Georgia Bio Receives Increase in State Funds for Teacher Training Initiative and Reveals Most Recent Impact Numbers

The program has reached 81,413 students and 519 teachers across Georgia.

Atlanta, GA (August 5, 2024) – Georgia Bio’s Biotech Teacher Training Initiative (BTTI), formerly known as the Rural Teacher Training Initiative (RTTI), secured a significant increase in state funding in Georgia’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget. Total state funding now sits at $500,000. This investment from the state will be matched by industry donations in both cash and equipment, bringing the value of this program to $1+ million. Prior to receiving this increase in funding, the program conducted its fifth year of career-relevant instruction via hands-on teacher learning, impacting nearly 30,000 students and 150 teachers. In its first five years, the program has reached 81,413 students and 519 teachers across Georgia. Going forward, in conjunction with the additional funding and gifts from industry, BTTI will be able expand its operations in the urban areas of the state, impacting even more teachers and students.


This programmatic increase will support several initiatives, including hosting an additional cohort of teachers annually in an urban area where the density of industry sits, such as Atlanta or Augusta, and expanding the Equipment Depot and access to lab equipment. Plans for increased access include opening one satellite science equipment loaning office in Northwest Georgia, developing a shipment option with matching private funding, and potential for another satellite location in South Georgia. Further, funds will be allocated toward collaborating with Southwest Georgia RESA to provide teacher training for new science teachers in areas struggling to fill teacher positions, offer training and career path information for guidance counselors on opportunities in the life sciences, explore curriculum enhancement to include medical devices, and network with existing teachers.  

 

“Georgia Bio is the only organization in the State that offers this type of hands-on training program, complemented with classroom supplies and access to career pathway understanding,” said Maria Thacker-Goethe, President and CEO of Georgia Bio. “Investing in improving access to resources for educators can open life changing careers for students and be a boon to Georgia’s economy, and this increase in funding signifies that the State agrees. As the industry continues its rapid growth across the state, our companies need to know there is a workforce pipeline being developed and we help innovatively address that need. I am excited for the future of BTTI and grateful for the support of the State and members of our industry as we endeavor to build upon this program’s value and success.”


“With the explosive growth in biotechnology has come the heightened need for a qualified workforce,” says BTTI Instructor Stan Harrison, also Biotech Pathway Teacher at the Athens Community Career Academy and State Coordinator for the Biotechnician-Assistant Credentialing Exam (BACE). “We hear it echoed again and again that companies are struggling to hire and retain qualified production staff and therefore unable to manufacture high demand and often life-saving products. Quality training starts with highly trained secondary teachers who understand industry recognized standards. Georgia Bio’s BTTI provides a host of professional learning workshops and along with the Equipment Depot, a structured means to network and access cutting edge materials for modern lab training.”


BTTI is a public/private workforce development partnership between the life sciences sector and the State of Georgia. Led by Program Director, Megan Heaphy, BTTI offers hands-on, immersive science teacher professional development for Georgia teachers state-wide. Curriculum is built to highlight and leverage the biotechnology that exists within traditional science courses, including biology and AP biology, chemistry and AP chemistry, physics, environmental biology, agriculture and horticulture, physical science, and life science.


About Georgia Bio 

Georgia Bio (GaBio) is the state’s most impactful life sciences membership organization, advocating for the sector and its diverse innovation pipeline. For over 30 years, GaBio has served its members by supporting companies of all sizes, from early-stage innovators and startups to established industry leaders in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical technology. GaBio also works closely with universities, academic and research institutions, the investment community, and other critical partners that promote this vibrant sector. GaBio works to shape public policy, improve access to breakthrough technologies, educate lawmakers, provide member programs, strengthens the workforce pipeline, and advance equity within our ecosystem by championing innovative solutions for some of the most pressing challenges of our times. For more information, visit www.gabio.org. 

 

MEDIA CONTACT: 

Melissa Carter 

404-920-2043 

mcarter@gabio.org 

Athens Bioscience Names New Leadership Team to Drive Commercial Growth

June 18, 2026
June 18, 2026 - Athens Bioscience, Inc., a US manufacturer of native human and animal proteins, today announced a change in leadership. Benjamin Newland, the company’s Executive Chairman, has become Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, effective today. John Mitchell, who has led the company as CEO for five years, will continue as special advisor. Karson Durie rejoins Athens as Chief Operating Officer, effective June 8, 2026. Dee Athwal, a biotechnology executive and antibody engineer, will join the board of directors on July 1, 2026. Newland becomes chief executive four decades after his father, Dr. Hillary Newland, co-founded the company that became Athens Bioscience in 1986 at the University of Georgia. Newland has served as Chairman and majority shareholder since March 2024 and is relocating from Spain to Athens, Georgia, to take the role. “For forty years Athens has made native proteins in-house, lot after lot — proteins that researchers and diagnostics labs build their own work on top of,” said Benjamin Newland, Chairman and CEO of Athens Bioscience. “What we want to do now is deepen relationships with our core customers and broaden our distribution.We also intend to develop our custom and contract manufacturing line of business. John was instrumental in building internal systems and processes and now we are ready to scale.” Mitchell led Athens for five years. As special advisor, he will support the transition and continue to advise on customer and commercial matters. “Athens made great proteins long before I showed up. What it needed was a tighter operation behind them – steadier planning, cleaner production, shipments you can count on,” said John Mitchell. “That’s built now. The next thing is getting Athens in front of more of the world and I look forward to supporting Benjamin as he moves forward with that.” Durie returns to Athens as Chief Operating Officer, having most recently served as Director of Product Development at Danimer Scientific. She previously served as Lab Director at Athens. She holds a PhD in polymer chemistry and an MBA in finance from the University of Georgia and is a Project Management Professional (PMP) and a registered patent agent. “I know this facility and the people in it,” said Karson Durie, Chief Operating Officer of Athens Bioscience. “Returning as COO is a chance to scale what already works — consistent lots, tight quality control, reliable supply — as demand grows across diagnostics and cell culture.” Athwal will join the board on July 1. He trained as a biophysicist and established the antibody engineering group at Celltech, where he is named as an inventor on foundational antibody-engineering patents. He has founded or co-founded five biotechnology companies and held C-level roles across the UK, US, Europe, Asia, and Latin America, including building Complement Therapeutics as CEO and leading the biologics strategy at Kelix Bio through its acquisition by Mubadala. His work in antibodies, immune proteins, and complement biology maps directly to Athens’s largest product lines. About Athens Bioscience  Athens Bioscience, Inc. (formerly Athens Research & Technology) manufactures native human and animal proteins for research, cell culture media, and in vitro diagnostics. Founded in 1985 at the University of Georgia, the company purifies more than 170 native proteins in-house at its ISO 9001:2015-certified facility in Athens, Georgia. Athens proteins have been cited in more than 2,500 peer-reviewed publications and reach customers across the US, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Athens does not resell or broker. It manufactures. Media Contact Christie DeMasi Athens Bioscience, Inc. christie@athensbioscience.com +1.706.546.0207

