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People

The Ben Franklin Technology PArtners of Central and Northern Pennsylvania promoted Stephen Brawley to serve as president and CEO.

People

Alan Brown was named executive director of the Pennsylvania NanoMaterials Commercialization Center, a newly formed economic development initiative.

Pennsylvania Gov: $500M for Bioscience Research Initiative

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell is set to release his fiscal year 2006-07 budget request later this week, which is expected to significantly redesign the state's investment in biotechnology and life science research, according to materials released by the governor's office.

Since passage of Act 77 in 2001, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PDEH) has used 19 percent of the state's tobacco settlement funds to fund biomedical-related research projects through the Commonwealth Universal Research Enhancement (CURE) program. The program provides formula and competitive grants to universities to support research priorities set by PDEH.

Pennsylvania to Hold Summit to Create Commonwealth's Future

The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, in concert with the Pennsylvania State University, are presenting the inaugural Creating Pennsylvania’s Future: A Higher Education, Economic and Community Development Summit, aimed at energizing institutions of higher education, business leaders, economic development organizations, investors, workforce development agencies, government officials, and community leaders to work collaboratively to create a future for Pennsylvania that leverages the Commonwealth’s college and university assets.

The summit will take place at the Penn Stater Conference Center in University Park on Dec. 5 and 6, 2005.

People

Dennis "Mickey" Flynn is the new president of Pennsylvania BIO.

People

Jack Pfunder is the new executive director of the Manufacturers Resource Center in Bethlehem, Pa.

People

Rebecca Bagley is the new Deputy Secretary for Technology Investment in the PA Dept. of Community and Economic Development.

People

After nine years as deputy director of the National Science Foundation, Dr. Joseph Bordogna is resigning. He will return to the University of Pennsylvania as Alfred Fitler Moore Professor of Engineering.

People

Richard Overmoyer, deputy secretary for technology investment at the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, is leaving to join the lobbying group, GSP Consulting.

People

Chris Capelli, currently director of the technology transfer office at University of Pittsburgh, is leaving to become vice president for technology transfer at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

People

Richard Lunak is the new CEO of Innovation Works and Ron Bianchini has been named chairman of the organization.

Pennyslvania Outlines Role and Function of Its TBED Portfolio

Is Pennsylvania getting enough bang -- or the right bang -- from its investments in promoting a tech-based economy? The state has been one of the nation's leading public investors in technology-based economic development (TBED) for more than 20 years. Programs have evolved and been added over the years as factors affecting innovation and private sector growth changed. The result is now Pennsylvania's researchers and entrepreneurs have a complex portfolio of public-private resources available to them.

Understanding the function served by the various TBED policies, programs and TBED initiatives toward transforming the state's economy is a goal of a new report from the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED).