Four faculty and staff members from Alamance Community College have been accepted to the Mentor Connect Program to develop a National Science Foundation-Advanced Technological Education (NSF-ATE) proposal for October 2025.

 

The ACC team is comprised of Michelle Sabaoun, Department Head of Biotechnology; Dr. David Battigelli, Biotechnology instructor; Dr. Melanie Lewis, Dean of Public Health and Services; and Fred Keith, Grants Coordinator. They will attend the Winter Workshop in New Orleans January 28-31, and be part of the HiTEC (High Impact Technology Exchange) conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota in July.

 

“Our project will focus on development of short-term pre-apprenticeship certifications in conjunction with industry partners,” said Michelle. “In addition we will expand and develop coursework in biopharmaceutical quality, with an emphasis on analytical chemistry, biochemistry and microbiology, resulting in deployment of a two-year AAS degree.”

 

A key ingredient for ACC’s participation lies in the College’s key location halfway between the Piedmont Triad and Research Triangle Park, which allows the institution to readily offer its student access to nearby employment opportunities in the biotechnology industry for which there is high demand. 

 

The ACC team will serve as a central communication and training hub for the new curriculum with the intention of deploying and evaluating it initially on a regional basis at area high schools. Subsequently ACC will share the curriculum with other community colleges throughout North Carolina.