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THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LAUNCHES GAP FUNDING AND MENTORING PROGRAM FOR FACULTY AND STUDENT TEAMS

“Ideas Empowered” Program Provides $50k and Mentoring
for Proof-of-Concept Experiments and Prototype Development

LOS ANGELES (June 8, 2010) – The University of Southern California today announced the launch of the USC “Ideas Empowered” program, a new two-year pilot program managed by the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation designed to bridge the gap between ideas and the marketplace, and to support the hand-on participation of students in that process. The Ideas Empowered program will help identify the most exciting and game-changing ideas arising from research at USC, reduce the development and investment risks around these promising early discoveries, and bring together the elements necessary to translate the discoveries to the market. 

This program will support both the idea and the innovator through mentoring and coaching, connections to resources, and funding of typically $50K for proof-of-concept experiments and prototype development. This program is open to all full-time tenure-track or non-tenure track faculty. Teams can include USC faculty, students and staff members. 

“Many barriers prevent academic ideas from turning into real products, companies, and organizational change. Most notably, there is a well-recognized ’funding gap’ between idea and seed-stage investing that makes it difficult for university innovators to complete technical viability and proof-of-concept work,” said Krisztina “Z” Holly, Vice Provost for Innovation at the University of Southern California and the Executive Director of the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation. “The Ideas Empowered program will support groundbreaking projects emerging from USC research that, with a small amount of funding, some mentoring, and other programmatic support, could “spin out” of the university within a year or two and have great impact.”

The Ideas Empowered program has already attracted an influential board of Charter Members, including James C. Blair, General Partner at Domain Associates; Ken Klein, USC Trustee and President of Wind River; David Lane, General Partner at ONSET Ventures; Andy Rappaport from the Rappaport Family Foundation and a General Partner at August Capital; and Mark Stevens, USC Trustee and General Partner at Sequoia Capital. The invitation-only group of Charter Members is helping architect and financially support the program. They will join a larger group of experts on and off campus who will also help review proposals and mentor projects.
Applications will be assessed on the level of commitment and quality of the team, the level of potential scalability and economic and societal impact of the proposed project, the novelty and feasibility of the idea, and the level to which the program adequately matches the project needs to attract outside investment. Priority will be given to teams with pioneering ideas, and committed team including at least one student researcher, and a feasible plan to attract investment within a year or so.


Successful projects could spin out in a number of ways: attracting investment to establish a high-growth start-up company, licensing to a corporation that invests resources to turn the intellectual property into a new product or service, or scaling a new model for organizational change.

Applications for the Ideas Empowered program are due on June 30, 2010. To apply, and for more information, visit: http://stevens.usc.edu/ideasempowered.php

Added Holly, “USC is one of the most creative, entrepreneurial, and diverse communities on earth. The Ideas Empowered program has been conceptualized and built upon a proven model, improved and adapted for the diversity and depth at USC. We look forward to seeing the wide variety of ideas we can support through this program.”

USC is a leading research university with more than $560M annual research expenditures in broad areas including wellness and health, digital media, energy, and physical sciences.

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About the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation
The USC Stevens Institute for Innovation (http://stevens.usc.edu) is a university-wide resource in the Office of the Provost at the University of Southern California designed to harness and advance the creative thinking and breakthrough research from USC for societal impact. The USC Stevens Institute identifies, nurtures, protects, and transfers to the market the most exciting innovations from USC, and in turn, provides a central connection for industry seeking cutting-edge innovations in which to invest. Furthermore, USC Stevens Institute develops the innovator as well as innovations, through educational programs, community-building events, and showcase opportunities.

About the University of Southern California
Located in Los Angeles, a global center for arts, technology and international trade, the University of Southern California is one of the world’s leading private research universities. USC enrolls more international students than any other U.S. university and offers extensive opportunities for internships and study abroad. With a strong tradition of integrating liberal and professional education, USC fosters a vibrant culture of public service and encourages students to cross academic as well as geographic boundaries in their pursuit of knowledge.

Media Contacts:
Elisa Schreiber
University of Southern California
213-821-6063
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

 

Join Dean Ernest J. Wilson III for a discussion with Jaron Lanier, USC Annenberg’s 2010 Innovator in Residence. His topic: “Self and reality: Finding clarity in the digital noise.” Jaron Lanier is a computer scientist, composer, visual artist, and well-known author and speaker. He currently serves as partner architect at Microsoft Research, which he has been affiliated with since 2006. Time magazine named Lanier one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2010, and in 2005 Lanier was selected as one of the world's top 100 public intellectuals by readers of Prospect and Foreign Policy magazines. Lunch will be served. RSVP requested. To RSVP, email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Time: 12 noon.
Location: Annenberg Room 207.

 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release August 04, 2010    

13 winners from across the country visit White House to receive Presidential award for exemplary service for their fellow citizens

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama will welcome to the White House the 13 winners of the 2010 Citizens Medal, the nation’s second-highest civilian honor.

