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| INSIDE FLORIDA'S HIGH TECH
CORRIDOR |
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September 2007 |
UCF Adds Biotechnology Degree to Burnett
College of Biomedical Sciences
The University of Central Florida’s (UCF) Burnett College
of Biomedical Sciences has become part of the College of Medicine.
Established in 2004 after a $10 million donation from Al and
Nancy Burnett, the College also boasts a new bachelor’s
of science degree in biotechnology for the 2007-2008 school
year.
Part of UCF’s continuing growth, the new degree program
is joined by the construction of the Burnett Biomedical Science
building at Lake Nona. The facility will be completed by spring
2009 and will house the Burnett College’s graduate program.
For more information, visit http://www.biomed.ucf.edu.
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USF Gives Workshop on
the Technology of Forensics
In collaboration with the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children (NCMEC), the University of South Florida (USF) held
a weeklong workshop that gave forensic artists and other law
enforcement personnel a look into the latest technologies and
techniques in the field of forensic imaging.
The workshop focused on key elements such as age progression
and regression techniques, facial reconstruction and photo superimposition.
USF forensic anthropology professor Dr. Erin Kimmerle worked
hand-in-hand with Glenn Miller, supervisor of NCMEC’s
Forensic Imaging Unit to bring this workshop together. Attendees
included students from USF, participants from Florida law enforcement
agencies and forensic specialists from around the world.
For more information, visit
http://usfweb3.usf.edu/absolutenm/templates/?a=287&z=11.
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UF Partners with Florida Crystals Corporation
to Create Ethanol Plant
The University of Florida (UF) has chosen Crystals Corporation's
Okeelanta facility to construct a cellulosic ethanol plant in
Palm Beach County.
UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has
developed technology which will convert the juiceless residue
of sugarcane, as well as other biomass into ethanol. Financed
through a state grant to further Florida’s development
and creation of alternative energy resources, the $20 million
project is expected to be operational by as early as 2009 and
produce between one and two million gallons of ethanol per year.
For more information, visit http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-23-2007/0004650474&EDATE=.
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Sarah Pappas
Announces Her Retirement from Manatee Community College
After a decade of progress and prosperity, Manatee Community
College (MCC) President Dr. Sarah Pappas recently announced
that she will retire in June 2008.
Among MCC’s achievements during her tenure are a nearly
25 percent growth in enrollment, the opening of the Center for
Innovation and Technology at Lakewood Ranch and a partnership
with USF to ease the transition between the two colleges for
MCC students with Associate degrees. Leaving a legacy of a top
accreditation rating from the Southern Association of Colleges
and Schools and the completion of $49 million in capital improvements
to the campus, Pappas will undoubtedly be remembered for her
years of hard work and devotion to MCC.
For more information, visit http://www.mccfl.edu/pages/136.asp?EventID=547.
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Navy Captain Joins FHTCC Roster of Leaders
Captain Steve Burris, commanding officer of the Naval Support
Activity Orlando, has been added to the Florida High Tech Corridor
Council’s (FHTCC) roster of high tech leaders.
Burris’ valuable experience in emerging technologies
as the commanding officer of the Naval Air Warfare Center, Training
Systems Division, will contribute to fulfilling the Corridor’s
mission to attract, retain and grow high tech industry and the
workforce to support those industries in the 23-county Corridor.
Dr. John Hitt, Council co-chair and University of Central Florida
(UCF) president, appointed Burris.
Burris will serve the Council in an advisory role and replaces
recently retired Council member Colonel Walt Augustin, USMC.
For more information, visit
http://www.floridahightech.com/pressroom/burris.html.
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Melbourne’s New
High Tech Center is Booming
The Technological Research and Development Authority's Business
Innovation Center near Melbourne International Airport has brought
in a half dozen tenants in its first month and predicts that
number to double by September.
The $38 million dollar facility was constructed by the Melbourne
Airport Authority, and received funding from the U.S. Department
of Commerce Economic Development Administration, NASA, Brevard
County, and the city of Melbourne. Supported by established
tenants such as Florida Institute of Technology and Florida
Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the center is projected
to be full by year’s end. Initial tenants include startups
Adapt4 LLC, Audigence, ColorSculpt, and SeaWatch. The center
is planning to lead 30 to 35 new or expanding companies and
create an additional 70 to 100 jobs in the first four years.
The incubator’s owners are hoping it becomes the focal
point of tech-led economic development in Brevard County.
For more information, visit http://www.trda.org/fnbic/melbourne.htm.
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Save the Date: Career
Expo ’08
If your company needs high quality tech employees to succeed,
you won’t want to miss Career Expo ’08, Feb. 28
and 29, 2008, at the Tampa Convention Center. Career Expo ’08
is a special initiative of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council
(FHTCC) and its economic development, higher education, workforce
board and governmental partners designed to introduce the Corridor’s
high tech employers to career center directors (CCDs) from many
of the nation’s top universities. Career Expo ’08
promises to be even bigger than this year’s inaugural
event as representatives from approximately 100 universities
are expected to attend.
