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WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ore. – Bioscience Technology students on Portland Community College’s Rock Creek Campus in Washington County are examples of the scientists who will better Oregon’s future.
These future bioscience graduates are continuing their discovery in a wide range of industries and applications like biopharmaceuticals, cancer research, human genetics, agricultural-biotech products and infectious disease solutions. It is these students who support and drive the next level of science.
“Recent advances in biotechnology are helping us prepare for and meet society’s most pressing challenges,” said Josh Cary, Bioscience Technology Program chair. “The bioscience industry is growing quickly and looking for talented technicians, so now is a great time to prepare for a career in this innovative field. Students who develop technical and professional skills in the program become well qualified for bioscience technician roles at a varied and growing number of local bioscience companies.”
Graduates of PCC’s Bioscience Technology Program may be combating diseases, reducing our environmental footprint, feeding the hungry, or using less and cleaner energy. In the end, they are creating safer, cleaner and more efficient industrial manufacturing, Cary said.
PCC offers three degree options -- one-year certification in either bioscience technician or advanced bioscience technologist in addition to an associate degree in bioscience technology. According to the Oregon Employment Department, the Portland-area industry average for bioscience technicians is around $70,000 annually.
When bioscience graduates choose bioscience careers as biotechnicians, they often work in the manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals and medical devices. Opportunities are abundant in analytical labs or in biomedical research. Some graduates will find their way into other areas like quality control or sales, too.
“Students who pay close attention to detail, enjoy hands-on learning, are quick learners and good team players, and eager to gain experience with DNA and protein technologies will likely enjoy bioscience classes,” added Cary.
Tigard’s Annie Chung decided to build a new bioscience career from one in fine arts and animation. She is not sure what she ultimately wants to do within her new field of study once she graduates with her associate degree, but knows she’ll be supported by the program.
“I’m a first-year student and am keeping those doors open,” she said. “I appreciate that faculty really support you here. I love that we get to explore biotech options like cancer research, manufacturing and quality control. We get our hands into everything.”
Justin Escobar Rios’s Hillsboro High school counselor recommended he try PCC’s program as he hopes to work at a biotechnology company. He enjoys the classes because they introduce new technology and tools, as well as are hands-on (he loves the spectrophotometer) and not all lectures. A first-generation college student, Rios has had to overcome the stigma of being from an immigrant family, he said.
“I am stronger in life because I overcame a self-limiting belief that since my parents were immigrants, that I could not succeed as much,” he explained. “But they showed me how to work hard and be a better person; and that inspires me.”
Essau Klopfenstein from North Portland is a first-year bioscience technology student who has already conducted an interdisciplinary, undergraduate research project with a mentor as part of the Oregon NASA Space Grant Consortium. He said a learning disability made online schools not an option, but PCC's in-person program gave him a great taste of the jobs he could find.
“I like the tools and one-on-one time in class with PCC instructors because the cohort is only a total of 30 students,” Klopfenstein said. “You get a good value for your dollar invested.”
For more information, visit pcc.edu/bioscience/
About Portland Community College: Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon and provides training, degree and certificate completion, and lifelong learning to more than 50,000 full- and part-time students in Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia counties. PCC has four comprehensive campuses, 10 education centers or areas served, and approximately 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.
Visit PCC news on the web at http://news.pcc.edu/
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WILSONVILLE, Ore. – After more than 20 years hiatus, federal financial aid (Pell Grants) for higher education of people in prisons is back and Portland Community College is at the center of a state-funded program to help transition adults in custody back into society with the skills they need.
A portion of a $2.8 million Future Ready Oregon grant to PCC is funding a pilot program that prepares for the July 2023 reinstatement of Pell Grants for academically eligible, incarcerated students. With this state support, the college is providing four faculty members to teach at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility (CCCF) this winter with more faculty to be added in the spring to ready students.
