Center for Biotechnology named finalist for 2025 Texas Higher Education STAR Award
PASADENA, TEXAS — San Jacinto College’s Biomanufacturing Training Program has been named a finalist for the 2025 Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) Star Award. This recognition honors the College’s exemplary contributions to Building a Talent Strong Texas and reflects the theme of this year’s awards — “From Classroom to Career: A Future-Ready Texas.”
Finalists will be recognized during the upcoming Higher EDge: Texas Higher Education Leadership Conference on Dec. 9, at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center in Austin.
San Jacinto College created Texas’s first community college associate of applied science degree in biomanufacturing training, designed to anchor the state’s life sciences workforce pipeline and prepare students for high-demand careers. Backed by $10 million in state funding and developed in partnership with the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, the program offers stackable credentials, dual-credit pathways, and customizable corporate training — all housed within the College’s new Center for Biotechnology.
“This recognition as a STAR Award finalist affirms our commitment to creating high-impact, industry-driven training pathways in the life sciences,” said Dr. Christopher Wild, associate vice chancellor of biotechnology. “Through our Center for Biotechnology, our students are moving seamlessly from classroom to career, ensuring that Texas employers have the skilled workforce they need right here and right now.”
Industry partners including CTMC, Cellipont, Cytiva, Emerson, FUJIFILM Biotechnologies, Immatics, Lonza, Matica, Neurogene, Packgene, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Sartorius, and Solugen have played a pivotal role in shaping curriculum, donating over $3.5 million in supplies and equipment, and creating internship-to-hire pipelines. Since its 2024 launch, students have secured jobs before graduation, more than 1,000 hours of incumbent-worker training have been delivered, and the program has attracted major federal and state investments — positioning Texas as a national leader in therapeutics and industrial biomanufacturing.
“Being named a finalist for the STAR Award reflects how our faculty, industry partners, and community are working together to build a future-ready Texas,” said Dr. Brenda Hellyer, Chancellor, San Jacinto College. “The innovation and collaboration behind this program demonstrate what can be achieved when we unite to create a brighter future for East Harris County and the state of Texas.”
With the Center for Biotechnology serving as both an academic and corporate training hub, San Jacinto College continues to expand its reach—connecting students and employers through innovative curriculum and hands-on experience. The College’s forward-looking mindset even extends beyond Earth. In partnership with aerospace leader Intuitive Machines, San Jac is developing a pioneering program to train technicians in the recovery and handling of biopharmaceuticals manufactured in microgravity and returned to Earth.
This emerging specialty merges bioprocessing expertise with the precision and safety protocols of space operations, positioning Houston as the nation’s only region equipped to train this next-generation workforce. The College’s biotechnology model continues to capture the attention of workforce leaders across Texas and the nation for its potential to keep the state at the forefront of life sciences innovation.
About San Jacinto College
Surrounded by monuments of history, evolving industries, maritime enterprises of today,
and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has served the people of East Harris
County, Texas, since 1961. The College is ranked second in the nation among more than
1,100 community colleges, as designated by the Aspen Institute and was named an Achieving
the Dream Leader College of Distinction in 2020. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution
that spans five campuses, plus an online college, San Jacinto College serves approximately
45,000 credit and non-credit students annually. It offers more than 200 degrees and
certificates across eight major areas of study that put students on a path to transfer
to four-year institutions or enter the workforce. The College is fiscally sound, holding
bond ratings of AA+ by Standard & Poor’s and Aa2 by Moody’s. San Jacinto College is
accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
