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VGCC Bioprocess Graduates: Where are they now?

The Bioprocess Technology program at Vance-Granville Community College is celebrating ten years of preparing students for careers in the growing biotech manufacturing industry.

Planning for this Associate in Applied Science degree program began in 2005, with the first Bioprocess courses starting in January 2006. The program is based in a state-of-the-art lab on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County — one of VGCC’s two biotech labs, the other being located at the Franklin Campus.

Since 2008, the program has produced a number of graduates who have gone on to rewarding careers at companies that produce biological products and pharmaceuticals. Some Bioprocess Technology alumni have also continued their education at the four-year level.

Ricky Gray of Henderson graduated with his Bioprocess degree in 2010 and is now a Production Associate at Cytonet in Durham. The Cytonet Group is an international biotechnology company that develops and produces cell therapeutic products. Cytonet is a pioneer and leader in the field of regenerative medicine. Gray has worked there for more than two years. “My degree, along with on-the-job training, most definitely gave me a good, solid foundation, and allowed me to develop the skills and obtain the knowledge needed to ultimately put me in my current position,” he said.

Gray added that he enrolled at VGCC because it was an affordable, convenient place to start a new career path after he was displaced by downsizing in the printing industry.

Mark Smith, a resident of Stem, graduated from the Bioprocess program in 2012 and today works at Novozymes North America in Franklinton as a Research Associate. Novozymes, a longtime supporter of VGCC, is an international industrial biotech firm with a strong focus on enzyme production.

“My A.A.S. in Bioprocess Technology provided me with the resources needed to take a competitive stance within the biotechnology job market,” Smith said. “The program’s theoretical and practical aspects are very in-depth. I’m extremely satisfied in my career, since I get to work with excellent people and get to utilize knowledge acquired throughout my academic career.”

Smith recalled that he worked part-time for the college as a lab technician while he was a student, which boosted his confidence and his resume. He was then gratified to be recommended by the VGCC faculty when Novozymes reached out to the school looking for new employees.

Both Smith and Gray were Dean’s List students who received endowed VGCC scholarships in recognition of their academic excellence.

For more information on how you can follow in their footsteps and enroll in the Bioprocess Technology program, call Dr. Tara Hamilton at (252) 738-3285 or email her at hamiltont@vgcc.edu.

Do you have your own VGCC alumni success story to share?  Contact the Communications Department at beala@vgcc.edu.

 

Above, left: Ricky Gray of Henderson is seen here at work at Cytonet in Durham. He recommends the Bioprocess Technology program to someone with “a strong passion for the field of science.”

Above, right: Mark Smith of Stem is seen here at Novozymes in Franklinton, where he is a research associate.