SSTI Digest

Armed with professional advice from mentors in scientific fields and free access to sophisticated design and engineering software, teachers and students from Hawaii, Kansas, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Vermont and Virginia will participate in a national competition to solve a real-world engineering challenge defined by the aviation industry.   The idea behind the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Real World Design Challenge is to create a pipeline of highly qualified workers by preparing high school students for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields based on issues facing high-tech and defense industries.   Ralph Coppola, director of Worldwide Education for Parametric Technology Corporation, said many aerospace and defense companies that work as contractors to national security agencies are concerned the U.S. is not producing enough qualified workers who must be able to work on both the defense and commercial side. A survey conducted with these companies in the Northeast found 54 percent of the workforce is 45 years or older and one-third are eligible for retirement today. At the same time, engineering…

The Aerospace, Manufacturing and Information Technology (AMIT) Cluster of Southern Arizona has consolidated its operations with the Arizona Technology Council. Automation Alley was one of 19 organizations chosen to receive 'E' and 'E-Star' Awards, given by the president to recognize American export excellence. The nonprofit Automation Alley, an SSTI affiliate, supports Southeast Michigan's economy through a collaborative culture that focuses on workforce and business development. Raymar Dizon has resigned from the Maryland Venture Fund to become director of technology transfer at Mitre Corp. Jim Hayes, the president of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, passed away on June 6 after a long illness. Hayes was considered one of the state's top experts on economic development. James Ryan was named the first dean of the newly formed Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering being run by North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The National Science Foundation has selected Edward Seidel as the director of its Office of Cyberinfrastructure. Tom Walker…

In the midst of a national economic downturn, coupled with stagnant to little growth in wages for even college-educated individuals, state efforts to build a qualified workforce and attract industries in emerging fields that pay above-average wages are crucial to ensuring economic growth.   A recent report on income trends issued jointly by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic Policy Institute finds that one in five U.S. families has a lower income today than they did at the start of the decade. Analyzing state-by-state income trends over the past 20 years, the report also finds a long-standing trend of growing inequality between families in the wealthiest income bracket and those in the middle- to lower-income brackets. In fact, while incomes have declined by 2.5 percent among the bottom fifth of U.S. families since the late 1990s, the data indicates that incomes have increased by 9.1 percent among the top fifth. Wage inequality is listed as the top contributing factor to the income disparity. An examination of income trends since the late 1980s through mid 2000s reveals that in 36 states, the income gap has widened…

Lori Broyles was appointed coordinator of the Women's Business Center in Oklahoma City. University of Arizona Economic Development recently made three staff changes: Molly Gilbert was promoted to assistant director of the Office of Economic Development. Ken Marcus, previously the director of the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park (UASTP), continues in the role of chief financial officer (CFO) for UASTP and the Arizona Center for Innovation and expands his duties as the CFO for the Arizona Bioscience Park and the Arizona Research Park Authority. Marshall Worden was named director of UASTP. The Angel Capital Association and Angel Capital Education Foundation have named Stephanie Hanbury-Brown – founder of Golden Seeds LLC, an innovative network of primarily women angel investors who identify and invest in women-led ventures – as the recipient of the 2008 Hans Severiens Award. The award recognizes one person each year for outstanding accomplishments in the advancement of angel investing. Mike Kluse is now the permanent director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) after having served as PNNL's interim director for 16…

Legislators in Alaska, Iowa and Oklahoma recently approved funding for several TBED-related initiatives within state operating and capital budgets for the upcoming fiscal year. Alaska Legislators Create Renewable Energy Fund The 2008 legislative session wrapped up earlier this month, resulting in statewide support for renewable energy following the passage of the fiscal year 2009 operating (HB 310) and capital budget (SB 221).   Lawmakers agreed to Gov. Sarah Palin’s proposal supporting alternative energy projects in the upcoming fiscal year and beyond with the passage of HB 152, which creates a renewable energy grant fund and recommendation program to be administered by the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) and establishes a seven-member advisory committee.   The legislation requires AEA, in consultation with the advisory committee, to identify criteria to evaluate the benefit and feasibility of energy-related projects and develop a methodology for distributing funds. The capital budget agreement includes a "$50 million capitalization of the fund" for the grant program in FY09, AEA notes. AEA will solicit projects…

The Beaver County (Pa.) CO-OP announced it will change its name to StartingGate. The incubator will continue to assist entrepreneurs and new business start-ups and help expand existing businesses. Joe Dedman was chosen as the first executive director of the Southeast Indiana WIRED. Brian DuBoff was named the director of Maryland's southern region Small Business Development Center, which is hosted by the College of Southern Maryland. Barbara Goodman has joined the Illinois Biotechnology Industry Organization as its executive director. Mark Long has stepped down as the CEO of the Indiana University Research and Technology Corp. Robert McMahan Jr., the North Carolina governor's senior adviser for science and technology and executive director of the North Carolina Board of Science and Technology, has left those posts to become dean of Western Carolina University's Kimmel School of Construction Management and Technology. The Oklahoma Bioscience Association announced its launch. Tracey van Niekerk has been selected as the new life sciences coordinator for the Economic Development Corporation of Wayne County, Indiana. Van…

Gov. Brad Henry unveiled the details of his fiscal year 2009 budget recommendation earlier this week, providing a substantial increase in funding to the state’s lead TBED agency and proposing a permanent funding mechanism for cutting-edge research through the EDGE Endowment.   Citing a sizable return on investment from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST), the governor is recommending $34.5 million for FY09 – a 54 percent increase over last year’s appropriation. OCAST is slated to receive $6 million to replace one-time funding for the Bioenergy Center – established in 2007 – and $5 million to replace seed capital funds that were diverted last year for the center (see the June 6, 2007 issue of the Digest). An additional $4 million from OCAST seed funds appropriated last year would be allocated to the Bioenergy Center in FY09 for a total of $10 million. Gov. Henry also recommends $1 million to enhance existing OCAST programs.   Funding for the state’s research endowment is accumulating at a much slower rate than expected. With only $150 million deposited into the proposed $1 billion…

The Oklahoma Alliance for Manufacturing Excellence is now the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance.

Albert Johnson Jr. is the new vice president for university advancement at Cameron University. Ronna Vanderslice also has been selected as dean of the university's School of Education and Behavioral Sciences.

Oklahoma is one step closer to positioning itself as a leader in sustainable energy production, with the creation of a $40 million Bioenergy Center. The legislature passed SB 510 at the close of the 2007 session last month, establishing the Oklahoma Bioenergy Center announced by Gov. Brad Henry during his State-of-the-State Address earlier this year (see the Feb. 19, 2007 issue of the Digest).   The Bioenergy Center is a joint collaboration between the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University and the Noble Foundation. The institution will coordinate the state’s resources and research programs in the fields of biofuels and bioenergy development and production utilizing a $10 million annual appropriation over the next four years. Research efforts will focus on sustainable economic production of cellulosic ethanol and developing critical steps in production of biodiesel and ethanol from non-cellulosic sources.   The center’s fiscal year 2008 appropriation will be channeled through the state’s lead TBED agency, the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST). The total OCAST budget for FY08…

Leadership Oklahoma announced that Doug Fuller will be the organization's new director, effective May 7.

Willem Bakker was named president of the Technology Entrepreneur Center and executive director of the Information Technology Coalition, both in St. Louis.