By Lee Ann Sides Garrett
For the Salisbury Post
Dr. Wendy Jin first came to the United States from her native China 15 years ago to study for her doctorate. She liked it so much, she decided to stay.
“Guess I fell in love with this country,” Jin said recently.
China’s loss is North Carolina’s gain. Jin has been named dean of the new biotechnology department at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College.
RCCC recently gained approval from the N.C. Community College System to offer associate degree programs in applied science in biotechnology and agricultural biotechnology. The two-year programs will prepare students for many of the technical and research positions being created by the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis.
“North Carolina Research Campus has created tremendous opportunities for everyone,” Jin said.
Jin received her Ph.D. in plant physiology and molecular biology from Iowa State University. Before joining RCCC, she was vice president of genetics research at Vector Research Ltd, where she led in the development of genetically engineered corn.
In addition to her duties as dean, Jin will serve as the program head of the Agricultural Biotechnology Department. Jin is one of four new professors whose work will prepare students for jobs such as lab technician, research assistant and quality control associate.
Dr. Allan Kaufman, head of Bioprocess Technology Department, said jobs like these are “typically a well-paying route for people with a small amount of training.”
Kaufman said, however, that potential students should be prepared to work hard in their biotechnology studies.
“These are not programs for the faint of heart,” he cautioned. “They’re pretty heavy in math and science in six semesters, but worth the investment.”
Kaufman, a native of Florida, received his doctorate in microbiology from the University of Pennsylvania and has a background in bioprocess manufacturing, or using cells to manufacture products such as vaccines, yeast or even stonewashed jeans.
“They’re not really stonewashed,” Kaufman explained. “They use an enzyme to make them look that way.”
Dr. Shirley Foley, who has a doctorate in food science from N.C. State University, said she wanted to concentrate on teaching after starting a family.
Foley, who worked for eight years in the food industry on cultures that make such food items as sour cream and pepperoni, taught courses in microbiology and lab techniques at RCCC this semester.
Dr. Gina Sloan received her doctorate from Wake Forest in 2007. After completing graduate work studying Bordetella, which causes whooping cough, and doctoral studies in biofilms in respiratory diseases, Sloan said, she wanted to “explore the other side of the world.”
“I wanted to have teaching be my focus, with research as a minor focus,” Sloan said.
Kaufman and Jin agree that creating the new department has been both interesting and challenging.
“It’s like shooting at a moving target,” Kaufman said. “We don’t know what types of manufacturing businesses may come here as a side benefit of the campus.”
RCCC Director of College Relations Jeff Lowrance agrees. Lowrance said community colleges usually create training in response to a demand.
“We’re doing this kind of in reverse,” Lowrance said. “We’re going off good assumptions, but assumptions nevertheless.
“We’re trying to ensure that once the campus is finished,” he said, “there are people trained and ready to go.”