PCC's grant from Future Ready Oregon is a small component of a statewide comprehensive $200 million investment package that supports the education and training of Oregonians for family-wage careers with strategic and targeted investments focused on advancing opportunities for historically underserved communities like these women.
The Future Ready Oregon Career Pathways Grant is focused on capacity building, including the pilot program at Coffee Creek, Integrated Education and Training (IET) programs in welding and pre-trades advanced manufacturing, curriculum development in several areas, equipment and contracted services purchases, and staffing for student success and retention.
“We'll be kicking off the winter quarter with four class offerings: a writing class and a study skills class (“College Readiness”) in the minimum security facility and the same in the medium security facility," said Lisa Regan-Vienop, manager of Corrections Education Transitions who has been with the college for more than 10 years.
“We have a mix of faculty, those who have worked with corrections before and those who are new to corrections education,” she continued. “We have about 40 students, some of whom are taking both courses, who have signed up.”
One such experienced member is English faculty chair and writing instructor Tara McDowell. She taught previously at CCCF and said it is one of the most rewarding experiences she has had in a classroom in decades of teaching.
“Coffee Creek students are focused and dedicated; willing to do the hard work that it takes to truly improve their writing,” McDowell said. “Nearly all of the CCCF students I have worked with are genuinely excited to receive feedback on their work and often want to discuss and reflect on their writing process. I believe, for many college students, the weekly constructive comments and positive feedback they receive on their writing projects chip away at years of negative connotation, which is all too often associated with writing due to prior negative experiences in an English classroom. A little boost in self-esteem can make such a positive impact in all our lives.”
The women in the “College Readiness” course, which is limited to 15 students, will learn study skills and essentials like stress management and time management. It's a chance to change their fortune around as life on the inside is tough -- there is no internet access, laptops, and very limited time on prison phones.
“These are all barriers,” added Regan-Vienop. “For teachers, it’s a low-tech environment for security reasons. It has taken a real collaborative effort to launch these courses, but despite the obstacles, this teaching is rewarding because the Coffee Creek women are creating opportunities through education for not just themselves but their families and communities at home, too.”
The college is aligned with this holistic effort. A team of enrollment, advising and financial aid specialists are poised to meet CCCF student needs. The team also hopes to visit in person regularly to ensure equitable access to vital PCC services. In addition, the program aims to expand offerings for the women by adding math and health courses in spring as well.
“As a college, it’s our mission to serve marginalized and underrepresented people – and this group has definite access issues," Regan-Vienop said. “Coffee Creek will have close to 100 adults in custody, or AICs, released over the next 18 months to the PCC service district. The college, in partnership with the Department of Corrections, is well positioned to strengthen transitions for AICs re-entering society by creating clear pathways to the college and promoting continued education to increase the economic mobility of AICs.”
About Portland Community College: Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon and provides training, degree and certificate completion, and lifelong learning to more than 50,000 full- and part-time students in Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia counties. PCC has four comprehensive campuses, 10 education centers or areas served, and approximately 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.
Visit PCC news on the web at http://news.pcc.edu/
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PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Community College will join school districts, education service districts and community colleges throughout Oregon to celebrate January as “School Board Recognition Month,” President Dr. Adrien Bennings announced this week.
“Our board members spend countless hours of unpaid time working to provide the best possible education for our students,” said President Bennings. “They also serve as the board of directors for one of our community’s largest employers. Celebrating School Board Recognition Month is one way to say thanks for all they do.”
School board members represent their fellow citizens’ views and priorities in the complex enterprise of maintaining and running the community’s public schools and community colleges, Bennings said. They also reinforce the principle of local control over public education, which is a highly valued aspect of education in Oregon.
PCC is acknowledging the work of its board at its Jan. 19 business meeting with certificates of appreciation.
“Even though we are making a special effort during January to show appreciation for our community college board members, we recognize their contributions reflect a year-round effort on their part. They are dedicated individuals who are committed to improving student achievement and to fighting for the best for all of our students,” Bennings said.