As a primary source of career advice for tens of thousands
of educated, highly skilled graduates each year, the invited
CCDs can play an integral role in attracting the Corridor’s
high tech workforce. By showing CCDs the high tech career opportunities
the Corridor provides, FHTCC hopes the Corridor will be one
of the first places they recommend to students looking to start
high tech careers.
Participating companies will have the opportunity to meet with
attending CCDs face-to-face in both formal and informal settings
as well as having their company name and contact information
included in the Career Expo ’08 directory.
If your company is interested in sponsoring and learning about
graduates from more than 100 universities at Career Expo ’08,
please contact Owen Wentworth (owentworth@cfl.rr.com
– 407.399.7286) or Allison DeVito (Allison@cfdc.org
– 863.534.2519).
For more information, visit
http://www.floridahightech.com/careerExpo/default.html.
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Two Corridor University Teams Selected for Autonomous
Vehicle Competition
Teams from the University of Central Florida and the University
of Florida have both been selected to participate in the Urban
Challenge National Qualification Event, a competition which
pits computerized autonomous cars in a race simulating a military
supply mission in a mock-city environment. Sponsored by the
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the central
research organization of the U.S. Department of Defense, the
Urban Challenge offers cash prizes to the top three teams of
$2 million, $1 million and $500,000.
To receive an invitation to the National Qualification Event,
each team’s vehicle passed a site inspection in which
it navigated through moving traffic, merged into busy intersections,
and avoided obstacles without remote control or any human intervention.
The qualifying contest, scheduled for October 26-31, and the
60-mile Urban Challenge to be held on November 3, will take
place at the site of the former George Air Force Base, in Victorville,
California.
For more information, visit http://www.darpa.mil/grandchallenge.
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SRI International Tests
Energy-Producing Buoys in Tampa Bay
The Marine Technology Program division of SRI International
in St. Petersburg has begun testing its wave-powered generators
in Tampa Bay. The buoy system uses an SRI technology called
“electroactive polymer artificial muscle” (EPAM™).
Each buoy is constructed with a coil of EPAM™, which
stretches and contracts with the waves. In current tests the
slinky-shaped coil gives off approximately five watts of electricity
per contraction, though future research and development could
potentially yield buoys with an output of 1,000 watts of power
each. Researchers also believe that by chaining together and
increasing the number of active buoys in the water, a much larger
amount of power could be generated.
Florida Governor Charlie Crist visited the SRI Wave Energy
Buoy as part of his ongoing focus to conserve Florida’s
environment and combat climate change. Earlier that same week,
Crist announced the formation of the Governor’s Action
Team on Energy and Climate Change. The team is responsible for
the development of a statewide greenhouse gas reduction strategy.
For more information, visit
http://www.sri.com/news/releases/080307.html.
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Nanotherapeutics
Develops Oral Drug Delivery System for HIV Vaccine
Nanotherapeutics, a specialty pharmaceutical company, recently
entered into a two-year agreement with the Vaccine Branch of
the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to develop a vaccine for
HIV. The NCI enlisted the Gainesville-based company to formulate
the vaccine in a more effective, oral form utilizing its advanced
technology for bonding nanoparticles and peptides, short molecules
of linked amino acids.
The peptides used in Nanotherapeutics’ process target
certain immune cells of the lower gastrointestinal tract known
as goblet cells, which studies have shown generate a specific
immune response. The noninvasive oral vaccine is expected to
be trialed later this year.
For more information, visit http://www.nanotherapeutics.com/news/pdf/
Nanotherapeutics_National_Cancer_Institute_Cooperative.pdf.
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New Study Shows Tampa Bay’s
Medical Products Industry Contributes Billions
In a study conducted by the University of South Florida Center
for Economic Development Research, Tampa’s booming medical
products industry was shown to have a direct economic impact
of $3.4 billion. With more than 12,000 workers in the Tampa
Bay region, the medical products industry generates a total
income of $889 million.
Comprised of three segments - the pharmaceutical segment, the
biotech segment and the medical device segment - and responsible
for thousands of high wage jobs in the region, Tampa Bay’s
medical products industry has grown exponentially since previous
research findings from a study in 2004. In just three years,
Tampa Bay’s medical products industry has shown an increase
of nearly 65 percent in total economic output, with a 97 percent
growth in the medical devices segment. This year’s study
was commissioned by the Florida Medical Manufacturers’
Consortium, with support from Pinellas County Economic Development
and Tampa Bay Partnership and can be purchased by contacting
the Florida Medical Manufacturers’ Consortium at info@FlaMedMfg.org.
For more information, visit http://www.FlaMedMfg.org.
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Accolades
USF President Genshaft Named Business Woman of the
Year
University of South Florida (USF) President Judy Genshaft has
been named Overall Business Woman of the Year by the Tampa Bay
Business Journal. She also won in the program's Education Category.
