North Carolina Central University (NCCU) recently celebrated a milestone. Lezly Collins, the first student of the Clinical Research Science Program, graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree on December 9, 2023. The program, initiated in 2017 by Chancellor Johnson O. Akinleye, Ph.D., focuses on training students to manage and monitor clinical trials.
Durham Technical Community College and Duke University Clinical Research Institute helped develop the program. They also provide internship opportunities for most students. The North Carolina Biotech Center Clinical Research Association contributed by identifying the skills businesses seek in graduates, such as communication skills and extended internships.
Collins, from Fayetteville, started taking courses at Durham Tech while in high school. She was inspired to pursue clinical research by three family members working in the industry. Despite the challenges of a new program, she found her experience, especially her Duke University Hospital internship, rewarding.