|
| INSIDE FLORIDA'S HIGH TECH
CORRIDOR |
| Via Email |
April 2007 |
E-Fair Gives Corridor Companies Access to USF
Graduates
The University of South Florida (USF) Career Center has teamed
up with a score of other universities from the eastern United States
to host the 2007 Big East E-Fair. The E-Fair is an entirely
internet-based job fair where thousands of students and alumni
from USF and such schools as Notre Dame, Georgetown, Rutgers, and
Marquette will be able to search for internships or full-time positions.
Running for four weeks, from March 19 to April 16, the Big
East E-Fair will allow companies to post job openings, solicit
resumes, and communicate directly with potential candidates
for a nominal fee. Compared to a traditional job fair,
the internet-based E-Fair will also provide for greater accessibility
to students and graduates from USF and around the country.
Once registered for the Big East E-Fair through MonsterTRAK,
employers can post unlimited job listings. Companies looking
to recruit talent may register for E-Fair now through the duration
of the fair at http://www.eventemanagement.com/bigeast2007.
For more information, visit http://www.career.usf.edu. |
UF at Helm of National Computer
Center
The University of Florida (UF) will lead a consortium of participating
universities in the creation of the National Science Foundation
Center for High-Performance Reconfigurable Computing. Aimed
at making high-performance computing more powerful and flexible,
the center’s mission is to develop new technologies that
allow computers to change their internal hardware structure to
efficiently process each individual task.
Splitting an annual budget of $2.5 million, UF will partner
with George Washington University, more than 20 federal agencies
and major corporations, and soon Brigham Young University
and Virginia Tech. With support from industry
and government organizations, another goal of the center
is commercializing efficient technologies for special-purpose
logic devices like those used in weather forecasting, satellite
imagery, space exploration, and stock market analysis.
For more information, visit
http://news.ufl.edu/2007/03/06/computer-research-center. |
UCF Professors Use Grant to
Build Intelligence-Gathering Spyplanes
The Defense University Research Instrumentation Program has awarded
funding for University of Central Florida professors Niels da Vitoria
Lobo and Mubarak Shah to continue their research on communication
between unmanned aerial vehicles. Awarded $210,600 from the
Department of Defense’s $41.2 million budget for research
equipment, Lobo and Shah represent one team of 199 grant winners
among 780 applicants nation-wide.
The grant will allow the College of Engineering and Computer
Science researchers to purchase three small planes and three
helicopters, each no larger than six feet, camera equipment,
communication devices, transmitters and special computers
to monitor and track the reconnaissance vehicles. Lobo
and Shah will use the technology to develop ways for the
machinery to become less reliant on manual operation; the
planes will be able to automatically react to targets on
the ground, communicate with each other, and interpret data.
In addition to providing military applications such as collecting
intelligence on battlefields, the researchers plan to design
these aerial vehicles to be used for everyday purposes, such
as assisting law enforcement and search and rescue operations.
For more information, visit http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?
page=article&id=002400415bc28a54010f97070b37006545&mode=news. |
FHTCC Named Finalist
for
Economic Development Leadership Award
The Florida High Tech Corridor Council (FHTCC) has been chosen
as a finalist for the prestigious CoreNet Global Economic Development
Leadership Award for its unique approach to high tech economic
development. One of six finalists in the innovation
award category, FHTCC was selected on the basis of best practices,
leadership and innovation in economic development.
“The Florida High Tech Corridor Council is honored
to be selected as a finalist for an award that is so highly
regarded in the economic development community,” said
Randy Berridge, FHTCC President.
Berridge and a small group of FHTCC volunteers traveled to Princeton
University to present to a panel of senior corporate real estate
executives and economic development leaders. The winner
will be announced on April 30th at the CoreNet Global Summit
in Denver.
For more information, visit http://www.floridahightech.com. |
Polk County Outpost 27 Attracts More
Than Tourists
Luring I-4 travelers by the carload, the newly-opened $1.6 million
visitor center Polk Outpost 27 is a refreshing surprise for tourists
expecting little more than a rest stop with a brochure stand.
Reminiscent of rural Americana, the welcoming, rustic exterior
complete with a bass pond and putting green is merely the
prelude to the themed innovative displays and technological
exhibits guests will discover within. Outpost 27 features
a high definition film presenting the cultural, sporting
and scenic points throughout the region, as well as an internet
café where guests can plan an entire Polk County vacation. Visitors
receive individualized help with travel questions and plans
from a personal assistant in the concierge lobby.
