Massachusetts is home to the full ecosystem of life sciences—including our world class academic institutions and medical centers, a vibrant venture capital community, hundreds of biotech companies of all sizes, contract research and manufacturing organizations, and service organizations supporting the industry.
Blog Archives
Cambridge Science Festival 2013!
The Cambridge Science Festival is gearing up to kick off this Friday, April 12th and is jam packed with events every day through April 21st!
The Cambridge Science Festival, the first of its kind in the United States, is a celebration showcasing the leading edge in science, technology, engineering and math. A multifaceted, multicultural event every spring, the Cambridge Science Festival makes science accessible, interactive and fun!
The festival is a fun & valuable experience for all ages! The full calendar is online, but here are some of the signature events:
Thursday, April 18, 5:00pm-8:00pm throughout Kendall Square, Cambridge
Presented by Momenta Pharmaceuticals – Cost: Free, 21+ cash bars
A pub crawl like you’ve never seen! Join us for a series of one-hour stops in local restaurants, bars, and other businesses showcasing the fun, funky, and curious geekery in science and engineering in our community!
Saturday, April 13, 12:00pm-4:00pm, Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge
You’ve been to the Franklin Park Zoo and the Roger Williams Zoo, but have you ever visited a Robot Zoo? Come check out amazing robotics technology and activities!
MassBioEd Foundation Launches NEW MassBioEd.org
MassBio is proud to support our sister organization, the MassBioEd Foundation. We work closely with MassBioEd to develop the life sciences workforce of the future to keep our life sciences cluster strong and growing. We are excited to share a post from MassBioEd today that highlights their dynamic new website, www.massbioed.org which just launched last month.
The Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation (MassBioEd) is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization committed to supporting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education with a focus in biotechnology in Massachusetts through school programs, workforce training, and lifelong learning.
To help fulfill our mission to inspire students to pursue STEM and develop the current workforce we are excited to announce the launch of our new website, www.massbioed.org. The website is a comprehensive resource for educators, students, postdocs, and industry professionals.
Website highlights include:
Postdoc Resources: The Massachusetts postdoctoral community is a vital resource for the life sciences sector. To support this community, MassBioEd Foundation helps postdoctoral fellows explore career paths and opportunities in the life sciences through networking events, the Industry Exploration Program and the Futures in Life Sciences Program.
Corporate Involvement Opportunities: MassBioEd strives to engage with the life sciences industry to enrich student experiences and ignite a passion for STEM! YOU can make a difference in the lives of students and inspire the future biotechnology workforce by participating in one of our programs! Support our Job Shadow Day, Site Visits , or volunteer to Be a Speaker. (MassBioEd is currently seeking scientist volunteers to participate in a “speed-dating” career exploration event for postdocs on April 29 – learn more here.)
Corporate Professional Development Programs: Read the rest of this entry
Support STEM Education at MassBioEd’s Golf Classic
Wondering how you can make a difference in Massachusetts biotechnology education? Register today to sponsor or participate in our upcoming MassBio Golf Classic, an annual golf tournament benefitting the MassBioEd Foundation! On September 7th, MassBioEd will return to the prestigious Pinehills Golf Club in Plymouth, MA for the 18th Annual Golf Classic.
Your participation in the Golf Classic directly supports these important STEM education programs and experiences that have proven to improve students’ access to and interest in life sciences careers:
BioTeach Program
The BioTeach program has supported 177 high schools with over $3 million in equipment, supplies, and consumables for cutting-edge biotechnology labs. This year, MassBioEd named BioTeach school Norton High School the Innovative School of the Year. “Norton is elated to be the recipient of this award,” said science coordinator Tanya Benoit. “It will be the launch for taking our biotechnology classes to the next level in the hopes of adding a second year 2 biotechnology elective.”
Guest Post By BIO’s Abigail Hirsch: 2012 MassBioEd Innovative School of the Year – Norton High School
When BIOtechNOW writer Abigail Hirsch asked us if she could write a post on the MassBioEd Innovative School of the Year, Norton High School, we were thrilled. What better way to spread the word about the great STEM education going on in Massachusetts Schools as we gear up for the 2012 BIO International Convention? Thanks for sharing your post with MassBioHQ, Abigail!
It is no wonder then that eleven years ago MassBio established the Massachusetts Biotechnology Foundation to promote biotechnology education and workforce development programs. Each year, the Foundation awards the Innovative School of the Year to highlight and honor a Massachusetts high school for distinguishing itself through exemplary innovative biotechnology educational programming.
(From left) Lance Hartford (MassBioEd), Renee Connolly (EMD Serono), Jason Henry (Norton High), Paula Beisheim (Norton High), Tanya Benoint (Norton High), Dr. Patricia Ansay (Norton Superintendent), Kady Ferguson (student).
This year, MassBioEd granted the award to Norton High School in Norton, MA. Since 2007, Norton High School has worked with MassBioEd in the BioTeach program. The school has successfully utilized their BioTeach grant to expand biotechnology courses to all of their students and provide elective courses in biotech, forensics and anatomy & physiology. Each year, over 175 students are provided instruction in biotechnology based lab experiences, culminating in a research project that focuses on life sciences careers.
MassBioEd’s Winter Workshop
On Saturday, MassBioEd completed its seventh annual Winter Workshop designed for teachers to experience immersion in the theory, practice, and application of DNA Science.
This year, BioTeach expanded the Winter Workshop program from a one-day review of the three focal labs to a two-day event with an emphasis on inquiry-based instructional techniques, plus an introduction to a water quality lab featuring PCR techniques.
In order to compliment and expand the number of labs schools can complete with their BioTeach equipment, MassBioEd partnered with the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole and the Howard Hughes sponsored Wolbachia Project. 65 teachers from 45 school districts across Massachussetts explored the Wolbachia bacteria, an organism that infects arthropods.
