Historical Perspectives and Student Outcomes
Recent national discussions on graduate education have highlighted the importance of experiential learning, internships and job shadows to ensure that PhD students have a realistic view of their career prospects, as the majority will not replicate the career paths of their academic advisors. The Biotechnology Program has been well ahead of the curve on recognizing the need for new training models to prepare PhD’s for a variety of professional careers, formally establishing the Designated Emphasis in Biotechnology (DEB) at UC Davis in 1997.
From a small cadre of ten students, DEB enrollment grew to over 230 students in the mid-2010's and has reached a steady-state of ~180-200 participating students. DEB alumni, faculty and industry partners have been vocal in their support and recognition of the program's value over the years. The average time to degree for DEB students, inclusive of the internship, additional coursework and professional development activities, is ~5.5 years (average for a STEM PhD). DEB degree holders are successful in pursuing a wide range of STEM career paths. Currently, there are over 400 DEB alumni; ~60% are working in the private sector (industry, research institutes, other business), while ~40% are working in the public sector (academia, K-14 education, government).
For institutions interested in replicating the DEB model, we have published an open access case study describing the organizational structure and key characteristics of the program.
Leadership History
The Biotechnology Program's history goes back to 1986 where it was established by founding Director, Dean Charlie Hess (College of Ag & Environmental Sciences). In 1989, Dr. Martina Newell-McGloughlin was hired as the Associate Director and the first NIH BTP (Biotechnology Training Program) was funded. Dr. Newell-McGloughlin took over the leadership of the Biotechnology Program after Prof. Roy Doi (1990-1997 directorship) stepped down, and that same year, the Designated Emphasis in Biotechnology Program (DEB) was approved by Graduate Council as the formal training program for the NIH BTP.
Throughout her career, Dr. Newell-McGloughlin has served as a champion for biotechnology, especially in the field of agriculture, and has participated in numerous high profile workshops, governmental hearings and mainstream media activities to educate non-specialist audiences on the relative risks and benefits of new technologies. She is recognized as an international expert in biotechnology and has continued to promote the use of emerging life science and engineering technologies to tackle global challenges through collaborative, interdisciplinary research, coupled with the implementation of innovative university training programs. Currently, Dr. Newell-McGloughlin manages the Research Division of the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge.
Dr. Judy Kjelstrom served the Biotechnology Program as Associate Director (1999-2002), Acting Director (2002-2004) and Director (2004-2018) for nearly twenty years, growing the DEB Program from 10 PhD students to over 230, and co-founding the BioTech SYSTEM K-14 STEM education consortium. She was instrumental in expanding industry partnerships to support DEB internships and the NIH BTP training goals, emphasizing the importance of entrepreneurship and leadership skills for DEB students.
Dr. Kjelstrom also brought a strong focus on STEM diversity and inclusion to the Biotechnology Program, helping a cadre of interested doctoral students launch Equity in STEM and Entrepreneurship (ESTEME), which has evolved into an independent student organization on campus. Following her retirement in June 2018, she has stayed actively engaged in regional biotechnology education, chairing the Education Committee for Sacramento’s Powerhouse Science Center and leading courses in biotech entrepreneurship for the UC Davis Graduate School of Management.
Dr. Denneal Jamison-McClung has served as Assistant Director (2006-2008), Associate Director (2008-2018), Interim Director (2018-2019) and Director (2019-present) for the Biotechnology Program, playing a key role in coordination of courses, outreach efforts, and administration of plant biotech-related training programs, including the graduate level NSF CREATE-IGERT (2007-2014; PI Prof. Karen McDonald) and the undergraduate NSF CREATE-REU (2009-2012; PI Prof. Jean VanderGheynst). She has a long history with the Biotechnology Program and was one of the first ten DEB students (1997-2003), graduating with a PhD in Genetics and Designated Emphasis in Biotechnology in 2003.
Before officially joining the program as an administrator in 2006, Dr. Jamison-McClung served as the lead bioinformatics workshop instructor for two NSF ATE "train-the trainer" programs in partnership with American River College (2004-2006 - training focus on US community college faculty; 2007-2010 - training focus on regional high school instructors) and was an adjunct professor at Sacramento State University (2002-2006 - biology, genetics, molecular biology, and bioinformatics lecture and laboratory courses). At UC Davis, she has instructed undergraduate and graduate courses in plant physiology and biotechnology, and continues to guest lecture and lead workshops on these topics, as well as STEM diversity, science communication, science policy, and R programming for data analysis.