I have been thinking about regional technology development.

What has given me a feast for thought has been the regional economic initiatives represented by the visit of Google CEO Eric Schmidt to Blacksburg, Virginia, Radford University's Entrepreneurial Summit, comments on regionalism by Stuart Mease and Dan Smith, and the upcoming VT KnowledgeWorks Technology Showcase.

And then this:

The director of a Virginia association of biotech companies has started to follow Handshake 2.0 on Twitter.

I feel part of a regio-techno-econo-connecto extravaganza.

The new Laboratory Technology Program at New River Valley Community College plays a part in the show.

I had the privilege of visiting a  session of Biotechnology Applications, the first course in a series leading to certification in the Laboratory Technician Program offered through New River Community College’s Center for Workforce Development at its New River Valley Mall location in Christiansburg, Virginia. 

A member of the adjunct faculty at New River Community College (NRCC), instructor Richard J. Obiso, Jr., Ph.D., is President of The Microbe Company, a biotech consulting firm, President of Eclipse Winery, LLC, a start-up winery in Christiansburg, Virginia, and a Principal Scientist for an international research institute.

Richard Obiso teaches for the Lab Tech Program
at New River Community College
Photograph by Rebecca Stotler

Why I was impressed:

• New River Community College's teaching and learning equipment for both students and faculty was state-of-the-art.

• The instructor, Richard Obiso, brought subject area expertise and business savvy to his classroom.  Part of the students’ coursework is to contact companies in the local biotech industry to learn about their research.

• I expected to observe a lesson on “How to Hold a Test Tube.”  The students were engaged in an online group project cutting DNA sequences.

I felt proud of the attentive students, the earnest instructor, and the boldness of NRCC to start such a cutting edge--literally--and forward-looking program.

I felt inspired by my community for not only envisioning regional technology development, but for taking action now to make it happen.

And I’ll feel excited when I send out a tweet about our regio-techno-econo-connecto extravaganza.  A director of an association of biotech companies following Handshake 2.0 on Twitter and seeking qualified lab techs will get good news.