“What unites these citizens – what makes them special – is the determination they share to find a wrong and right it; to see a need and meet it; to recognize when others are suffering and take it upon themselves to make a difference,” said President Obama.  “These honorees’ lives stand as shining examples of what it means to be an American.  And today, we have an opportunity to tell their stories; to say thank you; and to offer them a small token of our appreciation.”

The Citizens Medal was established in 1969 to recognize American citizens who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens.  This year, President Obama chose to use the 2010 Citizens Medal to recognize Americans whose work has had a significant impact on their communities but may not have garnered national attention.  In a video message in January, the President called on members of the public to nominate people in their lives who have performed exemplary deeds of service, including:

•      individuals who have a demonstrated commitment to service in their own community,
•      who have helped their country or their fellow citizens through one or more extraordinary acts,
•      whose service relates to a long-term or persistent problem, and/or
•      whose service has had a sustained impact on others’ lives and provided inspiration for others to serve.

The recipients of the 2010 Citizens Medal are:

Roberta Diaz Brinton, Los Angeles, CA
Roberta Diaz Brinton has devoted her time and talents to improving science and technology education for Los Angeles students.  As Director of the University of Southern California’s Science, Technology and Research (STAR) Program, Brinton has opened the doors of opportunity for thousands of disadvantaged and minority inner-city youth.  Brinton receives the Citizens Medal for encouraging America’s next generations to reach for the stars.

Daisy M. Brooks, Chicago, IL
When a pregnant teenager with no place to stay arrived at her door, Daisy Brooks welcomed the young woman in.  What followed was a lifelong commitment to helping many of North Chicago’s young mothers and their infants.  Brooks opened Daisy’s Resource and Developmental Center to serve as a dormitory, school, and catalyst for young women to improve their lives.  Brooks receives the Citizens Medal for offering guidance and support to young women across Chicago.

Betty Kwan Chinn, Eureka, CA
Touched by childhood tragedy, Betty Chinn brings hope to those who have fallen on hard times.  Left homeless as a child in China, Chinn became mute.  When she came to America, she found both her voice and her mission:  aiding those without shelter on our own shores.  Today, Chinn provides meals twice a day as expressions of gratitude to a welcoming nation.  Chinn receives the Citizens Medal for renewing America’s promise by serving those in need.

Cynthia M. Church, Wilmington, DE
Cynthia Church turned a personal battle with cancer into a force for progress and change.  Dismayed by the lack of resources for women of color with breast cancer, Church founded Sisters on a Mission, Inc, an African-American breast cancer support network in Delaware.  Church receives the Citizens Medal for confronting the scourge of this terrible disease and working to halt its spread.

Susan Retik Ger, Needham, MA
Susan Retik Ger understands the importance of empowering women touched by personal tragedy.  After losing her husband on September 11, 2001, she found cause in educating and training Afghan widows and their children.  Her strength of spirit has healed hearts, fostering mutual understanding and brightening our common future.  Retik Ger receives the Citizens Medal for advancing women’s rights and demonstrating the power of America’s ideals.

Mary K. Hoodhood, Grand Rapids, MI
Physical limitations have not hindered Mary K. Hoodhood’s determination to strengthen her community.  Though a car accident left her paralyzed, Hoodhood began volunteering to feed the hungry through her local Meals on Wheels program.  In 2001, Hoodhood founded Kids’ Food Basket which provides meals to thousands of children in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area.  Hoodhood receives the Citizens Medal for her remarkable efforts to nourish our nation’s children.

Kimberly McGuiness, Cave Spring, GA
Parent and advocate, Kimberly McGuiness has been a true champion for deaf students.  Her persistent letters, phone calls, and visits to state legislators helped spur the passage of Georgia’s Deaf Child’s Bill of Rights.  She has led workshops, counseled parents, and changed lives, raising awareness and support for deaf education.  McGuiness receives the Citizens Medal for demonstrating the results one citizen can achieve for an entire community.

Jorge Muñoz, New York City, NY
Jorge Muñoz recognizes that we all have a stake in one another.  By giving his time, energy, and resources to feeding the hungry, he has demonstrated the enduring American values of sacrifice and kindness.  Muñoz receives the Citizens Medal for his service and dedication to creating a more hopeful tomorrow for the less fortunate among us.

Lisa Nigro, Chicago, IL
Beginning with a wagon full of coffee and sandwiches, Lisa Nigro’s mission to aid those living on the streets of Chicago has inspired us all.  Her wagon gave way to a restaurant for homeless men and women, expanding with partner organizations to provide housing, job training, and vital support to Chicagoans affected by poverty.  Nigro receives the Citizens Medal for her tireless service to her fellow citizens.

