The council, an international group of nonprofit institutional, research and development organizations, works for the advancement of biotechnology in areas of economic development, research, education and training, technology transfer and societal issues. The council is affiliated with the Biotechnology Industry Organization, which represents more than 850 biotechnology companies, academic institutions and state biotechnology centers in 47 states and 26 nations. Members are involved in research and development of health care, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. Wight will serve a two-year term on the board of directors.
Biotechnology is an exciting field and has tremendous potential to impact human health.
I wanted to get more involved in biotechnology policy on a national and international level. Membership on the CBC board of directors gives me a voice in an established organization, and it also gives Ohio University and the state of Ohio a voice. Established at Ohio University in 1984, the Edison Biotechnology Institute is a biomedical and genetics research institute. EBI is affiliated with the state of Ohio's Thomas Edison Program, which partners industry with academia and government to strengthen industrial competitiveness through technological innovation. Wight received his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1975 and his master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Michigan in 1982 and 1985.