By Lucas Strand //
Hood College has received a $2.5 million federal grant for its new Bioscience Research and Education Center (BREC).
The college thanked federal leaders in early March for their support in securing funding for the facility that will expand opportunities for both students and faculty.
“The event held on Monday, March 2, recognized and extended Hood College’s gratitude to Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Representative April Delaney, Maryland’s federal representatives, for their support in securing $2.5 million to complete the build-out of the Hodson Annex—the future home of the Bioscience Research and Education Center,” Rana Khan, the inaugural director of the center, said.
In addition to the federal grant, the project has received state funding and support from private donations.
“The annex will take two to three years to be completed,” Khan said.
Until then, BREC will operate from a temporary location in Hodson.
“Until the annex is ready, BREC will be housed in the old nursing wing on the third floor of the Hodson building,” Khan said.
The focus of the new center will be on emerging areas of biotechnology.
“To start with, we will have equipment to run cell therapy and biomanufacturing-related experiments,” Khan said.
Not only will the center support members of the Hood community, but it will also support local industry-related companies located in the Frederick area.
“The new facility will allow the school to increase the number of highly trained biotech workers in the area,” President Debbie Ricker said at the ceremony, where she accepted a symbolic check.
Ricker said the new facility will fit well into Hood’s mission and culture.
“We are a teaching campus, and we are educators all,” Ricker said.
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