VGCC Bioprocess Head Brings Industry Experience to Students

The new head of Vance-Granville Community College’s Bioprocess Technology program draws upon more than three decades of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Joseph E. Tyler of Henderson started his first semester as head of the program in August.

Tyler earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering in 1971 at Carnegie-Mellon University, followed by a master’s degree in Biochemical Engineering in 1973 at Cornell University.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Tyler’s career in research and high-tech manufacturing has taken him to Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Raleigh, North Carolina. He was most recently the vice president in charge of manufacturing for Proteon Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical company based in Massachusetts. Tyler was responsible for developing four new drugs from early stage clinical development to launch. While working for Proteon, he has also been a consultant for PharmSupply in Creedmoor. Tyler is the author of several articles for scientific and engineering journals and holds a U.S. patent.

Tyler has lived in Henderson for several years while commuting to Massachusetts, so this opportunity at VGCC represented a chance to work closer to home. More importantly, Tyler said that he was anxious to be involved in keeping manufacturing jobs in the U.S. by training workers who are qualified for jobs in bio-manufacturing. “This area is a hotbed for biotech manufacturing and research,” Tyler said, “so our graduates will be able to enter into the workforce nearby or transfer to four-year universities, such as N.C. Central University or East Carolina University.”

VGCC’s Bioprocess Technology curriculum is designed to prepare individuals to work as Process Operators in biological products manufacturing facilities. Students combine basic science and communication skills, manufacturing technologies, and good manufacturing practices in the course of the study. The program produced its first graduates in 2008.

Vance-Granville is part of the North Carolina Community College System’s BioNetwork , a statewide initiative that connects community colleges across North Carolina that serve the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, providing specialized training, curricula and equipment.

Above: Joe Tyler, head of VGCC’s Bioprocess Technology program, teaches in the biotechnology lab on the college’s main campus. (VGCC photo)