Breadcrumb Navigation:
Home > About NC State > Chancellor > Speeches and Writings > 2007 > National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility Selection MeetingNational Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility Selection Meeting
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
South Granville High School
Good evening. I am Jim Oblinger, Chancellor of North Carolina State University.
I am pleased to share with you what NC State University has to offer the Department of Homeland Security if it locates the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Butner.
NC State is a proud partner in this consortium. NC State has a tradition of excellence and achievement in research because of our two richest resources: our people and our innovative partnerships. And as a by-product of our cooperative extension service, we have personnel in all 100 counties of North Carolina, as well as the Cherokee reservation.
We truly have statewide impact of our programs -- touching nearly every person in this state.
The close proximity of NC State to the proposed North Carolina NBAF site allows NC State to offer NBAF at least four things:
First, outstanding education and training for the scientific workforce that will be needed by NBAF and the cluster of private sector infectious disease and vaccine companies in this region.
Second, research partnerships and collaborations with NC State faculty who are on the cutting edge of research in agriculture, the life sciences and veterinary science -- the very areas that NBAF will be focused on.
Third, there will be opportunities for NBAF scientists to have adjunct faculty appointments at NC State University and to be integrated into developing research and the next generation of scientists in these fields.
And fourth we offer collaborations with a university that has a proven track record of developing lasting partnerships with federal and state government agencies as well as private companies to do research and development that will benefit our entire nation.
While each of these is important, I want to specifically address NC State's proven ability to develop a world-class scientific workforce in the fields that NBAF will be recruiting.
As an example, tomorrow morning, we will join our partners in the Community College System and North Carolina Central University in dedicating the Golden LEAF Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC) on NC State's Centennial Campus. This world-class facility is the first of its kind in the nation and is designed to train and prepare North Carolinians for careers in the biomanufacturing industry. In addition to training students, we are partnering with FDA to train their inspectors, who monitor bioprocessing facilities.
Training opportunities for the NBAF program could be custom-designed according to your needs and specifications.
We also are leaders in developing a scientific workforce through NC State's Centennial Campus, an international model for establishing and building partnerships and collaboration. This unique part of NC State houses 72 integrated corporate and government research partners and 28 incubator companies.
The State of North Carolina provides a unique combination of intellectual and research capacity, leadership in plant and animal agricultural enterprises, as well as premier science and technology parks.
Research. Teaching. Collaboration.
This is what we do at NC State. It is what we have always done, and it is what we offer to our citizens the federal government and the American people.
On behalf of North Carolina State University, I urge you to give the highest consideration to locating NBAF in North Carolina.