Council of New Jersey, Inc. also participated in the program.

“The Institute for Biotechnology Education will enable RVCC’s biotechnology students to gain the valuable laboratory and educational experience they need to stay competitive in the rewarding and fast-growing field of biotechnology,” said Dr. Casey Crabill, president of RVCC. “The College is located in close proximity to the leaders of the life science industry and we are dedicated to helping the industry meet the need for highly trained scientists.”

The new facility was developed in collaboration with industry leaders and four-year university faculty. The project was designed by Nadaskay Kopelson Architects of Morristown. The engineering firm was AKF Engineers, Princeton, and Grafas Painting Contractors, Inc. of Linden was the general contractor.

In addition to the two teaching laboratories, which each accommodate 20 students, the Institute features a microscope room, a cell culture room, an equipment/instrument room, a prep room and a classroom. The labs and the classroom are equipped with networked computers, audiovisual equipment and projectors.

The state-of-the-art facility offers the standard laboratory equipment that includes hoods, freezers and refrigerators, spectrophotometers and microscopes, as well as incubators, a deionized water supply for the labs and the prep area, a Gel Doc system, a PCR machine and an autoclave.

John H. Johnson is a company group chairman of Johnson & Johnson, responsible for Biopharmaceuticals Worldwide. Johnson also serves as a member of the Medicines and Nutritionals Group Operating Committee. He assumed this position in April 2005.

Johnson began his career with Johnson & Johnson in 1988 as manager, sales training, for Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc. He advanced through various sales and marketing assignments and was responsible for the development of sales, marketing and new product strategies of several Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc., flagship brands, including LEVAQUIN®, ULTRAM® and TOPAMAX®.

In 2000, Johnson left Johnson & Johnson to assume responsibility as president and chief executive officer for Parkstone Medical Information Systems in Weston, Florida.

Johnson returned to Johnson & Johnson in 2002 as worldwide vice president, CNS/Psychiatry, for Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals Group Strategic Marketing (PGSM). He was promoted to president, Ortho Biotech Products, L.P., in March 2003, assuming responsibility for Ortho Biotech Canada in 2004. He held this position until being named to his present assignment.

Dr. Al Schweikert is a New Jersey native with more than 25 years of experience in the field of biotechnology.  Dr. Schweikert worked in product development research at both Hoffman La Roche and Schering Plough Inc., developing intereferons, a class of compounds used in controlling cancers and multiple sclerosis.  He was a member of the development teams at Ortho Diagnostics, a Johnson and Johnson company, which developed the first diagnostic assays for Hepatitis and HIV.

As senior director of Product Development of Titan Pharmaceuticals Inc., he developed cell transplantation therapies used in the treatment of patients with Parkinson's Disease. Dr. Schweikert is currently the director of Regulatory Affairs at ImClone Systems in Branchburg and is responsible for reviewing and seeking regulatory approval for an array of monoclonal antibody therapies targeted towards a variety of cancers. In addition to his scientific career, Dr. Schweikert has been the mayor of High Bridge in Hunterdon County since 1994.  

New Jersey-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies produce more than 40 percent of the pharmaceuticals used around the world. With more than 150 biotechnology firms, New Jersey is the fourth largest center for biotechnology in the country.

RVCC provides graduates with the education and training to help feed the industry’s workforce. Graduates of RVCC’s biotechnology programs may find employment in various areas of the industry, including research and development, quality control/quality assurance and manufacturing.

The College’s close proximity to many of the world leaders in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology has enabled it to forge a strong partnership with the industry. This partnership benefits students in many ways, including opportunities for high-quality research experience in the field through internships with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the area.

In addition, through ongoing collaboration with our industry partners, RVCC’s biotechnology program prepares students either for seamless transfer to a four-year institution or with marketable skills to enter the job market as a lab technician.

Through a partnership with Kean University, graduates of RVCC’s Associate of Science Degree Program in Biotechnology can pursue a master’s degree at Kean’s prestigious New Jersey Center for Science and Technology. Under the agreement, students who receive an AS in Biotechnology from RVCC can transfer with junior status into Kean’s combined degree program leading to a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Science and Technology/Molecular Biology and a Master of Science (MS) in Science and Technology/Biotechnology.

RVCC is pursuing additional transfer agreements with leading colleges and universities that offer biotechnology undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

RVCC will hold an Information Session about its biotechnology program Thursday, October 26, at 5:30 p.m. For additional information about the program and its location, contact Dr. Melanie Lenahan, RVCC assistant professor of biotechnology, 908-526-1200, ext. 8533.

For additional information about RVCC’s biotechnology programs, call 908-253-6688 or visit www.raritanval.edu/biotech. 

RVCC, located on Route 28 and Lamington Road in North Branch, NJ, and serving Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for 30 years, offers more than 80 associate degrees and certificates. In addition, customized training programs and non-credit courses are available for those seeking personal and professional development.

The College is committed to offering a quality and affordable education through effective teaching, liaisons with the community’s businesses and state-of-the-art technology. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.