California Biomedical Industry - California Healthcare Institute

California State University SystemReaching out to California students of all agesAccording to the California MasterPlan for Higher Education, theprimary mission of the California StateUniversity (CSU) system is to provide“undergraduate education and graduateeducation through the master’s degreeincluding professional and teachereducation.”The plan has evolved since it wasimplemented in 1960, and so has CSU’soutreach. Today the system providesprograms designed to inspire andinstruct Californians of all ages andbackgrounds to pursue higher educationand training in the state’s innovativeindustries. The following threedescriptions help illustrate the diversityof CSU’s learning opportunities as wellas the university system’s awareness ofthe workforce needs in California.IMPACT L.A.Among middle-school students,engineering excitement can becontagious, especially when theyhave hands-on exposure to buildinghomemade lava lamps and solvingcrimes with ink chromatography.The findings come from the IMPACTL.A. Graduate Teaching FellowsProgram at California State University,Los Angeles. Funded by a five-year,$3 million grant from the NationalScience Foundation, it stands for“Improving Minority Partnerships andAccess through Computer/InformationScience/Engineering-related Teaching.”The program (impactla.calstatela.edu )trains graduate students as teachers andcommunicators. They serve as visitingscientists and engineers at three LosAngeles-area schools, partnering withteachers for 10 hours per week for anentire year.First, however, the fellows organize atwo-day summer camp for more than70 sixth- through eighth-graders. Then,in class during the school year, theyengage students with activities andlead research projects on topics such ascholesterol transport, cancer-preventingproteins, wind turbines, and telescopesin space.The program seeks to improve theperceptions that teachers, K-12 studentsand parents have of engineers; toencourage more young people to pursueengineering and research careers; andto enhance the communications skills ofthe IMPACT L.A. graduate fellows.According to one fellow – electricalengineering major Jessica Alvarenga– “Creativity and dedication go a longway in this field, and it’s important tolet kids see that you don’t need to beEinstein to make a difference in theworld.”The impact? Over the course of theschool year, the middle-school studentssaying “I think engineering is fun”jumped more than 50 percent (from32.1 to 49.1 percent among more than200 students).Channel Islands ProfessionalScience Master’s ProgramLife sciences industry leaders have longarticulated the need for business-savvyscientists and engineers. In answer, theCSU initiated the largest ProfessionalScience Master’s (PSM) program in thenation in 2007 with funding from theAlfred P. Sloan Foundation.Across the CSU new, two-year PSMprograms were developed withindustry partners. Life sciences PSMprograms focus on topics from medicalproduct development to biostatistics,incorporate business knowledge intocourses, and offer real-world, teambasedproject experiences. Today 18PSM programs on CSU campuses enrollover 500 students and have awardedover 150 degrees statewide.CSU Channel Islands (calstate.edu/psm/) first offered a Master ofScience degree in Biotechnology andBioinformatics in 2005, followed by adual master’s degree in biotechnologyand business administration in 2007.The two PSM programs arrayedan impressive network of industry,research institute and academicpartners, including Amgen, Baxter,Ceres, Stellar Biotechnologies, KytheraBiopharmaceuticals, UC Santa Barbara,USC, and City of Hope BeckmanResearch Institute.As a result Channel Islands PSMstudents are offered internships thatimmerse them in product-focusedprojects and provide hands-onexperience with sophisticated researchtechniques. After earning their degrees,nearly 80 CSU Channel Islands PSMgraduates have transitioned to jobsin life sciences companies or entereddoctoral programs.In the last two years Amgen extendedits support for PSM students at CSUChannel Islands with a $125,000donation. As Ching-Hua Wang,PSM director, explains, “As soon aswe mention the Amgen support tointerested students, their eyes light up.It’s a great incentive!”Professional ScienceCertificate and master’sprograms for veterans andactive duty militarySan Diego State University andMilitary Education Services Officersfrom Southern California havelaunched the CSU Professional ScienceInitiative consisting of online courses,certificate programs, and professional58 | California Biomedical Industry 2011 Report