NORMAN, OKLA. – A new certificate program offered by the University of Oklahoma Gallogly College of Engineering is equipping students with advanced, hands-on bioprocessing laboratory experience. The certificate is designed to train students in biomanufacturing workflows and prepare them for future careers in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industries.
The program is open to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at the university. Undergraduate students complete 15 hours of coursework, and graduate students complete 12 hours.
The curriculum includes courses such as Biotechnology, Biochemical Engineering and Advanced Techniques in Biomanufacturing that lay the groundwork for the workflows required for Oklahoma’s growing biomedical and biotechnology industry. To further enhance their expertise, students enroll in elective courses like Intelligent Data Analytics to specialize their knowledge. They then apply this knowledge to the capstone course, where they conduct an experimental production run.
The Bioprocessing Core Facility is the cornerstone of the program, providing students with access to state-of-the-art biomanufacturing technology. Recently opened, the facility is designed to replicate the conditions found in industry settings, providing students with an authentic learning environment while giving them the tools they need to graduate with hands-on experience in biomanufacturing. This preparation equips students to meet the demands of the biomanufacturing and pharmaceutical fields upon entering the workforce.
“They learn how to work with this equipment, they develop the necessary skills and they gain an understanding of what is happening in an industrial setup. This makes them job-ready,” said Farid Talebnia Rowshan, facility director.
This semester, the program opened its very first training course with a limited number of students. The program is open for students to enroll for the spring 2025 semester. Learn more about the program at ou.edu/coe/scbme/academics/bioprocessing-certificate-program.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
Three University of Oklahoma graduate students have been named winners of the 2025 Three Minute Thesis competition, which challenges participants to explain their research in three minutes to a non-specialist audience.
Sarah Sharif, a researcher with the University of Oklahoma, has been awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to create innovative light detectors that pick up mid-wave and long-wave infrared signals at higher temperatures than previously considered achievable.
A team from OU and WVU recently earned a five-year, $3.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study how concept cigarillos influence the potential for addiction. The results will be used to inform the FDA’s impending flavor ban on cigar products and could have wider-reaching implications for other tobacco products that come in flavors, such as e-cigarettes and tobacco-free nicotine pouches.