-
Local Pharmaceutical Presence
Since 1965, north Louisiana has been home to a number of pharmaceutical companies, including Rucker Pharmacal, UAD Pharmaceuticals, Boots Pharmaceuticals, LuChem Pharmaceuticals, Sage Pharmaceuticals, IVAX Pharmaceuticals, Knoll Pharmaceuticals, BASF, and Red River Pharma. BASF, Sage and Red River Pharma currently operate manufacturing and research facilities in Shreveport.
- Higher Education Training
North Louisiana has 11 technical, two-year, four-year and graduate colleges and universities that support regional workforce demands. The Consortium for Education Research and Technology of North Louisiana is a unique collaboration of these north Louisiana higher education institutions formed to match their research and educational resources with the workforce needs of regional businesses.
Approximately 14,000 students in two-year and technical college programs and 34,000 students in four-year and graduate universities are taught by 2,400 faculty. A substantial number of academic degrees are offered through these institutions, including 58 associate degrees, 167 baccalaureate degrees, 72 masters degrees and 20 doctoral degrees. Follow this link for a list of health, life science and information technology degrees and certificate programs offered by CERT institutions.
To support the laboratory technician needs of the biotech industry, Bossier Parish Community College developed an Associates Degree in General Science with a Biotechnology Technical Competency Area (TCA) . There are four TCA courses: Introduction to Biotechnology, Cell Culture, Bioinstrumentation, and an Internship. The course work teaches hands-on laboratory skills augmented with lectures.
In the fall of 2004, the Biomedical Research Foundation co-sponsored a PhD Biotechnology Track with LSU Health Science Center that provides graduate research students with training in the biotechnology industry. The track currently involves four courses: Biotechnology and the Pharmaceutical Industry, Biotechnology Entrepreneurship, Methods in Biotechnology, and a six month Internship with a biotechnology company.
- Primary/Secondary Education
The State of Louisiana has made a major commitment to PreK-12 education which has been nationally recognized. In the last two years, Education Week ranked Louisiana 1 st in the nation in school accountability and standards, 2 nd in the nation on efforts to improve school and student performance, and 5 th in the nation in improving teacher quality . The state also ranked 8 th in the nation in the number of teachers receiving National Board Certification and 10 th in the nation in pre-kindergarten education spending.
Locally, Shreveport-Bossier has a strong public and private school system. Shreveport boasts 8 Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence (awarded by the U.S. Department of Education) and has the #1 & #2 ranked elementary , #1 ranked middle school and #2 ranked high school in the state of Louisiana.
The Biomedical Research Foundation and InterTech recognize that to achieve the long term goal of establishing northwest Louisiana as a nationally recognized technology center requires technologically competent high school graduates, whether they enter the workforce upon graduation or continue with higher education. Toward that end, BRF co-sponsors three K-12 education programs designed to improve math and science competency:
- Math Science & Technology Partnership Program (MST)
The MST program is a partnership with the Caddo Parish School Board and is now installed in 5 middle and high schools reaching 4,500 students with 100 trained teachers. This program is for the average child and involves a research and problem-based teaching pedagogy, with technology intensive classrooms.
- Science & Medicine Academic Research Training Program (SMART) The SMART program annually selects 10 of the most gifted students in Caddo and Bossier Parish schools at the end of their junior year in high school, and places them with an LSU Health Sciences Center research team for a two month summer internship. During their senior year of school, students continue working 10-15 hours a week with the research team, for which they receive college credit. The program has seen numerous Intel and Siemens-Westinghouse science fair semi-finalists, and one winner.
- Biotech Academy
Beginning in fall 2006, the Caddo Parish School District will launch a Biotech Academy in the first MST high school. This grade 9-12 magnet program will teach 240 students interested in pursuing careers in the life science industry. There will be two tracks, one for those wishing to enter the workforce upon graduation and the other for those wishing to pursue higher educations. The Biotech Academy curriculum has been designed by the District with guidance from LSU Health Sciences Center and the Biomedical Research Foundation.
|
For
Property Lease and Sale Information please 