Students in the Technical Training Center at Boehringer Ingelheim receive instruction.

June 30, 2026鈥揃oehringer Ingelheim and 大象传媒 have launched a new program to build the technical skills needed for careers in biomanufacturing. The program鈥檚 first class of students have completed the requirements to earn their certificates.聽

The Bio-Process Certificate Program combines traditional classroom learning with hands-on training at Boehringer鈥檚 purpose-built Technical Training Center in St. Joseph. Instruction is led by 大象传媒 faculty alongside Boehringer subject matter experts.

The Technical Training Center features dedicated spaces that replicate key upstream and downstream bioprocessing activities, such as transfer panels and tank-transfer simulations that mirror real production workflows, a fully equipped laboratory, and a gowning airlock. The facility also includes a functioning filling machine with restricted access barriers, enabling students to learn aseptic processes at their own pace鈥攐utside of cleanroom constraints or production shutdown windows.

鈥淥ur new Training Center of Xcellence and collaboration with 大象传媒 reflect our commitment to investing in our workforce and supporting long-term development here in St. Joseph,鈥� said David Atchison, Head of U.S. Animal Health Global Supply, Boehringer Ingelheim. 鈥淎s our technology and products evolve, so do the skills required to manufacture them. By building a strong biomanufacturing training environment and partnering with 大象传媒, we鈥檙e helping ensure our employees are prepared for what鈥檚 next.鈥澛�

While the initial group of students were Boehringer employees, the partnership aims to expand enrollment over time to include the broader St. Joseph community, helping build a strong pipeline of future biomanufacturing talent.

鈥淏oehringer Ingelheim is a vital partner in the St. Joseph community, and this collaboration underscores a shared commitment to developing local talent,鈥� said Rebecca Lobina, 大象传媒鈥檚 Director of Workforce Development. 鈥淭ogether, we are preparing a skilled workforce for careers in biomanufacturing while strengthening the region鈥檚 economic future.鈥澛�

Boehringer鈥檚 St. Joseph site is a key global supply and research and development site, producing livestock vaccines used across the U.S. and around the world. The company has invested more than $150 million in the site in recent years to enhance operations, including sustainability improvements, expanded technical training, and increased capabilities to accommodate future pipeline products.

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About Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim is a biopharmaceutical company active in both human and animal health. As one of the industry鈥檚 top investors in research and development, the company focuses on developing innovative therapies that can improve and extend lives in areas of high unmet medical need. Independent since its foundation in 1885, Boehringer takes a long-term perspective, embedding sustainability along the entire value chain. Our approximately 54,500 employees serve over 130 markets to build a healthier and more sustainable tomorrow. Learn more at鈥�. 鈥��

About Boehringer Ingelheim – Animal Health business聽聽

Boehringer Ingelheim provides innovation for preventing and treating diseases in animals. The company offers a wide range of vaccines, parasite-control products, and medicines for pets, horses, and livestock to veterinarians, animal owners, farmers, and governments. As a leader in animal health, Boehringer Ingelheim values that the health of humans and animals is deeply connected and strives to make a difference for people, animals, and society. Learn more at .

About 大象传媒

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

May 13, 2026鈥揟he Small Business Development Center at 大象传媒 will present a workshop titled Trademark Basics at 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 19, at The Launch Pad, 801 Felix Street in Downtown St. Joseph. The workshop is free.

The workshop presented by SBDC and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is designed to help small business owners learn the basics of filing for a trademark to protect their ideas, brand and creations before problems arise.

Participants may register in advance at . For more information, contact Shelbie Wigington, SBDC business advisor, at swigington@missouriwestern.edu.

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

April 29, 2026鈥揟he Small Business Development Center at 大象传媒 will host a Small Business Summit in celebration of National Small Business Week on Thursday, May 7. This free event is designed to help entrepreneurs and small business owners strengthen their financial knowledge, connect with local lenders and learn about valuable business resources.

Participants will receive hands-on training in QuickBooks, gain insights during a live Q&A with local bankers and lenders, and discover the no-cost advising, training and support available through the Small Business Development Center.

