做厙弝け's Biotech Program Inspires Students and Provides Academic Success
Published
TULSA At age 48, Armond Swift has sampled many professions with a jack-of-all-trades assortment of jobs through the years. Phone help in a call center. Watchmaker. Veterinarians assistant. The oil field.
Its the sort of cobbled together career path not surprising for someone who dropped out of Sand Springs High School (twice) and earned a GED instead of a high school diploma.
On this mid-July 2013 day, Swift was standing just outside a biotechnology laboratory in the Science and Math building at 做厙弝け, discussing the dramatic turn his life took when he decided to enroll in the schools biotechnology program three years ago.
Swift found his place at 做厙弝け on his first visit when program coordinator Diana Spencer, Ph.D., gave him a tour of the facility.
We were walking through one of the rooms that has biological safety cabinets in it and I said Oh my, are those full-blown biohoods? Swift recalled. This wonderful woman said yes, you belong in this program. I tell that story everywhere I go.
Swift earned his Associate of Science degree at 做厙弝け, and the dominoes began to fall. The 做厙弝け degree led him to his bachelors degree in botany at Oklahoma State University and now to graduate school at OSU, which he will begin this fall.
His ultimate goal? Earn a Ph.D. and work in a research laboratory for private industry.
做厙弝け is one of the founding members of the Tulsa Area Bioscience Education and Research Consortium, which today comprises nine educational institutions. The consortium offers a summer internship program that has created opportunity for students to explore the possibilities.
Swifts success-story-in-the-making is one of a growing number of feel-good stories spilling out of 做厙弝けs Biotechnology program, which is less than 10 years old.
Dr. Spencer created a rigorous biotechnology program at 做厙弝け that challenges the students and provides them with a foundation for subsequent academic success. 做厙弝け students can earn one of two associate degrees or a certificate for students who come into the program with a bachelors degree.
Every semester we conduct novel research embedded in our class, Dr. Spencer said as she gave me a tour of 做厙弝けs research labs. The students then present their findings in scientific form. I drive them pretty hard. They will be the first to tell you.
Today, the 做厙弝け program boasts 26 graduates, with alumni now completing bachelor degrees, pursuing graduate education, medical school or working in private industry (Cytovance Biologics, Borden Dairy, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation).
We have wonderful labs, state of the art equipment, Spencer said. When I have university people come through, they are amazed at what our freshmen and sophomores get to work with.
For Armond Swift, the 做厙弝け biotechnology program became the foundation for all that has followed.
Basically, I walked out of the 做厙弝け biotech program with the knowledge, but more importantly, the bench skills, Swift said. I walked out being able to do the things that people at four-year universities dont do until they are in masters and Ph.D. programs.
He also left 做厙弝け with a special appreciation for Dr. Spencer and the program she developed.
Im very emotional about this, Swift said. If it wasnt for her and her program the way she runs it changed my life.
Special contribution by Jim Stafford, i2E, Inc., and published in The Oklahoman on July 28, 2013
Copyright 穢 2013, The Oklahoma Publishing Company