WINTERVILLE�Four Pitt Community College students were among 25 community college students from across the state selected to receive scholarships from Biogen Idec. As a result of their selection, PCC�s Celeste Gorham, Aaron Harris, Tracy Newton and Joshua Nichols will each receive $1,000 from the biotechnology company to help pay for tuition, fees and other educational expenses during their second year of college. Biogen Idec, which operates a manufacturing plant in Research Triangle Park, established the scholarships with a $25,000-donation to the N.C. Community College System. The scholarships are both need and merit-based and were created to assist students seeking associate degrees that will lead to employment in the biopharmaceutical industry or pursuit of a related four-year degree. To be considered for the Biogen Idec scholarships, students had to have completed the first year of a biotechnology-related curriculum at one of the state�s community colleges with a 3.0 grade point average or better. PCC�s scholarship recipients are pursuing two-year Biotechnology degrees or completing the cleanroom component of the school�s Industrial Systems Technology program. All 25 scholarship recipients have been encouraged to apply for internships with Biogen Idec during the latter part of their degree studies. Founded in 1978, Biogen Idec is a global leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing and commercialization of innovative therapies to address unmet medical needs. |