Science Masters Program in Biomanufacturing

List of Support Letters

INTERNAL LETTERS

1. The University of North Carolina – General Administration

2. North Carolina State University – Provost and Graduate School

3. North Carolina State University – Golden Leaf Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center

4. North Carolina State University – College of Management

5. North Carolina State University – Department of Microbiology

EXTERNAL LETTERS

6. Biotech Manufacturers Forum of North Carolina Biosciences Organization

7. North Carolina Biotechnology Center

8. Pfizer Inc.

9. Merck & Co., Inc.

Prof. Michael Flickinger Associate Director, Academic Programs Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC) NC State University 850 Oval Drive, Suite 195 Raleigh, NC 27606 Dear Prof. Flickinger: I am extremely pleased to provide this letter of support for your NSF Proposal entitled Science Masters Program in Biomanufacturing. NC State is an optimal location for such a degree because the presence of the Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC) at the university’s Centennial Campus. BTEC is indeed a unique educational and training facility in the world. It exposes students to an industry-vetted curriculum using state-of-the-art process equipment and analytical technologies that provide students with hands-on experiences in cGMP manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals in a regulatory environment. The fact that the BTEC program is multidisciplinary means that the impact of your proposed SMP in Biomanufacturing will be felt across a wide range of departments, from engineering, to the life sciences, to business management. The BTEC Advisory Board, with its large number of corporate participants, will help provide internship, case study and job opportunities to students in your program. In addition, NC State leads the University of North Carolina’s campus-wide Professional Science Master’s Initiative and is a pioneer in developing and managing successful professional science master’s programs. The Provost at NC State has committed internal funds to sustain the further development of such programs in areas of high importance for North Carolina's employers. The proposed degree program in Biomanufacturing is firmly in line with the UNC General Administration’s “UNC Tomorrow” strategic plan, as it promises to meet the skilled personnel needs of the Biomanufacturing industry and will surely have a positive impact on North Carolina’s economy. In summary, this degree is a very high priority for the University of North Carolina, and I wholeheartedly support it. The UNC General Administration will take the necessary steps to seek Board approval of this new graduate degree program in a timely fashion so that you will be able to meet your goals for graduating two cohorts of students from the proposed Science Masters Program in Biomanufacturing during the three-year duration of your grant. The support you are requesting from NSF is essential to help us create this new degree, which we see as an excellent model for the type of innovative new programs that we are encouraging within the University of North Carolina system. Yours sincerely

Dr. Alan Mabe

The University of North Carolina GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

POST OFFICE BOX 2688, CHAPEL HILL, NC 27515-2688

ALAN R. MABE, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Telephone: (919) 962-4614 • Fax: (919) 962-0120 • E-mail: mabe@northcarolina.edu

North Carolina State University is a land-grant

university and a constituent institution of the

University of North Carolina

Department of Microbiology

Campus Box 7615

Raleigh, NC 27695-7615

919.513.2060 (phone)

919.515.7867 (fax)

November 10, 2009

Dr. Myles Boylan, Program Director

Science Master's Program

National Science Foundation

4201 Wilson Boulevard,

Arlington, VA 22230

Dear Dr. Boylan:

As the Director of NC State University’s Professional Science Master’s in Microbial Biotechnology

(MMB) Program, I am pleased to partner with Dr. Michael Flickinger and his team to implement the

proposed Science Master’s Program in Biomanufacturing (SMPB) at NC State University. After 23

years in the biotechnology industry, I recognize the need in industry for employees with both a strong

technical aptitude and an understanding of business issues and professional skills. I am excited that NC

State University is expanding its offering of Science Master’s Programs to include Biomanufacturing.

The MMB program, launched in 2003 and hosted by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and

its Department of Microbiology, is a two-year program that provides students with training in cell and

molecular technology and a working knowledge of the business components of the biotechnology

industry. The MMB curriculum includes academic courses in science and business along with

professional training with local biotechnology companies through Case Study Projects and Internships.

Since the launch of the MMB program, over 90% of the graduates of the program that have entered the

workforce are currently employed.

To promote a synergistic relationship between the proposed SMPB program, leverage the experience of

the existing MMB program, and aid in the establishment of the SMPB program, we will allow SMPB

students to enroll in the MB590 Industry Case Studies course for the first year of the SMPB program as

described in the proposal. In addition, I will assist in training the instructor of the SMPB Case Studies

course and coordinate the identification and recruitment of industry partners for the SMPB Case Studies

course with the SMPB Project manager.

I look forward to offering my services for the success of this program.

Sincerely yours,

Paul T. Hamilton, Ph.D.

Director, Master’s of Microbial Biotechnology Program