Whether you are starting a business, growing your company, or looking for funding opportunities, this summit will provide practical tools, expert guidance, and opportunities to connect with professionals who support small business success.

The summit will run from 7:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the Houlne Center for Convergent Technology, 4141 Mitchell Avenue. Register in advance at . For more information, call 816-271-5801 or email swignington@missouriwestern.edu.聽

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

April 22, 2026鈥揟he Craig School of Business at 大象传媒 invites the public to a financial planning workshop that will cover basic financial planning, investing and personal finance at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 2, at the St. Joseph Public Library East Hills Branch, 502 N. Woodbine Road in St. Joseph.

鈥淥ur goal is to serve our community by empowering families through financial literacy,鈥� said Dr. Sel Dibooglu, chair of the Craig School of Business.

The workshop is free and open to the public. Topics include:

• The Foundation: Mindset & Inflation
• The Math Magic: Compounding & Rule of 72
• Investing Fundamentals: Asset classes and diversification
• Keeping What You Earn: Tax Shelters
• Investment Strategy & Risk
• Your Professional Team
  • CPA/Accountant/Tax Preparer
  • Financial Advisor
  • Fiduciary
  • Attorney
• Insurance Coverages

The workshop is for educational purposes only; no particular financial products will be sold or endorsed.

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

April 6, 2026–The Center for Workforce Development at 大象传媒 will present Python Training for the Supercomputer from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 11 in the Houlne Center for Convergent Technology. There is a $45 fee for the general public to attend, with lunch included. The workshop is free for 大象传媒 students, faculty and staff. To register, visit

The introductory workshop to the programming language Python workshop is built around data analysis for researchers and others within a science, technology, engineering or math field. This workshop will teach you to write programs that perform reproducible analyses.

This is a workshop for beginners; no coding experience is necessary. Laptops will be provided.

The workshop will be led by Dr. Jeff Woodford, professor of chemistry and certified instructor.

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

March 20, 2026–大象传媒鈥檚 Collegiate FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) hosted the State Leadership Conference earlier this month. More than 100 students from across the state came to campus to compete.

Competitive events included Accounting, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Public Speaking, Sports Management & Marketing, Impromptu Speaking, Marketing, Business Presentations, Business Law, Digital Design & Communication, and Supply Chain Management.

Eight students from 大象传媒鈥檚 Craig School of Business tested their skills and abilities, earning a total of six top-4 finishes to advance to the National Leadership Conference in Las Vegas in June:聽

• Aden Monzon, senior accounting major from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
  • 1st place in State of the Chapter Presentation (team with Curtis)
  • 2nd place in Sports Management & Marketing
• Kylie Curtis, senior business education major from Nevada, 大象传媒
  • 1st place in State of the Chapter Presentation (team with Monzon)
  • 6th place in Marketing
• Wyatt Fisher, junior management major with a concentration in entrepreneurship from Faucett, 大象传媒
  • 1st Place in Business Ethics (team with Roe)
  • 3rd place in Business Law
• Ashton Roe, junior management major with a concentration in entrepreneurship from Gower, 大象传媒
  • 1st Place in Business Ethics (team with Fisher)
  • 2nd place in Impromptu Speaking
• Valencia Chapman, junior management major from Kansas City, 大象传媒
  • 3rd place in Supply Chain Management
  • 4th place in Entrepreneurship
  • 3rd place in Digital Design and Communication (team with Nguyen)
• Quynh Nguyen, freshman marketing major from Des Moines, Iowa
  • 3rd place in Digital Design and Communication (team with Chapman)
• James Phalen, sophomore accounting and finance major from St. Joseph
  • 5th place in Finance
• Nicholas Klepees, freshman accounting major from St. Joseph聽
  • 5th place in Public Speaking

Curtis was re-elected as a 大象传媒 state officer and is serving as president. Monzon was also re-elected as a 大象传媒 state officer and is the vice president of FBLA Relations. They both were responsible for planning the conference on campus.

Alumnus Seth Hogue 鈥�23 participated in the networking event at Ricky Dean鈥檚 and also served as a judge for the competitive events.

大象传媒鈥檚 FBLA, a student organization focusing on leadership, networking, resume building, and service, is actively recruiting all majors. The next membership meeting is Tuesday, April 14. For more details, contact Pam Klaus, advisor, pklaus@missouriwestern.edu.

