For more than 15 years, a Montgomery County Community College professor has been fostering the next generation of biotechnology and biomanufacturing professionals. Recently, she was named among 30 individuals, programs and organizations across the Greater Philadelphia region recognized for making an impact in life sciences.

BioBuzz, the online regional life sciences news organization, named Dr. Margaret Bryans, Professor of Biology and Biotechnology Program Coordinator, as its 2024 Workforce Champion of the Year, during the second annual BioBuzz Awards for the Greater Philadelphia Region. Bryans and the other award winners were recognized during a June 25 ceremony held at Minaris Advanced Therapies located at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

The Workforce Champion of the Year honor awards individuals “who prioritize diversity, innovation, employee well-being, and professional development while cultivating a culture of leadership and collaboration,” according to the website. Honorees represent organizations and individuals who help to build a workforce pipeline to support the economic strength and growth of the regional life science sector.

Nominees for the award are selected by peers and this year’s award recipients received more than 1,500 individual votes. Bryans was surprised and delighted to be nominated and honored to be selected for the award, she said.

“It’s an honor to receive this award and see  the work we do at Montgomery County Community College recognized by the regional life science community,” she said. “Our programs prepare students with the skills and knowledge required to enter the workforce and our graduates are working at many local cell and gene therapy, biotechnology, and biopharmaceutical companies.”

Dr. James Bretz, Dean of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, praised the work Bryans does every day in and out of the classroom.

“Montco is very lucky to have such a dedicated and well-respected leader as a member of our faculty,” he said. “Dr. Bryans is very deserving of this award. She is nationally recognized as a leader in biotechnology for her understanding of the skills and training needed by technicians in the biopharmaceutical and biomanufacturing industry. Her protocols and curricula are used throughout the country to train students for these critical jobs. Our students and local industry partners benefit from her expertise, knowledge and enthusiasm for biotechnology."

Since joining the College in 2009, Bryans has worked diligently to address the need for a skilled workforce in biomanufacturing and in recent years the advanced therapy sector. As the Principal Investigator of National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education project awards at the College, Bryans has led efforts to create curriculum and skills training programs that tackle the workforce pipeline needs. She led the Northeast Biomanufacturing Center and Collaborative, NBC2, a consortium of community colleges focused on creating and disseminating curriculum and training faculty in the skills required to develop training programs that tackle the workforce needs.

In 2020, Bryans worked with two Delaware State University (DESU) faculty members, Drs. Derrick and Latia Scott, to develop the biopharmaceutical Workforce Outreach, Research, Diversity, and Education (WORDE) Institute. The program at the public, historically Black university worked to increase minority representation in the biopharmaceutical industry by training graduates to a level that will allow them to seamlessly enter the workforce. The project was funded through a $750,739 grant by the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL).

At MCCC, Bryans has also developed open-source curriculum and training workshops for community college instructors, as well as summer workshops for area high school teachers and programs for students to introduce them to careers in biomanufacturing.

Another highlight of Bryans’ work includes the Building an Advanced Therapy Technical Workforce in Southeastern PA project, which aligns local community college curricula with the specific needs of the biotech industry. Drawing on input from regional cell and gene therapy companies and a series of published skill standards co-authored by Bryans the required curriculum was developed at MCCC. Regional faculty were introduced to the curriculum and trained during a series of workshops facilitating the incorporation of cell and gene therapy skills training at local colleges and workforce training programs. High school student exposure to this field was achieved through week-long workshops focused on underrepresented student populations.

“Through her work, Dr. Bryans is making biomanufacturing careers more accessible, particularly for underrepresented communities,” as noted in BioBuzz’s article. “She is dedicated to increasing access to these careers for students of color, first-generation college students, and others who might face barriers to entering the biomanufacturing sector.”

Bryans noted that close collaboration with regional industry partners is key.

“We hosted two roundtable events with regional cell and gene therapy companies to discuss the skills and knowledge that should be included in the training. Employers discussed their workforce needs and subject-matter experts provided input as we created the curriculum.,” she said. “We also included other regional educational institutions so that they could hear first-hand what is required.”

The feedback from industry partners has been stellar, as MCCC graduates are well prepared to come on board as entry level technicians, she said.

“We’ve also heard from a number of graduates,” said Bryans, “who’ve said that their MCCC education and training absolutely prepares them on a daily basis for the work they’re doing in a manufacturing facility.”

Bryans said with the BioBuzz award now in hand, she will continue her work to cultivate the next generation of biotechnology and biomanufacturing technicians, especially as interest in the field continues to grow.

“There’s definitely an increased interest in biotechnology as a program of study at MCCC,” she said. “Students see the potential for an interesting and exciting career with good job prospects, the biotechnology sector in the Philadelphia region is strong”  

MCCC offers two Biotechnology programs of study, a two-year Associate in Applied Science degree in Biotechnology and a one-year Certificate in Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing designed for degree-holding students who wish to acquire the lab skills and knowledge needed to enter the biotechnology workforce. For more information, contact the STEM Department.