The new welcome center also intends to draw another type of
visitor to Polk County: growing business. “In addition
to showcasing Polk County as a vacation destination, Outpost
27 displays our economic vitality and overall quality of life
serve to attract business development throughout the region,” said
Tom Patton, executive director of the Central Florida Development
Council and Florida High Tech Corridor Council marketing committee
chairman.
For more information, visit
http://www.cfdc.org/home/news/details.aspx?id=93. |
Space Coast Welcomes Innovative
Educational Centers
Fostering a new space education initiative, Brevard County will
host the Florida Microgravity Education and Research Center. A
partnership between Space Florida and Zero Gravity Corporation,
the research center is designed to facilitate Florida teacher and
student space education and aerospace microgravity research expertise.
To commemorate its opening and generate interest in space
careers, the Florida Microgravity Education and Research
Center shuttled eight Florida public school teachers and
four high school students on a zero-gravity demonstration
flight.
The Florida Legislature is also campaigning for additional space-oriented
educational initiatives with the introduction of legislation
to establish the Governor's School for Science and Technology,
aimed at providing high school students with advanced educational
opportunities in the areas of science, math, and technology. The
legislation, supported by Senator Stephen Wise and Representative
Thad Altman, places the Governor’s School and residential
accommodations for its students in close proximity to Kennedy
Space Center to provide access to the real life experiences and
resources of NASA.
For more information on the Florida Microgravity Education and
Research Center, visit http://gozerog.com/articles/03_19_2007.pdf.
For more information on the space educational legislation, visit http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/index.cfm?
Mode=Bills&SubMenu=1&BI_Mode=ViewBillInfo&Year=2007&BillNum=2598. |
UCF and Florida Tech Host NSF
Research Experience
Ten select students from universities nationwide will participate
in the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Research Experiences
for Undergraduates program at Florida Institute of Technology (FIT)
and the University of Central Florida (UCF) this summer.
Funded by NSF grants totaling nearly $300,000, the program
focuses on machine learning, a broad sub-field of artificial
intelligence having applications from earthquake prediction
to intelligent credit fraud protection.
Five students will conduct research at each university under
the supervision of program leaders Dr. Georgios Anagnostopoulos
(FIT), Michael Georgiopoulos (UCF) and Alison Morrison-Shetlar
(UCF). After the month-long research experience, the students
will present their work at a program symposium, other interdisciplinary
conferences, and potentially publish the results in technical
journals.
For more information, visit
http://www.fit.edu/newsroom/brief.html?id=1656. |
Virtual Entrepreneur
Center Web Site Expanded
The newly-expanded Virtual Entrepreneur Center (VeC) is a web site
that connects entrepreneurs starting, growing or relocating their
business with the resources, people and services they need to be
successful.
The database-structure site serves entrepreneurs and businesses
in Central Florida counties and features hundreds of links
offering insight for entrepreneurs such as books, periodicals
and business development conferences. Entrepreneurs
can also search through a listing of registered businesses
and consultants to find the expert they need.
Initially conceived as a project by the Volusia-Flagler Higher
Education Consortium, the new VeC Web site now also includes
Pinellas, Polk and Seminole counties as participating partners. The
original project and the latest expansion into three other counties
were made possible by grants from the Florida High Tech Corridor
Council.
To view the VeC, visit http://www.flvec.com. |
Corridor Communities Go Wireless
St. Petersburg has paired up with EarthLink to provide a city-wide
wireless network, becoming one of the first major cities in
Florida to offer broadband WiFi. Earthlink’s
network will enable residents anywhere within the city’s
60 square miles to access the internet through an affordable
monthly or hourly charge. EarthLink plans to build,
own, and operate the network at no cost to the city, including
free WiFi zones in public spaces such as city parks.
Partnered with Motorola, the City of Kissimmee recently
launched its own wireless system paid for by a partnership
between the Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA), the City of
Kissimmee and the Toho Water Authority. On top of providing
public broadband internet access, the network will also benefit
Kissimmee's government agencies and utilities workers with
a seamless mobile connection.
As part of its plan to enhance community services for the upcoming
year, the City of Apopka in Orange County also has a Motorola
WiFi project in the works. Providing broadband coverage
over 30 square miles, the network will serve a population of
more than 31,000 citizens.
Additionally, Seminole County has begun the process of evaluation
the economic impact of a similar network countywide.
For more information, visit http://www.stpete.org/wifi, http://www.motorola.com/mediacenter/news.jsp or http://www.apopka.net. |
Accolades
UF Men’s Basketball
Congratulations to the defending national champion UF Men’s
Basketball team for advancing to tonight’s national
championship game. UF will face Ohio State in tonight’s
final, which will be televised beginning at 9 p.m. on CBS.