In addition to serving as USF’s president, Genshaft was
acknowledged for her work in the community as the 2007 Chair
of the Tampa Bay Partnership and the 2007 Chair-Elect of the
Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce.
UF Researcher is a Finalist in Southeast BIO Competition
Elena Kurenova, Ph.D., a research assistant professor in the
department of surgery at the University of Florida College of
Medicine, has been selected as one of 10 finalists in Southeast
BIO's first annual BIO/Plan Competition. Dr. Kurenova, along
with her mentors from the venture capital community, will create
a business plan to raise money for the development of drugs
that inhibit a certain cancerous protein.
Energy Societies Award USF Professor Highest Honors
D. Yogi Goswami, Ph.D., co-director of the University of South
Florida’s College of Engineering Clean Energy Research
Center, received two prestigious awards for his work in solar
and sustainable energy. The American Solar Energy Society presented
Dr. Goswami with the 2007 Hoyt Clarke Hottel Award, while the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers honored the chemical
engineering professor with the 2007 Frank Kreith Energy Award.
Engineering & Computer Simulations Inc. Awarded
$30 Million Contract
The National Guard Bureau's J-7 Joint Education Division awarded
a $30 million contract for the design production of National
Guard emergency-response training systems to Engineering &
Computer Simulations Inc. (ECS). This is the largest contract
that the company has received and is expected to boost ECS’s
central Florida expansion.
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Did You Know?
Florida’s second quarter total of $127.2 million in venture
capital comes from 15 deals, with about $19 million going to
central Florida. The second quarter also marks the highest national
level of deals since the third quarter of 2001, with 977 deals
worth $7.1 billion.
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Calendar
of Events
The following events are taking place across the Corridor’s
23-county region or in the surrounding area:
Facilities and Information Technology Conference
Presented by: Florida Airports Council
Wednesday, Sept. 5 to Friday, Sept. 7
Sheraton Sand Key Resort
1160 Gulf Blvd., Clearwater
For event information, visit
http://www.floridaairports.org/meetings/meetings.asp?id=23.
Florida Government Technology Conference 2007
Presented by: Florida State University
Tuesday, Sept. 11 and Wednesday, Sept. 12
Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center
505 W Pensacola St., Tallahassee
For event information, visit http://www.floridagtc.com.
Healthcare IT Network: State of the Art Technology
and
Patient Focused Care: Inside Pepin Heart Hospital
Presented by: Pepin Heart Hospital
Wednesday, Sept. 12, 7:30 to 9 a.m.
Pepin Heart Hospital, Wallace Conference Center
3100 E. Fletcher Ave., Tampa
For event information, visit
http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?
e=10a16b5c-166c-40d1-890e-2ef850f57ced. Outlook for Today's Capital Markets
Presented by: The Florida Venture Forum and
82 Degrees Tech
Thursday, Sept. 13, 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Sarasota University Club
1605 Main St., 12th floor, Sarasota
For event information, visit
http://www.floridaventureforum.org/rsvp_post.asp?e_id=59.
Employee Conflict Management Seminar
Presented by: Conflict Management Associates, Inc.
Wednesday, Sept. 19, 8:30 to 10 a.m.
Disney Entrepreneur Center
315 E. Robinson Street, Suite 100, Orlando
For more information, or to RSVP, contact Jesse Davis at (407)894-2004
or jesse@beacone.com. 2nd Annual Business of Biotech
Presented by: H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute
Tuesday, Sept. 25, 7:30 a.m. to noon
Vincent A. Stabile Research Building
12902 Magnolia Dr., Tampa
For event information, visit
http://www.moffitt.org/Site.aspx?spid=
60F9BB0936F44F7390C9CB4AC14E08A8&Date=
Tuesday%2C+September+25%2C+2007. AVI University Professional Series
Presented by: Audio Visual Innovations
Wednesday, Sept. 26, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
International Plaza Resort & Spa
10100 International Drive, Orlando
For event information, visit http://www.aviinc.com/
events/professionalseries/Orlando.asp. Vision: Sustainability by Design
Presented by Maddux Business Report and Ringling College of
Art and Design
Thursday, Oct. 4
Fred’s Restaurant and Ballroom
10670 Boardwalk Loop, Sarasota
For event information, visit http://www.maddux.com/2007/August/insights.asp.
SBIR/STTR Phase I Grant Workshop: Access Government
Funding
Presented by: University of Central Florida-Orange County
Venture Lab
Thursday, Oct. 4, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
UCF’s Research Park: Partnership II
Suite 234, Room 208, Orlando
For event information, contact Kirstie Chadwick at venturelab@mail.ucf.edu. Ninth Annual Southeastern BIO Investor Forum
Presented by: Southeast BIO
Wednesday, Nov. 7 and Thursday, Nov. 8
Pinehurst, One Carolina Vista Drive, Village of Pinehurst, N.C.
For event information, visit
http://www.sebio.org/investorforum/2007.
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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. |
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