The PCC Board of Directors consists of seven members, plus the student representative, elected by zones to four-year terms. The 2022-23 board includes Mohamed Alyajouri, Serin Bussell, Tiffani Penson (chair), Lauren Riddle (student rep), Dan Saltzman, Michael Sonnleitner, Laurie Cremona Wagner (vice chair) and Kristi Wilson (secretary).
As part of its mission, the board supports student success by delivering access to quality education while advancing economic development and promoting sustainability in a collaborative culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
About Portland Community College: Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon and provides training, degree and certificate completion, and lifelong learning to more than 50,000 full- and part-time students in Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia counties. PCC has four comprehensive campuses, 10 education centers or areas served, and approximately 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.
Visit PCC news on the web at http://news.pcc.edu/
PORTLAND, Ore. – Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici recently announced that all 15 of the Community Projects she recommended were included in the government funding bill passed by the House and Senate, sending more than $35 million for Northwest Oregon to President Joe Biden’s desk.
The Community Project Funding was passed as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 to fund the government for the next year. The package includes $910,000 for Portland Community College to fund semiconductor and advanced manufacturing workforce training and support services.
“This funding package is great news for Oregonians,” Bonamici said. “I look forward to seeing how the funding from this legislation helps our communities thrive, and I am committed to continuing to work on these important issues.”
The $910,000 in funding to PCC will be used to further develop a regional career and academic pathway in semiconductor and advanced manufacturing, which was initiated after a $200,000 Intel grant was awarded to support the launch of programming at the Willow Creek Center. The college currently offers students the opportunity to complete short-term workforce training, such as a one-year certificate in mechatronics, and a two-year career technical associate degree in microelectronics and electronic engineering technologies.
“I would like to thank Congresswoman Bonamici for her leadership and all the work that went into making this opportunity a reality,” said Dr. Adrien Bennings, PCC president. “This and other key funding from the state of Oregon will enable us to increase partnerships and expand outreach, support and training for advanced manufacturing workforce development.”
This money will allow the college to further equitable student access and success by reaching and supporting marginalized and underrepresented populations. Success examples include PCC’s Maritime Welding Pathway – a collaboration with Vigor Marine – that has reached 50% female students and historically has served 25% students of color with an 80% placement rate. In addition, the Microelectronics Technology Program – a partnership with Intel since 1990 – boasts a 95% placement rate of students into jobs at the company.
Due to technology advances and an aging workforce, there is an immediate short and long term need to continue to grow a diverse pipeline of workers in the semiconductor and advanced manufacturing industries. In Oregon, there will be 5,563 new jobs in the advanced manufacturing sector over the next eight years, most of which will be highly concentrated in Washington County.
“We are thrilled to be able to continue to work with our partners – from community-based organizations to K-12 and municipalities – and deepen our level of collaboration and integration of a regional semiconductor career and academic pathway,” said Carrie Weikel-Delaplane, program dean for Mechatronics, Electronics & Advanced Manufacturing. “This effort will lead to high-wage and high-demand jobs for our entire community.”
The $910,000 Community Project Funding will:
- Update course curriculum through faculty stipends;
- Upgrade necessary software and equipment to keep course offerings relevant;
- Develop an “industry in the classroom” model to attract nationally recognized experts in the semiconductor industry to teach;
- Fund scholarships, equipment, and basic needs;
- Build awareness of careers in the semiconductor and advanced manufacturing space, as well as training and job opportunities.
The semiconductor and advanced manufacturing pathway will be supported by a coalition of public and private partners. This will entail increasing regional and national public and private partnerships with a focus on supporting academic programming opportunities for K-12 students, postsecondary education, adult learners, upskillers, and incumbent workers.
