BTEC Ceremony Marks 1,000th Graduate

While every graduation ceremony is special, BTEC’s spring 2025 graduation celebrates a milestone. The ceremony, to be held May 2 at the main BTEC facility on Centennial Campus, will see the 1,000th student graduate from the center’s academic programs. This spring, 83 students are expected to graduate from BTEC. That brings the number of graduates to 1,071 since classes began at the center in fall 2007 and the first student graduated in 2008 with the newly created BTEC minor.

BTEC now provides a wide variety of academic programs to develop skilled professionals for the biomanufacturing industry. These include two master’s degrees, graduate and undergraduate minors, and graduate, post-baccalaureate and undergraduate certificates. To date, BTEC has awarded 153 graduate degrees, 700 undergraduate minors, 54 graduate and 100 undergraduate certificates, and smaller numbers of graduate minors and post-baccalaureate certificates.

Typically, 90 to 100 students graduate from BTEC each year, including both fall and spring terms. This spring, it’s expected that 68 students will earn undergraduate minors, 13 will graduate with master’s degrees, one will earn a graduate certificate, and another will be awarded a post-baccalaureate certificate.

At this year’s graduation ceremony, Paula Keith, Ph.D., will be the keynote speaker. She is the principal and founder of BioLogic Solutions LLC, a consulting firm specializing in bioprocess and analytical methods development, including GMP production of clinical supplies. A teaching fellow at BTEC, she also serves on the BTEC Advisory Board.

Historically, 98% of BTEC graduates seeking employment in biomanufacturing or the life sciences industry find jobs within six months of graduation, with more than 80% remaining in North Carolina for that initial position. Employers range from local startups to global firms and include Biogen, Merck, Novartis Gene Therapies, Novo Nordisk and Pfizer among many others. BTEC graduates are hired into a range of positions, such as manufacturing associate, process engineer, process scientist or process development associate, associate scientist or research associate, quality control, and validation or CQV (commissioning, qualification and validation) engineer.

Graduating 1,000 students is a testament to BTEC’s commitment to providing the workforce needed by the biomanufacturing industry. As this milestone is achieved, the center looks forward to the continuing impact its graduates will have in their professional lives in North Carolina and beyond.

Learn more about BTEC’s academic programs or contact the academic team for more information.

This post was originally published in Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center News.