IUP Offering New Certificate in Biosafety, First Non-Agricultural Institution to Offer Program

IUP has worked with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to create a new biosafety/biorisk management certificate program. The USDA awarded IUP a $460,000 grant to set up the program. This certificate prepares students to work in the field of biosafety or biorisk management.

According to the U.S. Department of Health, “‘Biorisk management’ is the effective management of risks posed by working with infectious agents and toxins in laboratories; it includes a range of practices and procedures to ensure the biosecurity, ​biosafety, and biocontainment of those infectious agents and toxins.”

This 15-17 credit certificate is available to undergraduate and graduate students majoring in safety sciences, biology, biochemistry, chemistry, nutrition, nursing or criminology. The certificate requires three safety science classes and two biology classes.

Biorisk management professionals are not usually trained academically. This is due to the lack of programs in the field. IUP hopes to change this with the new grant, creating resources for students hoping to pursue a career in biorisk management.

The certificate is also available to non-traditional students, who may enroll in the online version of the program. These students may complete the program in a year to supplement their education.

IUP is the first non-agricultural institution to receive approval by the USDA to offer this certificate. Additionally, student who enroll in the program will be eligible for an internship in the field.

“Students who declare to receive this certificate early on in their studies are eligible in their junior or senior year to apply for an internship. This internship will pay for housing, research, and travel up to a maximum of $6,000. These students are generally allowed to work with premium laborites that USDA gave for this program, such as at Kansas State, Penn State and Tennessee State,” stated Dr. Narayanaswamy Bharathan, chair of the biology department.

Source: thepenn.org

Photo Credit: pexels-adam-sondel