SSTI Digest

Angie Dvorak is leaving her position as CEO of the Mississippi Technology Alliance to become vice president of research for the University of Southern Mississippi. The University saw a 25 percent increase in research funds last fiscal year, climbing to a record $62.6 million.

Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI) Tribal Chief Phillip Martin and Mississippi Technology Alliance President and Chief Executive Officer Angie Dvorak recently announced a partnership to help foster science-based economic development for the state of Mississippi. The alliance's partnership with a tribal government is possibly the first of its kind in the U.S. "This is an opportunity for members of the public, private and academia sectors to come together to aggressively explore ways to work with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians," Dr. Dvorak said in a press release. The Mississippi Choctaw Technology Forum held earlier this week in Philadelphia, Miss., formally recognized the partnership. The April 15-16 event enabled representatives from science and tech-based industries to examine research and business partnership opportunities with the MBCI and tour the MBCI facilities. Representatives also were able to gain perspectives from technology industry officials and discuss research proposals with some of the top scientific educators in Mississippi…

The first-ever Mississippi Innovation Index was released Wednesday by the Mississippi Technology Alliance. Targeting technology-based economic development in Mississippi, the Index groups baseline data into eight categories and establishes a data collection process for 24 science- and technology-related indicators. Initial analyses suggest: Wealth Creation: Wages, though below average, are increasing the most in higher wage establishments. Research Capacity: Mississippi has huge federal investment, good university investment and low industry investment in research and development (R&D). University Research Capacity: While the level of federal investment is good, the state has seen decreased R&D expenditures in recent years. The Index reports the state has weak research-commercialization linkages. Business Research Capacity: Relatively little industrial research exists in the state; the business environment may not be conducive to R&D activity due to workforce, infrastructure and capital investment shortfalls. Technology Business…

Dr. Angeline Dvorak has been named as the first full-time president of Mississippi Technology, Inc. She will also serve as chief executive office of the Institute for Technology Development.

Unprecedented Goals, Unparalleled Progress, a report released in early August by Mississippi Governor Ronnie Musgrove, calls for the state to address several issues to better position the state to compete in the New Economy. Elements of the plan affecting the state’s science and technology base include: making best use of knowledge-based resources through Mississippi by making the ‘University Connection’ through a cluster approach to economic development and university research in areas such as biosciences, engineering, supercomputing and polymers enhancing the information infrastructure to support community and capacity building by hiring a chief technology officer within the Mississippi Development Authority (formerly the Mississippi Department of Economic and Community Development) to explore methods to broaden access to the state’s telecommunication backbone matching incentives and innovations to the needs of the New Economy, including having the Mississippi Development Authority serve as a conduit to connect venture capital resources with university-based R&D…