National Society of Black Physicists
NamesUCF Professor President-Elect
University of Central Florida (UCF) Professor Dr. Peter Delfyett
has been named president-elect of the National Society of Black
Physicists. Dr. Delfyett joined the UCF faculty in 1993 and currently
holds the positions of University Trustee Chair Professor of
Optics, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Physics.
USF Professor Receives Second Fulbright Grant
University of South Florida Professor of Political Science and
International Studies Harry E. Vanden has received his second
J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Grant. As a
graduate student, Vanden was awarded a Fulbright to complete
research for his doctoral dissertation.
UCF Competes in World Finals
After advancing from an original pool of more than 6,000 teams
from over 1,750 universities, the University of Central Florida
computer programming team finished in 44th place at the 31st
annual ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest in
Tokyo. UCF was one of 20 teams representing the U.S. finishing
ahead of Harvard, Northwestern and Vanderbilt. The team was
comprised of Walter Mundt, Jobby Johns and Nadeem Mohsin.
Animal Replacement Technologies Honored
The U.S. Secretary of Commerce for Technology presented Sarasota-based
Animal Replacement Technologies (ART) with a “Recognition
of Excellence in Innovation” award last month. Animal
Replacement Technologies develops synthetic human tissues and
body parts for the pharmaceutical and medical device industries
used in design development and by physicians and educators
in surgical training. |
Did You Know?
Florida has the second most medical device manufacturers in the
country, behind only California. Pinellas County ranks
first with the greatest concentration in the state. |
Calendar of Events
The following events are taking place across the Corridor’s
23-county region or in the surrounding area:
USF College of Engineering Scholarship Day
Presented by: The Florida High Tech Corridor Council,USF
Office of Research, and the Society of Women Engineers
Thursday, April 5th, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
College of Engineering, University of South Florida
4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa
For event information, visit http://scholarshipday.eng.usf.edu.
SPIE Defense and Security Symposium
Presented by: The International Society for
Optical Engineering
Monday through Friday, April 9th – 13th
World Center Marriott Resort
8701 World Center Drive, Orlando
For event information, visit http://www.spie.org/conferences/calls/07/dss.
CREOL Industrial Affiliates Day:
Ultra Short Pulse Lasers and Applications
Presented by: UCF Center for Research and Education in
Optics and Lasers
Friday April 13th, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
CREOL, University of Central Florida
4000 Central Florida Blvd., Orlando
For event information, visit http://www.optics.ucf.edu/Partnerships/
Affiliates/AffiliatesDay2007/Default.aspx.
Keys to Entrepreneurial Success
Presented by: The Young-Rainey Science, Technology, and
Research Technology Enterprise Center, and Pinellas County
Economic Development
Wednesday and Thursday, April 11th and 12th
Radisson Hotel, 12600 Roosevelt Blvd, St. Petersburg
For event information, visit http://www.startecflorida.com/conference.
Florida Water Resources Conference
Presented by: Florida Section of the American Water Works
Association, Florida Water Environment Association, and
Florida Water and Pollution Control Operators Association
Orange County Convention Center
9800 International Drive, Orlando
Saturday through Tuesday, April 14th – 17th
For event information, visit http://www.fwrc.org.
2007 Spring National SBIR/STTR Small Business Innovation
Research and the Small Business Technology Transfer Conference
Presented by: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)
Monday to Thursday, April 30th – May 3rd
Sheraton Imperial Convention Center
4700 Emperor Blvd., Durham, NC
For event information, visit http://www.sbtdc.org/events/sbir/2007.
|
Inside Florida’s High Tech
Corridor is published by the Florida High Tech Corridor Council,
Inc. (FHTCC) and its economic development partners. The FHTCC
is an initiative of the University of Central Florida (http://www.ucf.edu),
the University of South Florida (http://www.usf.edu)
and the University of Florida (http://www.ufl.edu).
For more information visit our Web site at (http://www.floridahightech.com),
or contact one of the region’s economic development partners
listed at http://www.floridahightech.com/linkslibrary/economic_dev_org.htm. |
Florida High Tech Corridor Link Library
For a comprehensive list of FHTCC University Partners; Community
Colleges; Economic Development Organizations; Technology Groups & Programs;
Workforce Boards & Organizations; Technology Incubators & Venture
Capital Organizations; and, Industry Organizations visit the
Florida High Tech Corridor link library at http://www.floridahightech.com/linkslibrary. |
|