SSTI Digest

Chris Marschner is the new president of the Maryland Business Incubation Association (MBIA).

Last week, Kevin Carr, the director of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, announced that he would be leaving his position and NIST effective June 30. Kevin has led the program since 1994, and under his leadership, MEP became the exemplary federal program for working in partnership with the states. Since Kevin became director, MEP has worked closely with the states, actively seeking their input on program design and operation. While SSTI is the product of the work of many, Kevin's support and encouragement were critical to our start-up and continued existence. As an advocate for state-federal partnership and as a friend, he will be sorely missed.

MdBio, Inc., a nonprofit organization servicing Maryland's bioscience industry, announced it will be renamed the MdBio Foundation under restructuring and expansion efforts. The 501(c)3 organization will be overseen by a new 501(c)6 nonprofit membership trade association, MdBio, Inc.

President Bush has nominated Dr. William Jeffrey as director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The nomination is subject to Senate confirmation.

Dyan Brasington, former president of the Technology Council of Maryland, is the new director of economic and workforce development at Towson University.

Greater Baltimore Technology Council executive director Penny Lewandowski is leaving at the end of May to join the Edward Lowe Foundation in Detroit. Assistant director Steve Kovak has been named her successor.

Johns Hopkins University has named Jill Tarzian Sorenson to serve as associate provost and director of the Office of Licensing and Technology Development.

The nation's most significant source of funding for life science research, the National Institutes of Health, announced two sweeping changes last week that could dramatically alter biotechnology commercialization. The first policy change addresses known and potential conflicts of interest by NIH employees, while the second encourages all NIH-funded research to be released publicly within 12 months of final publication.

Julie Coons is the new president of the Technology Council of Maryland. Coons most recently served as executive vice president of PCIA -- the Wireless Infrastructure Association.

Secretary Aris Melisssaratos of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development recently announced two new appointments. Leslie Sipes-Pachol will serve in the position of executive director for the Maryland Economic Development Commission, and Paul Mauritz has been promoted to become Assistant Secretary for Technology Strategy and Business Development.

Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich has appointed Robert Brennan to succeed Hans Mayer as executive director of the Maryland Economic Development Corporation. Mayer retired after holding the position for 17 years.

A new agreement between the State of Maryland and the National Security Agency (NSA) is expected to lead to new technologies for both. The two formalized a partnership earlier this month, signing a memorandum of understanding at the Maryland State House.

The partnership joins NSA with Maryland's Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED). Present for the signing were Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich, DBED Secretary Aris Melissaratos, and Michael Hayden and Dr. Eric Haseltine of NSA.

Hayden, who doubles as director of NSA and as a lieutenant general for the U.S. Air Force, said the agreement will enhance the agency's "transformation efforts to provide quality intelligence to the national leadership while promoting economic prosperity in Maryland."