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SSTI Digest
Geography: Arizona
Job Corner
Arizona State University invites applications for the position of director, High Performance Computing Initiative (HPCI). Some of the responsibilities include leadership and management of the HPCI, developing the HPCI mission and strategy, growth of the HPCI computing systems and infrastructure, building a strong technical staff to support researchers, and training in HPC for graduate and undergraduate students. A PhD or equivalent experience in the areas of engineering, computer science, informatics, physics, chemistry, biology, computational science, applied mathematics or other relevant discipline is required.
Tech Talkin' Govs, Part I
Entering its tenth year covering governors’ State of the State, Budget and Inaugural Addresses, SSTI’s Tech Talkin’ Govs series highlights new and expanded TBED proposals from across the nation. The first edition includes excerpts from speeches delivered in the following states:
Arizona
Gov. Janice Brewer, State of the State Address, Jan. 11, 2010
“… I am taking the following specific actions to make Arizona even more competitive in creating jobs.
First, I am announcing the formation of a Governor's Jobs Cabinet. This team of key state agency directors will cut through the red tape and the green tape to speed job creation.
“Second, I will be allocating a significant portion of remaining federal stimulus funds directly to bring new jobs to Arizona. Specifically, I am devoting $10 million in one-time federal stimulus funds for job training. …
Report Assesses Arizona's Strengths and Weaknesses in TBED
Arizona's state, regional and university leaders already have made efforts to stimulate elements of a high-tech economy; however, missing are key fundamentals necessary for the state to compete on a national level, finds a report on Arizona's tech economy. Benchmarking Arizona against states such as Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Oregon, the report finds that Arizona has the resources to pursue more aggressive tech-based economic development, yet the state needs a deeper pool of skilled and educated workers, sufficient access to capital to fund research, and state-level leadership that is informed and committed to implementing long-range development strategies. One of the key recommendations calls on the state and its institutions of higher education to focus on significantly increasing the number of locally educated and trained engineers and scientists.
People
Lee Cheatham announced he is leaving his position as executive director of the Washington Technology Center and has accepted the position of operations director at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University. Chris Coleman, WTC's current CFO and director of business operations, has been selected to serve as interim executive director for the organization.
Arizona Tech Council to House Trio of STEM Programs
Shortly after President Obama announced that the federal government would seek out new partnerships with private companies to improve science and technology education in the U.S., the Arizona Technology Council unveiled three new offerings for Arizona students. The group will collaborate with tech companies and nonprofits to hold a statewide science fair, to develop a four-year engineering curriculum for high school students and to create an online directory of STEM opportunities. Read more at: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20091207006079/en
TBED People
Robert Fritzinger has been named the director of the new SUNY Fredonia Business Technology Incubator.
Ioanna Morfessis, a consultant from Phoenix, was unanimously appointed as the executive director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation by the board of directors. Morfessis is expected to start work in January, and will serve as acting director until the Senate confirms her appointment.
Alan Rebar, senior associate vice president for research and executive director of Discovery Park, and Richard Cosier, dean and Leeds Professor at the Krannert School of Management, have been named to lead Purdue University’s Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship.
TBED People and Organizations
Rebecca Bagley, who left her position as deputy secretary for the Technology Investment Office within the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, was appointed president-elect of NorTech. Bagley will succeed Dorothy Baunach, the founding staff director of NorTech, as president and chief executive officer. Baunach will become president emeritus, serving as an adviser until December 2010. John Sider has been appointed to succeed Bagley. Prior to his appointment, Sider served as the director of venture investment for DCED.
Steve Crawford is leaving Brookings to take a new job as vice president for policy and research at CFED -- the Corporation for Enterprise Development in Washington, DC.
TBED People and Organizations
President Obama nominated Francis Collins, a physician and scientist who helped guide the Human Genome Project to completion, as the next director of the National Institutes of Health.
Stephen Fleming has been named vice provost of Georgia Tech's Enterprise Innovation Institute. Since 2005, Fleming has served as chief commercialization officer and led the Enterprise Innovation Institute's Commercialization Services Division. Fleming succeeds Wayne Hodges, who retired recently after a 40-year career at Georgia Tech.
Larry Irving will step down as co-chairman of the Internet Innovation Alliance in September. Irving will join Hewlett Packard, the world's leading technology company, as vice president of Global Government Affairs.
TBED People and Organizations
J. Mike Books is leaving his post with the Indiana Health Industry Forum to become the first economic development director for the city of Columbia, Missouri. He also will serve as president of the Regional Economic Development Inc. Brooks will assume his new responsibilities on July 15.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the appointment of Judith Canales as Administrator for Rural Business and Cooperative programs in USDA's Rural Development agency.
Donald Cardon, who has been serving as director of the Arizona Department of Housing since March, was named director of the Arizona Department of Commerce.
TBED People and Organizations
W. Steven Burke is the new president of Biofuels Center of North Carolina.
Bill Gimson has been named executive director of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. Gimson recently retired as the chief operating officer of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Jeremy Hill has been named the director of the Center for Economic Development and Business Research at Wichita State University. Hill replaces Janet Harrah, who left the post for Northern Kentucky University.
Incubator RoundUp: Top Performing Incubators Named in NBIA Awards
The role of a technology incubator or accelerator for supporting nascent firms generally is regarded with the utmost importance by the tech-based economic development community. Tech incubators provide essential resources for startup companies to develop and commercialize new technologies, leading to the creation of high-quality jobs.
With estimates suggesting there could be as many as 5,000 incubators of all shapes and sizes worldwide, finding the latest and best practices for tech business incubation could be a challenge. Fortunately, award programs, such as the currently open SSTI's 3rd Annual Excellence in TBED Award, can help call attention to some of the most successful approaches.
States Push Green Energy Initiatives to Combat Recession, Create Jobs
In the midst of a national economic recession contributing to a record number of job losses in traditional industries, forward thinking states are exploring ideas and committing funds to help grow and diversify their economies and strengthen their renewable energy portfolios.
Over the past several months, governors, legislators and economic development groups have announced new initiatives aimed at job growth and energy independence in the new economy. The following overview provides a sampling of green energy initiatives and investments from numerous proposals and announcements across the nation.