SSTI Digest

Ross Youngs, president of Univenture, Inc. of Columbus, Ohio, has been named the National Small Business Person of the Year. Youngs was selected from a field of 53 Small Business Administration (SBA) small business winners representing the fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam. The national entrepreneur award is a highlight of SBA's national Small Business Week celebration. Small Business Week, now in its 35th year, honors the contributions of the nation's small business owners. Winners are selected on their record of stability, growth in employment and sales, sound financial reports, innovation, and the company's response to adversity, and community service. Youngs founded Univenture ten years ago after developing a lighter, cheaper and more environmentally friendly product for displaying and storing compact discs. Today, Univenture is a $15 million dollar business that employs 119 people. The award for first runner-up went to Fleischer Manufacturing of Columbus, Nebraska. Fleischer Manufacturing developed and produces tillage equipment that allows farmers to…

Rita Colwell was confirmed by the Senate on May 22 as the new National Science Foundation (NSF) Director. She is expected to be sworn in within a few weeks. Dr. Colwell was the President of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute and former President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She has a Ph.D. in marine microbiology from the University of Washington.

Maine lawmakers have passed an R&D investment package to increase the state's research and development capacity. The package includes a $20 million bond issue that must be approved by the voters in November. The bond initiative would provide: $13.5 million to the University of Maine System for capital improvements and equipment purchases to support activities in the target areas of biotechnology, advanced technologies for forestry and agriculture, software engineering and development, advanced materials engineering and development, and marine biology; $3 million to the Maine Science and Technology Foundation (MSTF) to invest in a Marine Technology Fund; $1.5 million to MSTF for a Research Challenge Grants program for research institutions in the for-profit, not-for profit or academic sectors; and, $2 million to the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development toward the development and construction of the Gulf of Maine Aquarium Research Facility. "Through a broad coalition of organizations across the state, we were able to obtain bipartisan…

The State of Tennessee has created a private, not-for-profit corporation--- the Tennessee Technology Development Corporation---to stimulate economic development through Tennessee's science and technology resources. The corporation's responsibilities include: Promoting Tennessee's science and technology resources Coordinating the state's assistance to technology-based firms in Tennessee Assisting in the creation and financing of new technology-based businesses Coordinating the State's participation in major technology-based activities and proposals The corporation is seeking an Executive Director who will be responsible for: Management of the corporation's activities, including the activities of its board of directors Development of the corporation's strategic directions and priorities, short and long-term Support capitalizing the corporation by assisting the board of directors in the development and execution of a fund raising plan to match state resources invested in the corporation Creation and management of a technology investment fund A…

The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) and its nationwide network of centers are stepping up efforts to help smaller manufacturers avoid being bitten by the "millennium bug." The Stamford, Conn.-based GartnerGroup, a leading authority on information technology issues, has reported that as of 1997, 88 percent of all companies with fewer than 2,000 employees had not yet started Year 2000 remediation projects. "Many companies that are addressing problems with their computer systems may be overlooking potential problems embedded in other systems such as machine controllers and telecommunications," said Kevin Carr, director of the NIST MEP. MEP centers nationwide will be conducting seminars to raise smaller manufacturers' awareness and understanding of the problem and helping client manufacturers assess their systems to determine if they have problems. If needed, MEP centers also will help smaller companies plan remediation. Carr has asked each center to designate at least one person as a Year 2000 "champion" to help coordinate center activities and services. A self-…

Dr. Eugene Wong has been named assistant director for engineering at the National Science Foundation. As the head of NSF's engineering directorate, he will oversee a $320 million annual budget. His most recent position was with a start-up California company. Durand Smith, the director of the New Mexico Department of Economic Development's Science and Technology Division, has returned to the private sector. Marsha Oldakowski is serving as acting director of the division. Patrick Neary, executive director of Wyoming's Science, Technology & Energy Authority, has also returned to the private sector. Jeff Suddeth is serving as interim director. Bill Eads, the Tennessee governor's science and technology advisor, has announced his retirement.

Dr. Eugene Wong has been named assistant director for engineering at the National Science Foundation. As the head of NSF's engineering directorate, he will oversee a $320 million annual budget. His most recent position was with a start-up California company.

Durand Smith, the director of the New Mexico Department of Economic Development's Science and Technology Division, has returned to the private sector. Marsha Oldakowski is serving as acting director of the division.

Patrick Neary, executive director of Wyoming's Science, Technology & Energy Authority, has also returned to the private sector. Jeff Suddeth is serving as interim director.

Bill Eads, the Tennessee governor's science and technology advisor, has announced his retirement.

Continuing to solicit input for the National Science Policy Study, Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) held an April 22 House Science Committee hearing on "The Irreplaceable Federal Role in Funding Basic Research." This was the fifth hearing Ehlers has held as he gathers information to complete the National Science Policy Study. Rep. Ehlers was appointed by House Speaker Newt Gingrich to head up the Science Committee's effort to design a new science and technology policy that can be used to plan for the future, set priorities for research, and build sustainable support for scientific research. (See the 11/14/97 issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest at www.ssti.org for related information.) The purpose of the hearing was to examine ways to strike a funding balance among researchers in government, academia, and industry. The hearing explored the nature of basic research today and the economic rationale for making it a priority of the federal government. House Science Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-WI) offered the criteria by which he believes scientific programs should be…

The Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) has announced the launch of the Oklahoma Technology Commercialization Center (Tech Center).   The purpose of the Tech Center is to grow high-wage, high-growth technology sectors in Oklahoma by actively contributing to the start-up and development of new companies and spurring innovation across existing companies. The Center assesses companies' needs, guides them through the technology commercialization process, and provides directly, or by referrals, specialized business development services, access to early stage risk financing, and help in transferring technology. OCAST has contracted with the Oklahoma Technology Development Corporation (OTDC) to start-up and manage the Tech Center. OTDC is now seeking qualified candidates for the position of Executive Director of the Tech Center. The Executive Director will have overall leadership and management responsibility for the Tech Center and its branch offices. Candidates must have a minimum of 15 years progressive management experience with 10 years experience as a seasoned professional operating in an advanced technology…