State doles out $1M in life sciences grants
Gov. Deval Patrick on Thursday announced nearly $1 million in funding for life sciences-related capital projects at two area colleges.
Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner and Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester are the recipients of funding the state said is intended to help them better respond to the region’s growing need for workers in fields such as biotechnology, biomedical engineering and pharmaceuticals.
MWCC will use its $500,000 grant to upgrade aging and outdated equipment, bringing it more in line with industry standards for life sciences courses that are the foundation for the school’s exiting biotechnology, natural resources and clinical laboratory science degree programs.
The money will also bolster three new proposed degree programs in quality and analytical technology, liberal arts and sciences biology and chemistry, slated to be launched in the fall.
MWCC plans to use the grant to add an organic chemistry course, fully upgrade its laboratory science equipment and improve curriculum to include more hands-on, real-world lab experiences.
“This funding will enable us to provide cutting-edge equipment for our new laboratories ... and ensure that employers have the skilled workforce they need for creating and retaining jobs in the STEM fields,” said MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino.
Meanwhile, QCC’s $499,880 will be used to help “fit, furnish and equip” space for life sciences programs in the school’s new 30,000-square-foot Quinsigamond Engineering, Science and Technology (QuEST) Building, slated to open in 2016. The $20-million building’s three floors will house classrooms, offices and specialized laboratories.
QCC plans to develop new programs in the building and double the number of students enrolled in STEM programs over the next three years.
“Our new QuEST Center will be the immediate beneficiary of the funding but our students will reap the ultimate rewards when they graduate and take their places in the Massachusetts economy as some of the newest and brightest leaders in the STEM fields,” said QCC President Gail E. Carberry.
The grants were awarded through the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, which is investing $1 billion over 10 years in the state’s life sciences sector. To date, MLSC said it has doled out $330 million to support projects.
“The life sciences sectors are now the fastest job producers in Massachusetts so a key strategy of the Life Sciences Center is to use our capital dollars to ensure that students all across the commonwealth are prepared to compete successfully for these jobs,” said Dr. Susan Windham-Bannister, president & CEO of the MLSC. “The projects at Quinsigamond Community College and Mount Wachusett Community College are great examples of our investments to achieve that objective.”
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