SSTI Digest

The Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism, in partnership with the University System of Georgia, has appointed Page Siplon and Michael Hale as directors of the Maritime Logistics Innovation Center and the Middle Georgia Innovation Center for Aircraft Lifecycle Support, respectively.

SSTI welcomes Rhiannon Mehring to its staff as a research associate.

Doros Platika is the new chief executive officer for the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse.

Sherrie Priesche, the science and technology advisor to New Jersey Governor James McGreevey, has been appointed as the new executive director for the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology.

James Roberson, president of the Research Triangle Foundation for the past 16 years, is retiring at the end of May.

George Swift is the first executive director for the new Southwest Louisiana Partnership for Economic Development.

The University of Vermont announced that Janice St. Onge has joined the Vermont Business Center as the director of business education.

Kay Wade is the new president of the Oklahoma Professional Economic Development Council. Ms. Wade retains her position as director of the Center for Business Development at the Meridian Technology Center.

The Wright Center for Innovation for Advanced Data Management and Analysis named Charles Walsh as its first president.

The lack of encouraging news in the culminating report from the National Science Board’s (NSB) three-year study of America’s science and engineering (S&E) workforce is offset only by the urgent call to recognize and counter increased global competition and disturbing demographic trends and projections.

The Science and Engineering Workforce: Realizing America’s Potential concludes:

A $100 million initiative announced last week by the Lilly Endowment Inc. will help Indiana's colleges and universities attract and retain more faculty and students. The Lilly Endowment, a private philanthropic foundation based in Indianapolis, supports community, educational and religious causes.

A total of 37 institutions among Indiana's two- and four-year public and private schools will be encouraged to submit proposals for funding under the initiative. Purdue University and Ivy Tech State College are eligible for a combined $30 million of the $100 million pot. Another $26 million is allocated for Indiana University. Other schools such as Ball State University, Indiana Wesleyan University and the University of Notre Dame are eligible for $5 million or less.

Addressing a joint session of Rhode Island's General Assembly, Gov. Don Carcieri unveiled last week a fiscal year 2005 budget that includes funding for several technology-based economic development (TBED) initiatives.

Gov. Carcieri's budget attempts to navigate around a projected $240 million budget gap for FY 2004 and FY 2005. Despite proposing $92 million in spending reductions, the governor would direct $50 million toward a new Center for Biotechnology to be built at the University of Rhode Island. The center would serve as both a world-class research facility for students and a stimulus for the state's growing biotech economy.

Other highlights of the governor's budget include: