The Biotech Program manager, professor Matthew Thomas, says the addition of Dakota Biotech will strengthen the department by advising the College on industry trends and providing valuable internships for SCF students. “Students can apply transferable skills” to the workplace, he said. “Our goal is for students to build skills so they can step into any laboratory situation as good generalists. Internships can round out their experience.”
Plus, internships are a great recruitment tool for companies. “It’s an extended job interview. It’s a place for potential employers to check out how skilled our students and graduates are in the lab,” Thomas added.
The relationship is already benefiting students. SCF Biotech student Christian Caceres is Dakota’s first intern and has already been working in their lab. “It’s tough for people my age to get a job in this field,” he said. “But I have the backbone of SCF’s Biotech Program behind me.”
Maya Ivanjesku, chief scientific officer at Dakota Biotech, said she is honored to be a member of the Advisory Board. “Supporting the local community is our passion and a responsibility, and helping students gain experience in their field is something every company should make time for.”
Ivanjesku said interns will get experience in every facet of the industry, from research and development to customer service. Dakota’s cutting-edge probiotic technology will give interns an experience that will help them build careers in this field.
Caceres says SCF’s Biotech Program has prepared him well for the future. “The program is constantly changing, getting better,” he said. When he graduates this May with an Associate in Science degree in Biotechnology, “I’ll have industrial experience to go along with the school experience.”
To learn more about SCF’s Biotechnology Program, visit SCF.edu/Biotechnology.