Showcase Your Startup at the 2026 Georgia Life Sciences Summit

June 17, 2026
As part of the Georgia Life Sciences Summit (August 25–26), applications are now open for the Startup Showcase , sponsored by Johnson & Johnson , highlighting early-stage innovation across MedTech and Therapeutics . The Showcase will feature some of Georgia’s most innovative life science startups, giving emerging companies the opportunity to present groundbreaking technologies, products, and solutions to a distinguished audience of industry leaders, investors, researchers, and partners. Selected startups will present during the August 26 luncheon program and participate in a live investor Q&A session with John Gutierrez (Ascenta Capital), Emma Heckenberg, Ph.D. (Solas BioVentures), Patrick Jordan (NovaQuest Capital Management), and Emily Dinu (Numinous Capital) Members of the Johnson & Johnson external innovation team will also be onsite for the program and select companies will be scheduled for a 1:1 meeting to discuss strategic alignment and potential collaboration opportunities. If you or companies in your network are building in MedTech or Therapeutics, this is a strong opportunity to gain visibility, receive feedback on commercialization and growth strategy, and connect with key stakeholders. All applicants receive a complimentary Summit registration, and one selected company will also be invited to participate in the NewYorkBIO / New York Stock Exchange Life Sciences Showcase on December 10. If this is relevant to your work, it would be a strong opportunity to consider applying. If not, it may be worth sharing with companies in your network who are building in this space.

Georgia Life Sciences Educator Connection | June Newsletter

June 15, 2026
Workforce & Education Impact: Building Georgia's Future  Life Sciences Workforce - One Teacher at a Time June 16, 2026 - As Georgia Life Sciences concludes the 2025-2026 cycle of the Biotech Teacher Training Initiative (BTTI), the results reinforce the critical role educators play in building the state's future life sciences workforce. Since July of 2025, BTTI engaged 98 educators representing 40 schools across 23 school systems, reaching an estimated 5,375 students through hands-on biotechnology instruction, career-connected learning, and industry-relevant classroom experiences. The Georgia Life Sciences Equipment Depot further expanded the program's impact by supporting 238 teachers with access to laboratory equipment and materials that make authentic life sciences learning possible. Georgia Life Sciences is also pleased to report that funding for BTTI was maintained in the Georgia House version of the FY 2027 budget approved earlier this year. The upcoming 2026-2027 program cycle will mark an important evolution for BTTI. Building on feedback from industry partners and workforce trends across the life sciences sector, Georgia Life Sciences will expand the program's scope to better reflect the skills and competencies employers increasingly need. In addition to foundational biotechnology concepts, future programming will be organized around key industry domains, including Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC), Research & Development (R&D), MedTech, Artificial Intelligence, Automation, and Advanced Manufacturing. This expanded approach will provide educators with greater insight into the breadth of career opportunities available across Georgia's life sciences ecosystem while helping students develop awareness of the technologies and disciplines shaping the industry's future. The impact extends far beyond individual workshops, creating lasting connections between Georgia classrooms and the state's growing life sciences ecosystem while helping build the talent pipeline that will power Georgia's future innovation economy. "Before BTTI, I was hesitant to do biotech labs because they seemed too complex and expensive," shared Josephine Jeganathan of Stockbridge High School. "The program showed me how simplified it can be and provided the equipment and materials needed to successfully implement the Central Dogma Lab with all my classes." Teachers are also seeing increased student engagement through hands-on learning experiences. Tonie Curry of North Clayton High School used a chromatography lab to connect environmental science concepts to water pollution and sustainability. "Students were highly interested in seeing how substances separated and made strong connections to water pollution and environmental sustainability," Curry noted. "The hands-on nature of the lab encouraged curiosity and deeper understanding." For many educators, one of the most valuable aspects of the program is the connection between classroom learning and real-world careers. As Marshai Waiters of Marietta Middle School reflected: "Exposure is key. There are so many avenues to work in STEM, and they are all accessible with opportunity and knowledge. The insights gained from industry speakers will inform my teaching and create new opportunities for student exposure." When teachers are trained, equipped, and connected to industry, students gain more than a science lesson—they gain a window into Georgia's life sciences future.
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