BIOTech Coming to SOTC

By Darla Buck
Southern Oklahoma Technology Center

Southern Oklahoma Technology Center will be opening a new program in January called Biotechnology.  Biotech is applied biology, the application of biological knowledge and techniques to develop products. 

Dr. Fiona McAlister will be the instructor of the Biotech program.  She has experience in the field working for Noble Foundation and in the classroom as a science teacher at Lone Grove High School.

McAlister knows what it takes to apply the study of biology by genetically altering plants and other materials to make them better for consumers.  Some of the reasons for genetic alterations are to make the product better, grow faster and be more resistant.

At a planning meeting there were many individuals that attended and gave their input about the program.  Visitors from The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Dr. Joe Bouton and Dr. Bob Gonzales are excited at the prospect of having a biotech program next door. 

Dr. Ed Miller, the Associate Dean, College of Agriculture and Science and Natural Resources at Oklahoma State University talked about the prospect of students from OSU participating in an internship at the Noble Foundation and the preparation for students who are planning a career in Biotech will have a jump start from High School to College by first becoming at student at SOTC in Biotech.

Several members of the State Department of Career Tech attended the meeting and gave input and guidance for the new Biotech program.  Robin Schott spoke about the Bio-Corridor and how 99 percent of the state’s research and development in the life sciences is created along Interstate 35 so SOTC has the perfect location.

Ellyn Daugherty from San Mateo, California started the first Biotech program in 1988 and she gave her advice on room arrangement and offered her curriculum that she has created over the years.

Dr. David Powell expressed his excitement in the types of opportunity and job availability that was featured in a recent issue of Forbes magazine.  The cover of Forbes said, “Oklahoma Biotech is Hot”.

There are four areas of Biotechnology that are specialized in Oklahoma, Agricultural, Environmental, Industrial an Medical.  This doesn’t mean that the Biotech class will be doing all of the stuff on CSI, but some of it is relevant.