Jim DeKloe, Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, serves as the director and founder of the Industrial Biotechnology program at Solano College in the North San Francisco Bay. In the past, he served as the regional director of the Southwest Region of Bio-Link, the nationwide consortium of community and technical colleges that teach biotech. On sabbatical he worked in the manufacturing department of biotech pioneer Genentech Inc. He also served as a consultant to help biotech giant Amgen redesign the training programs for their biomanufacturing technicians and for their quality assurance associates. He currently serves on the advisory committees of multiple college and high school biotechnology programs. In 2000, the Association of Community College Trustees chose Jim as the Distinguished Faculty Member of the Pacific Region which includes the Western United States and Canada, Hawaii Alaska and Guam. In 2011 Solano College faculty chose Jim as the Distinguished Faculty Member of the Year. In 2015, he became a finalist for the Award of Excellence for Faculty Innovation by the American Association of Community Colleges. In 2023 the Manufacturing USA center BioMADE chose Jim as their "Modern Maker." Also, in 2023 the National Association of Biology Teachers chose him as the Ron Mardigian National Biotechnology Teacher of the Year. He currently serves as co-chair of the workforce committee of the National Institute for Innovation in the Manufacture of Biopharmaceuticals.