For the seventh consecutive year, Durham Technical Community College has partnered with Sister Cities of Durham to host students from the Sister City of Toyama, Japan – nearly 200 miles northwest of Tokyo – for an English immersion program, which is housed at the Durham Tech Small Business and Corporate Education Center.
Since moving to Durham at 14, Gracie Johnson-Lopez has witnessed Durham’s growth and progression.
"I experienced the segregated Durham, the manufacturing-to-industrialized Durham and the relentless Durham which refuses to settle,” she said. “I love the ways in which Durham continues to evolve and its rich history and diverse culture.”
Durham also was home to the educational institutions that put Johnson-Lopez on the path to becoming founder and president of Diversity & HR Solutions.
Policies and Procedures Manual: Durham Technical Community College welcomes individuals who wish to enroll in courses for self-enrichment and without the opportunity to receive a grade, academic/transfer credit, continuing education units, or certificate of completion.
Bryan Jose Rodriguez-Sanchez, a Durham Technical Community College graduate, began to think about his passion and what he wanted his adult life to be when he heard about the College’s dual-enrollment program that gives high school students the opportunity to also take classes at the College. “I wanted to challenge myself,” Bryan said. “[Dual-enrollment] was the perfect opportunity for me to challenge myself.”
Behind every new clinical trial is a team of individuals trained to interview, collect data, enter data, monitor programs, and ensure everything adheres to government mandates and industry standards.
In the mid-1990's, the City of Medicine was in dire need of clinical trials professionals due to the boom in clinical research from institutions like GlaxoSmithKline, Duke Medical Center, and UNC Hospitals.
Demand for jobs skyrocketed and Durham Tech was ready to respond.
Lee Ferrell, a board member with the local chapter of the Society of Clinical Research Associates, said there were thousands of trials going on in the area and the need for comprehensive training was great. At the time, the Society was providing continuing education programs through Duke University Medical Center but could not keep up with demand.
Ferrell approached Durham Tech in 1996 with the idea of starting a two-year degree program for clinical trials, and in 1998, the program was approved.
This July, recent Durham Tech graduate Liliana “Lili” Bolanos Arbaca participated in the University of North Carolina EDGE Genomic symposium. EDGE, or Educational Pathways to Increase Diversity in Genomics, is a two-year summer program providing training in research skills, career opportunities and mentoring to undergraduate students, specifically first-year students and sophomore from underrepresented and disadvantaged, who are interested in genomics careers.
The Orange County Campus (OCC) at Durham Tech offers accessible education & training, providing a pathway to career advancement & lifelong learning.
The Leadership Academy equips Durham Tech leaders for the ever-changing world of higher education.
William Peace University and Durham Technical Community College have entered a partnership to further the missions of both institutions.
The agreement will provide educational advancement opportunities for graduates of Durham Tech. WPU and Durham Tech also will collaborate on program innovations and needs and seek opportunities to advance the partnership.
Durham Technical Community College will be the first in North Carolina to participate in a project based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to better prepare early childhood education professionals across the state.