May 29, 2009
For Immediate Release

NCRC, RCCC Celebrate Groundbreaking
Biotech facility will train local residents for campus careers

              KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — A groundbreaking ceremony this morning served as the symbolic start of construction of the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (RCCC) building at the North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC). The 62,332 square-foot biotechnology facility has been described by many as a tangible link for local residents to opportunities on the research campus.

               With the building's footings already poured, officials and representatives of the NCRC, RCCC and the Sate of North Carolina expressed pride, enthusiasm and optimism at the ceremony. The building will be the home of RCCC's two associate degree programs in biotechnology and agricultural biotechnology and continuing education programs related to biotechnology and clinical research. These programs and others RCCC will develop will prepare local residents to meet many of the NCRC's future workforce needs.

               "For every Ph.D. or MD position created by the NCRC, at least five other positions will be created for which RCCC can provide the needed education and training," said RCCC President Carol Spalding. "RCCC's biotechnology and other programs will provide access to local residents for career opportunities at the NCRC. These programs also will offer transferable credits for students who decide to pursue a four-year degree."

               RCCC's building at the NCRC building will include multiple science and computer laboratories and multiple classrooms with a full array of technology. RCCC hopes to open the building in time for its fall 2010 semester, with the focus of providing instructional space for hands-on biotechnology training in a realistic research and development setting.

               The cost of the building is expected to be approximately $26 million. Gov. Beverly Perdue's proposed state budget includes $3.3 million for RCCC in annual funding to cover the NCRC building's lease and some operating expenses.

               In addition to Spalding, those taking part in the groundbreaking ceremony included David H. Murdock, owner and chairman of Dole Food Co., and the creator of the NCRC; N.C. Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton; N.C. Sen. Fletcher Hartsell Jr.; R. Scott Ralls, president of the N.C. Community College System; Lynne Scott Safrit, president of Atlantic American Properties and the North American Commercial Division of Castle and Cooke Inc.; Kannapolis Mayor Robert Misenheimer; and Ray Paradowski, chairman of the RCCC Board of Trustees.

               "North Carolina and our community colleges continue to lead the way in the field of biotechnology," Ralls said. "The education and hands-on training that will be provided at this cutting-edge facility will lead to jobs in fields that continue to grow, despite the downturn in other job sectors. This is another example of North Carolina's community colleges responding to the needs of an evolving economy."

               Students are taking introductory courses this summer in RCCC's biotechnology programs. The AAS program in biotechnology will prepare students for jobs in a biotechnology laboratory. Program graduates can pursue employment as lab technicians, research assistants and quality control associates. This associate degree will enable graduates to work with different types of employers, including small testing labs, large manufacturers, government laboratories and research universities.

               The AAS program in agricultural biotechnology will help meet the demand for skilled laboratory technicians in various fields of biological, chemical and agricultural technology. This program will prepare graduates to work as research assistants to biologists and chemists, laboratory and instrumentation technicians, and quality control/quality assurance technicians. Graduates will pursue positions with various industry, university and government employers, including jobs in research and development, manufacturing, sales, customer service, and the production of bioengineered crops.

               "With the current economic conditions North Carolina is facing, this groundbreaking is a positive statement of hope and resolve by the State Board of Education and our RCCC Board of Trustees," said Paradowski. "Many are placing great confidence in RCCC to meet the education and job-training needs of our residents and the developing biotechnology industry in Cabarrus and Rowan counties. We appreciate that confidence and the support the college has and will receive. This building will be worth the wait."

               The 350-acre NCRC is a public-private venture created to foster collaboration and further knowledge in biotechnology, nutrition, agriculture and health. The NCRC is home of the David H. Murdock Research Institute, located within the David H. Murdock Core Laboratory, which houses the most state-of-the art scientific equipment in the areas of genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, animal and plant imaging, microscopy and structural chemistry. See www.ncresearchcampus.net and www.dhmri.org for more information.

               RCCC is a comprehensive, community-based institution of higher learning, serving the citizens of Rowan and Cabarrus counties in North Carolina. RCCC is one of 58 colleges in the state-supported North Carolina Community College System.

                RCCC offers fully-accredited associate-degree programs in more than 40 areas of study, including arts and sciences, business, information technology, health and public services, and engineering technologies. RCCC also offers accredited diploma and certificate programs focused on career training, continuing education and basic skills education. RCCC provides a strong foundation and transferable credits for students moving on to four-year colleges and universities and helps adults get the additional training they need to start new careers.

               RCCC annually provides more than 2,000 course offerings, serving an overall enrollment of approximately 20,000 students. In addition, RCCC provides the education and job-training programs needed to meet many of the workforce demands of the North Carolina Research Campus being developed in Kannapolis. For complete details, see the RCCC website at www.rowancabarrus.edu.