BioNetwork Database To Be Created
The BioNetwork BioBusiness Center at the A-B Tech Enka campus was featured in the July issue of North Carolina magazine for its project designed to help further develop the biotechnology industry in Western North Carolina.
A comprehensive database was created to help companies in the region grow and connect with other companies. "We are hoping people will take advantage of this database," said Paul Knott, curricula coordinator at the BioBusiness Center. It will be publicly available at no charge.
When Jon Lawrie, BioBusiness Center manager, came to North Carolina in 1992, there was only one area involved with biotechnology Research Triangle Park. Pharmaceuticals were the one major biotechnology industry. "Now each region has its own flavor of biotechnology," he said. "Western North Carolina is not big on pharmaceuticals and we wanted to discover what type of life science companies are located here. "
The survey of the western part of the state, revealed 30 percent of the life science companies work with bioagriculture or natural products. "That is huge," said Lawrie. "That includes wineries, people making cheese, growing herbs or producing herbal remedies.
"This database is much more than making a list of all companies. It's steering the BioBusiness Center to provide services to Western North Carolina's niche."
Welcome New Employees
The College welcomes four full-time employees who have accepted staff and faculty positions over the past month.
Janice M. Johnston, Basic Skills specialist, earned her B.S. and M.S. in Health Education from the University of Florida. She has been a Compensatory Education instructor at A-B Tech for four years and a dance educator at Rainbow Mountain Children's School. She was also self-employed as a fitness and health consultant for 13 years.
April L. Sides, graphic/web designer I, received her B.A. in Multimedia Arts and Sciences from UNC Asheville. She had been a communications specialist at A-B Tech for the past two years. She has also worked as a graphic/web designer for Estella Design and a graphic designer for the Health Adventure in Asheville.
Frederick L. Snyder, Culinary instructor, earned his A.S. in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. He has been a chef at The Market Place for the past three years. He has served as a sous chef at Pano and Paul's in Atlanta, GA., and chef de partie at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in San Francisco and The French Laundry in Napa Valley, CA.
Erik L. Tschekunow, English instructor/Transfer Center Coordinator, has a B.A. in English from East Carolina University and an M.F.A. in writing from Emerson College in Boston. He has been an adjunct English instructor at A-B Tech for the past two years. He was a project coordinator/account executive for Event Pro Strategies in Asheville, and a learning facilitator at the Learning Assistance Center at Emerson College.
OD Corner
Mark your calendars for the Fall Professional Development Afternoon on Sept. 19. This year's theme will be Recruitment and Retention.
The fall calendar for OD Professional Development will be available on the website later this month. By September, the OD department is hoping to be able to take workshop registrations online via the website http://intranet.abtech.edu/College_Relations/odpd/.
Car Show at A-B Tech
The Southeastern Division of the Antique Automobile Club of America held a meet on July 15 at the A-B Tech Asheville campus. Around 400 antique cars were on the campus to be judged.