Panel to discuss Wisconsin’s biotechnology industry

?|?Lchnology continues to grow as an industry in Wisconsin, it faces new challenges. These challenges will be the topic of a special panel discussion among the students in the Master of Science in Biotechnology program, a new degree program at UW–Madison that introduces biotechnology professionals to the scientific, business and legal aspects of this emerging industry.

The discussion, titled “The Faces of Biotechnology,” is open to the public and will take place from 5 to 6 p.m., Monday, March 31, in Room 205A of the MG&E Innovation Center at the University Research Park. Mark Bugher, director of the park, will moderate. A reception will follow.

Launched just last fall, the two-year biotechnology program offers cross-disciplinary coursework to provide future leaders of the field with the skills and knowledge needed to manage and understand the facets of this field. “The goal of the program is primarily to broaden the students’ understanding of biotechnology and prepare them for leadership positions in industry,” says Richard Moss, UW–Madison chair of physiology and director of the new program.

During the degree program, the students take classes that cover topics ranging from molecular technologies to biotechnology operations to the business of biotechnology.

Instructors include leaders of Wisconsin biotechnology firms and UW–Madison faculty from business, law and the sciences. Together, they share their perspectives to help the students develop a multi-dimensional understanding of this industry and its needs.

This understanding, says Moss, will foster the development of biotechnology in Wisconsin: “In the long run, the program will provide the professional workforce that will raise the visibility of UW–Madison in biotechnology and that will attract companies to the state.”

The program’s 10 current students who will participate in the panel discussion come from specialized backgrounds, but they share an interest in advancing the industry by developing a more comprehensive understanding of it. For instance, Lynda Bader is an information technology specialist who enrolled in the program so she can better serve her clients in the biotechnology industry. Craig Christianson, who earned a law degree in 1996, wants to practice patent and business law in the biotechnology field. Peter Jester, who is a research assistant in the Genome Center of Wisconsin, aspires to found his own biotechnology company.

During the discussion, the students will talk about the trends and future needs of the biotechnology field, their motivations for enrolling in the UW–Madison program and the role the program and they themselves will play in the future of this growing industry in Wisconsin.

“It is always important to remember our fundamental purpose in being [at the university] and that’s to create opportunities for our young people to be successful in their lives and careers,” says Mark Bugher. “The master’s program in biotechnology signals the coming together of a critical mass of elements destined to make this campus world class in research and, ultimately, technology transfer.”

For more information about the student discussion, contact Kurt Zimmerman at (608) 262-0685 or kjzimmerman@wisc.edu. For background on the Master of Science in Biotechnology program, visit www.ms-biotech.wisc.edu.