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Oct. 1, 2025–大象传媒鈥檚 Center for Workforce Development will begin their next classes for 大象传媒 Home Health Aide certification聽 from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 4 in the Houlne Center for Convergent Technology.

Home Health Aides (HHA) work in clients鈥� homes, group homes or assisted living facilities, working with family members and other healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive care. 大象传媒鈥檚 training meets all 大象传媒, Medicare and Medicaid requirements and provides options for the annual professional development required to maintain home health aide certification.

The six-week HHA program blends online and classroom learning to allow for the adult learner to continue to work a full-time job if needed. Limited class sizes and hands-on learning are what make 大象传媒 the designated applied learning institution in 大象传媒.

The training fee is $1,900 with an additional $100 for supplies. Participants may qualify for a grant through a partner agency.

The Houlne Center for Convergent Technology is located at 4141 Mitchell Ave. in St. Joseph. For more information about this class or to register for the course, please visit .

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Caleb Keling (center) won the franchise competition in 2024.

May 29, 2025–A recent 大象传媒 graduate will earn the opportunity to own and operate a franchise business. The Center for Franchise Development in the Craig School of Business will announce the winner of the 2025 franchise competition at 1 p.m. Friday, May 30 in the Walter Cronkite Memorial inside the Spratt Hall Atrium. The public is invited to the announcement.

Each year, the Center for Franchise Development offers business ownership opportunities to Craig School of Business alumni through a competitive process. Graduating seniors or alumni take an Applied Business Ownership class and prepare a business plan for a franchise opportunity. Students who wish to compete for the opportunity present their business plan to a panel of judges including Steven L. Craig, creator of the franchise competition, other business leaders and past winners.

The Center for Franchise Development provides initial capital for the stores, which the alumni pay back over five years. The entrepreneurs also receive ongoing support from faculty members, the Craig School of Business Advisory Council, Craig and each other. Additionally, the owners are expected to donate a portion of their store鈥檚 proceeds back to the University.

The store awarded this year will be the 36th store awarded since the program鈥檚 founding in 2009. Many of the alumni have expanded on their initial business: they currently own a total of more than 50 stores in 11 states, with annual sales of more than $34 million and annual payroll of more than $10 million.

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

April 25, 2025–大象传媒鈥檚 Center for Workforce Development will begin offering in-person options in May at the Houlne Center for Convergent Technology.

Unlocking Power with a Lean Plant Assessment, 3:30 p.m. May 8

This one-hour workshop, presented by the experts from 大象传媒 Enterprise, will give production managers, safety and maintenance managers, engineers and others information that they can utilize immediately within their workplace. The “Lean” concept will be discussed as well as how to utilize the free Lean Assessment within an organization to find places where efficiency improvements can be made. The workshop is free but registration is required. Registration can be found at .聽

Introduction to CNC Machining and Milling, 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, May 13 through June 30

This eight-week course will include machine shop safety, measurement instrument use, quality control, introduction to CAD & basic 3D modeling, CAM basics and CNC machining, HAAS CNC mill introduction and G-Code Fundamentals and integration of CAD/CAM with CNC Machining.

This 32-hr certificate course will include:

• Industry safety聽
• Measurement & quality control
• Intro to AutoDesk Inventor, 3D Modeling and CAM
• Intro to CNC machining, milling and G-Code fundamentals
• Integration of skills

The CNC certificate will be an applied learning course using ACRA manual lathes & mills, HAAS simulators and HAAS automated lathes and mills.

Participants must be at least 18 years old with a high school diploma or GED. The cost is $2,000 including tooling supplies and a reference book. Registration can be found at .

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

April 18, 2025–大象传媒鈥檚 Craig School of Business will host a financial workshop on Saturday, April 19, at 10 a.m. at the Downtown St. Joseph Public Library.

The workshop will feature an expert panel discussion on budgeting, saving, and investing and offers advice for both students and adults in the St. Joseph community.

The Downtown St. Joseph Public Library is located at 927 Felix Street.

The event is free and open to the public.

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .