Hood College President Andrea E. Chapdelaine, Ph.D. and ScienceWerx co-founder Patrick Haley shake hands after signing the MOU (SOURCE: Hood College)
Hood College, ScienceWerx Partner to Help Students Learn How Research is Commercialized and Ready Them for Tomorrow’s Jobs
By Sarah Ellinwood
May 9, 2023
When it comes to regional biohubs, local universities are the fuel that kickstart the roaring fires of innovation. The BioHealth Capital Region biohub is no exception.
Whether you’re taking a drive around the I-270 corridor or weaving your way through Baltimore’s busy streets, chances are you’ll bump into a company that has spun out of a nearby university such as the University of Maryland or Johns Hopkins.
The fuel only lasts for so long, though – that’s where the community college kindling comes in, with institutions such as Montgomery College and Frederick Community College providing specialized hands-on life science training that will prep the workforce to enter jobs at these companies as they continue to grow.
We absolutely can’t forget, though, that there’s another big sector of the higher education system that also keeps that fire ablaze – the small, but mighty liberal arts colleges.
And on May 3, one local liberal arts college forged a new partnership that will take their life science education curriculum to the next level.
Frederick-based Hood College and ScienceWerx, a 501c(3) non-profit organization designed to accelerate the commercialization of technologies by helping innovators gain access to capital, tech transfer offices, industry-trained professionals, incubators, and facilities, made their partnership official with the signing of an MOU.
Through the partnership Hood will provide resources and potential talent for ScienceWerx, while ScienceWerx will be providing expertise.
“ScienceWerx will showcase the process by which the results of research done in the laboratory will be directly used to develop new ways to treat patients, and our students will be assisting these businesses as they commercialize and create new products to help humankind,” said Hood College President Andrea E. Chapdelaine, Ph.D., prior to the official signing
Collaborative activities include, but are not limited to:
- Efforts to bridge students’ knowledge gap on how a scientific discovery in the lab is developed into a new treatment that can save lives.
- Hood providing pools of interns (undergraduate and graduate) and talent for clients involved with ScienceWerx.
- Working together on projects that align with Hood faculty expertise/research
- Co-teaching courses for high-impact learning opportunities for students.
- ScienceWerx providing adjunct faculty to share their specialized knowledge with Hood students
- Use of Hood’s printing services for all ScienceWerx tech transfer companies to help them create collateral.
- Additional activities and resources as the relationship matures.
“Our Hood students, both graduate level and undergrad, receive some of the best scientific and research experience throughout their time at Hood. But what happens to the research when the experiment is complete?” remarked Chapdelaine. “This new partnership with ScienceWerx will give our students the answers to these questions. They will now be a part of the ‘bench-to-bedside’ research to commercialization process.”
“I have always been impressed with Hood as I’ve engaged with students and faculty members throughout the years,” said Patrick Haley, chairman and co-founder of ScienceWerx. “Hood students, through high-impact learning experiences, will [now] have the opportunity to work for clients involved with ScienceWerx to receive first-hand experience as they commercialize research. Businesses from start-ups to international companies will employ Hood students in marketing, intellectual property, business negotiations, manufacturing and more.”
Hood College is a renowned institution recognized for its commitment to academic excellence and innovation. The college has a rich history of fostering scientific research and has gained recognition for its contributions to various fields, including the life sciences. With state-of-the-art facilities and a diverse community of scholars, including access to those at nearby institutions such as Kite Pharma and the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Hood College provides the ideal environment for collaboration and discovery.
And make no mistake – this partnership is just one of many big plans Hood has in store for boosting its life science offerings and training.
“As our region continues to grow in the science and technology industries, Hood College is expanding our Hodson Science & Technology Center for a three-story, 40,000 square-foot addition and renovated space that will provide the instructional and laboratory space needed to accommodate program growth as we reflect the rapid industry growth in the County and the region,” noted Chapdelaine.
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Sarah Ellinwood is BioBuzz’s Managing Editor. A scientist by training and a science communicator at heart, Sarah specializes in making complex concepts understandable, engaging, and exciting. She received her Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology with a focus in infectious disease immunology from the University of Maryland and is passionate about all things related to scicomm, peer mentorship, and women in STEM.
