Rep. Sarbanes, State Biotech Leaders Visit Students and Teachers in MdBioLab at Digital Harbor High School in Baltimore
BALTIMORE, MD – (April 8, 2011) – The Tech Council of Maryland (TCM), in conjunction with its private charitable affiliate MdBio Foundation, Inc., announced today that to date more than 75,000 Maryland students have had the opportunity to explore science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in the MdBioLab, a custom built 45-foot tractor trailer equipped with 16 state-of-art lab benches that serves as a mobile bioscience education laboratory for Maryland high schools. To mark the milestone, U.S. Rep. John P. Sarbanes, a representative from U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski's office, state biotech leaders, TCM, MdBio Foundation, We Work for Health-Maryland and teachers toured the MdBioLab with students from Digital Harbor High School.
Attending the event in addition to Rep. Sarbanes were Justin H. Hayes, Deputy Projects Director for Sen. Mikulski; Steve Coats, senior director of Research and Development at MedImmune; and Carol Nacy, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Sequella. The distinguished guests discussed the importance of STEM education and talked to students about careers in medical innovations and other scientific fields.
"These children are our future engineers, environmental scientists, problem solvers, and leaders,” said Rep. Sarbanes. “This sort of hands-on learning will help put young Marylanders on a successful career path and keep our nation competitive."
"STEM education is vital to the development of a vibrant, skilled workforce in Maryland,” said MdBio Foundation Chairman J.J. Finkelstein, who also is president and CEO of RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. “Because of limited resources in our schools, students do not have the opportunity to fully explore the cutting-edge technologies in use by leading firms in the state. We are proud of the work being done by the MdBio Foundation and our partners to bring these incredible opportunities to students in every corner of our state."
In the MdBioLab today, students participated in a biodiesel lab, in which they performed two titrations and analyzed their results to learn more about how biodiesel fuel is produced.
"We are honored to have these special guests with us today to see the MdBioLab in action and celebrate the use of this unique resource to educate 75,000 Maryland students,” said Renée Winsky, CEO of TCM. “Their support has been paramount to fostering the interest in STEM and the hands-on experiences that will help our youth build a foundation for their future careers."
Today's event at Digital Harbor High School was hosted by the TCM, its affiliate the MdBio Foundation and We Work for Health-Maryland.
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ABOUT THE TECH COUNCIL OF MARYLAND
The Tech Council of Maryland (TCM) is the largest technology trade group serving the advanced technology and biotechnology communities of Maryland. TCM’s mission is to advocate for the interests of the technology community, further the role of technology in the Maryland economy, and nurture an environment where technology companies can collaborate, grow and succeed. For more information, visit www.techcouncilmd.com.
