People
U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Thomas Q. Donaldson, V has been appointed Director of the John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC), effective Jan. 5, 2004.
People
Tony Jeff has been selected to serve as executive director of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Mississippi.
People
Paul Ray has left his position as director of the Colorado Office of Life Sciences and Biotechnology.
People
Tony Jeff is the new executive director of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Mississippi.
TBED Comings and Goings
Colorado Governor Bill Owens has appointed Tim Fritz as the director of the Office of Aerospace and Aeronautics.
People
Marc Holtzman, Colorado's former science and technology advisor, is taking the position as president of Denver University.
Colorado Names State's First Aerospace Advocate
Governor Bill Owen has named Trip Carter as the state's first aerospace advocate, the state's latest effort to help the industry, which employs approximately 110,000 residents and has $4 billion in revenues. Only Florida, California and Texas have larger stakes in the aerospace industry. As a result, the state has undertaken several initiatives over the past two years to develop and promote the industry's health as it goes through a transition period.
People
Last week, David Allen began his tenure as Assistant Vice President for Technology Transfer at the University of Colorado. Allen was the Assistant Vice President for Technology Partnerships at the Ohio State University.
Mississippi Technology Alliance Releases First Annual Index
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:
People
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.
Mississippi S&T Policies Taking Shape
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:
Recent Research: Public College Support Per Student Sinks to 25-year Low
At the same time civic and corporate leaders around the country are calling for more high school students to pursue a college education, and specifically science, technology and math degrees, the student's share of the cost for higher education is climbing to record highs.
Organizational Updates
The State of Colorado is creating an office to recruit and assist space technology businesses, the Associated Press reported. Approximately $240,000 has been raised for the office, which will be led by a yet-to-be-named "Colorado space advocate." One fourth of the funds are provided by the state, with the balance received from the private sector.
Mississippi Technology Alliance Partners with Tribal Government
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.
States Looking at Higher Ed to Foster Economic Growth
One of the most critical elements needed for a tech-based economy is a strong higher education system that supplies a source of research ideas, new technologies and a skilled workforce. Studies have shown that individuals with college degrees earn more money, obtain better jobs, pay more taxes, and are more apt to perform volunteer work. Given higher education's important role, several states have been re-examining how higher education can play a larger role in their economy.
TBED People on the Move
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.
Colorado Advanced Technology Institute Abolished
The Colorado Advanced Technology Institute (CATI) has been abolished effective June 30, 1999. CATI was the state's lead organization on technology-based economic development since its creation in 1983.
PEOPLE
Dr. Phillips Bradford the Executive Director of the Colorado Advanced Technology Institute has resigned his position. Lenie Roos-Gabridge has been appointed Interim Chief Operating Officer. Bradford’s resignation is the latest in an unprecedented turnover of state technology-based economic development officials. In the last year alone, the leaders of 14 states’ technology efforts have left their positions.
CATI Receives 1996 Morrill Award
The Technology Transfer Society presented its 1996 Justin Morrill Award to the Colorado Advanced Technology Institute (CATI). The Justin Morrill Award is presented to organizations that have an exemplary record in technology transfer and have made outstanding contributions to technology transfer theory and practice.
Western Governors Create High Technology Council
The 18 governors who comprise the Western Governors’ Association (WGA) have agreed to create a Western High Technology Council to serve as a strategic alliance among states, technology firms and universities to advance the region's common interests in the technology-driven and knowledge-based New Economy. Hawaii Governor Ben Cayetano, WGA Chairman, proposed the idea at the WGA winter meeting held in Las Vegas during December.
Colorado S&T Commission Created
Colorado Governor Bill Owen has appointed 55 technology executives and public officials to serve on the Governor’s Commission on Science and Technology. The Commission’s purpose is to issue a set of recommendations by late-2000 focused on enhancing Colorado's business climate and creating the technological infrastructure necessary to foster statewide growth of the high technology industry.
Specifically, the group is tasked to:
TBED Tidbits
$10M Donation Funds Johns Hopkins Biomed Facility, Research Park
Legislative Actions & Tech Talkin' Govs 2006, Part IV
Colorado Exploring Incentives for Math and Science Teachers
Colorado leaders want to encourage more college students to go into science and teaching and two recent proposals, coming from Governor Bill Owens and the state's Commission on Higher Education, are designed to do just that.