PCC will continue to involve groups and industry leaders to coordinate semiconductor and advanced manufacturing career pathways, like the City of Hillsboro Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Partnership – an industry-led private/public partnership addressing the workforce pipeline and skills gap through Future Ready Oregon funding. Earlier this month, former Oregon Governor Kate Brown visited PCC’s Willow Creek Center to discuss semiconductor training and recruitment with the group, as well as tour the college’s mechatronics lab.
“I’m really proud of the partnerships and the collective, collaborative work that is happening in this space,” Brown said. “For me, it’s all about centering our historically underserved communities, and I’m really happy to see the work happening on the ground.”
About Portland Community College: Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon and provides training, degree and certificate completion, and lifelong learning to more than 50,000 full- and part-time students in Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia counties. PCC has four comprehensive campuses, 10 education centers or areas served, and approximately 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.
Visit PCC news on the web at http://news.pcc.edu/
NORTH PORTLAND, Ore. – From Feb. 3 through March 4, the popular Cascade Festival of African Films is returning to Portland Community College’s Cascade Campus. Honoring the art and craft of African filmmaking, the movies imported for the festival draw capacity crowds each year. All films are free and open to the public and those that are in-person are on a first-come, first-served basis.
The annual event is the longest-running, nonprofit, noncommercial, largely volunteer-run African film festival in the United States. In 1991, the first CFAF drew approximately 400 people and today, sustained by a small staff and an army of dedicated volunteers, it has grown to more than 5,000 attendees.
This year, the festival welcomes newest festival director Aviva McClure and associate director Eugenie Jolivett Fontana, who are launching festivities with a special opening gala at 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 3. Screenings continue throughout the month of February in conjunction with the celebration of Black History Month.
“As this year’s festival theme focuses on “beauty and complexities: the human experience”; we hope that our curated films, which not only connect the African continent and the diaspora experience, also remind us that we are not alone in this human journey of change, healing, growth, loving, and celebrating our identities,” said Fontana.
Opening night will once again take place at the Hollywood Theatre, 4122 N.E. Sandy Blvd., at 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 3. The gala features a live musical performance by Randa Benaziz and a short keynote from PCC President Dr. Adrien Bennings, followed by the multiple award-winning feature film “The Blue Caftan” (Morocco, 2022) – a film centered on the theme that love has no gender.
The CFAF continues through March 4, with screenings in the Moriarty Auditorium at the Cascade Campus, 705 N. Killingsworth St. and online. A complete calendar of film screenings and director appearances can be found at www.africanfilmfestival.org
The CFAF celebrates “Africa through African lenses” with a curated collection of 20 feature films, documentaries, and short films on the docket from 16 different nations. This year's festival centerpiece weekend features films that have received international recognition. On Feb. 17, Congolese director Nganji Mutiri comes to Hollywood Theater in-person, for his film "Juwaa," which will be followed by a performance from local emcees. Then, on Feb. 18, “Neptune Frost” will present audiences with an Afro-futuristic interpretation of the toll of technology in the 21st century.
Returning this year are Monday Night Film Chats, which are hosted at 7 p.m. on Zoom throughout the festival. Also, festival-goers can experience an in-person and virtual marketplace from an assortment of vendors and pick up festival T-shirts.
Culminating with CFAF Women Filmmakers Week, March 2-4, are featured films by an emerging force of women filmmakers within African cinema. This festival lineup includes directors from South Sudan, Egypt, Burkina Faso, and NYC (Ghana). The final event, Women Filmmakers Week panel discussion, is hosted by Tracy Francis at 7 p.m., March 4 at the Moriarty Auditorium and features “Queen of Glory” by Ghanaian director Nana Mensah.
For more details on the 2023 festival, visit https://2023.africanfilmfestival.org
About Portland Community College: Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon and provides training, degree and certificate completion, and lifelong learning to more than 50,000 full- and part-time students in Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia counties. PCC has four comprehensive campuses, eight education centers or areas served, and approximately 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning. Visit PCC news on the web at http://news.pcc.edu/
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