Workforce development is an issue. You cannot grow a biomedical industry without highly skilled workers. Either we have to recruit them or we have to grow them from within the community through enhanced education programs.
Dr. John Gnuschke
Director, University of Memphis Bureau of Business and Economic Research

Bioeducation Reform

Elevating Academic Experiences.

Building a talent-powered economy for the bioscience industry starts in our secondary schools, where more emphasis on science and technology is needed. The Memphis Bioworks® Foundation has worked with academic leaders to make course requirements more demanding and more in line with the expectations of potential bioscience jobs.

Our most significant accomplishment to date is the founding of the Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering (MASE). Established in 2003 as the first State of Tennessee charter school, MASE has open enrollment and no tuition.

At MASE, the selection of science, engineering mathematics, and technology courses are broader and deeper than in any other school in the region. The curriculum is unique compared to other schools in Memphis and also other science and math schools across the nation. MASE is a model for public education and helps position Memphis as a more attractive city with which to do business.

MASE has higher than average TCAP scores despite the fact that these students came from poorly performing institutions. Students entering MASE in the 6th grade had 42 percent proficiency on the standardized TCAP test and by 8th grade averaged 94 percent proficiency. Compared to Memphis City Schools, 6th graders average 60-65 percent proficiency and little if any change in the 8th grade, MASE students are excelling. The focus MASE has on providing students with exceptional math and science skills helps prepare them for a future career in a variety of different disciplines. Each of the 68 seniors in the first graduating class, the class of 2009, is in a position to continue on to further education in the form of universities, community colleges or apprenticeships.

Meanwhile, at the college level, our universities and colleges are successfully launching programs uniquely focused on the talent and education demands required for our core bioscience needs in research, logistics and the engineering of musculoskeletal device medicine.