MaryAnn Phillips, Star Valley Ranch, WY
Caring for America’s injured service members, MaryAnn Phillips embodies strength and grace.  An American citizen living in Germany, Phillips volunteers with Soldiers Angels at Landstuhl Air Force Base.  She spends countless hours at the bedsides of our wounded warriors and their families, caring for them, encouraging them, and grieving with them.  Phillips receives the Citizens Medal for putting her patriotism into action on behalf of our troops and our nation.

Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam, Shaftsbury, VT
Devoted to preserving our nation’s public lands, Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam has inspired thousands of America’s youth to protect our natural bounty.  Her vision to offer land restoration and maintenance service opportunities became a reality with the birth of the Student Conservation Association.  Putnam receives the Citizens Medal for helping ensure that our nation’s treasured public lands are enjoyed by future generations.

 
Myrtle Faye Rumph, Inglewood, CA
For decades, Myrtle Faye Rumph has lent her talent and compassion to impacting the lives of at-risk youth.  Her commitment to reducing gun and gang violence in her community has steered countless young people away from dangerous habits, and altered the course of their futures.  Rumph receives the Citizens Medal for replacing violence and despair with a beacon of hope and humanity.

Geo. J. Weiss, Jr., Marine, MN
George Weiss, Jr., a veteran of World War II and the United States Marine Corps, reflects our nation’s generous and selfless heart.  In 1979, he founded the Fort Snelling Memorial Rifle Squad, which today consists of more than 125 volunteers who have performed final military honors for more than 55,000 deceased veterans.  Weiss receives the Citizens Medal for his extraordinary service to our nation’s veterans and their families.

For more information click here

Component 1: STAR High School Research Program

The USC STAR Program enables Bravo High School students to conduct two years of continuous intensive inquiry-based science research experience and ensures that students endeavoring to learn the rigors of scientific exploration can proceed uninterrupted for a full two years. The partnership between the USC STAR Programs and the USC STAR Summer Research Program provides an uninterrupted flow of scientific learning and research during which students develop the skills and character necessary to conduct significant scientific research. In addition, the USC STAR Summer Research Program provides financial support to economically disadvantaged students who are compelled, due to their economic circumstances, to earn an income during the summer months. 83% of all students at Francisco Bravo High School fall within the poverty range according to federal standards. As the majority of STAR students are the first in their families to attend college the STAR Program also assists its students with the college/university application and financial aid application process. STAR mentors also provide letters of recommendation.
Over 100 articles and abstracts on research conducted by STAR students have been published in peer reviewed scientific journals such as the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences and the Journal of Neurobiology. 100% of all USC STAR students go on to attend 4 year colleges and universities, the majority to top tier universities such as the University of Southern California, Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, Stanford, Johns Hopkins University, Dartmouth and the Universities of California. 81% of those students who have graduated from university have gone onto to pursue graduate and professional school studies, 92% in health and science related fields. Further, the STAR Program’;s record of success stands in stark contrast to the National Assessment of Educational Progress committee’s finding that California’s primary and secondary students ranked last in science literacy among 40 states tested. Latinos and Blacks scored particularly poorly, especially in California, again ranking last.

Component 2: STAR I Biomedical Research Course

The STAR I Biomedical Research course consists of a cognitive emphasis in conjunction with developing laboratory research skills used presently in conducting scientific research at USC. As part of this course, USC faculty educate both the teacher and students to use computing and communications technology for effective teaching and learning, and to use these capabilities to create a more interesting, dynamic and interactive learning experience. Teachers learn practical knowledge enabling them to use advanced technologies to improve student learning in science while both teacher and student are working in an advanced immersive learning environment.

Component 3: USC - Francisco Bravo Science Fair

The USC STAR Program has also given over 15,000 Francisco Bravo High School students the opportunity to do a science research project, mentored by USC Life Sciences graduate students. The students then present their science projects at the STAR sponsored USC Bravo Science Fair. Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School has no admission requirements. 60% of its students come from the surrounding community and 40 % are admitted by lottery and come from the greater Los Angeles area. Science fair projects provide students an opportunity to inquire about the relationship between variables, be inspired by a scientific problem, to design a strategy to investigate a scientific issue and to put their own experimental design into action. USC graduate students mentor over 1,000 Bravo High School students in the preparation of their science fair project and Students experience problem-based science learning through hypothesis testing, experimental design, problem solving and data analysis, under the mentorship of a USC graduate student. In addition, science projects offer students the opportunity to practice and improve written and oral communication skills. During the process of conducting the initial phases of the project students learn strategies for gathering and organizing information using libraries and the Internet. In addition, students often seek input of health and science professionals to provide information, materials and equipment for their project. Together, these experiences provide them with a set of information gathering skills applicable to a wide range of problems and topics.
Because Bravo’s student population is approximately 60% female and 50% Hispanic, approximately 600 projects will be conducted by female students and close to 500 of the science fair projects will be conducted by Hispanic students.

Component 4: Mentorship Training for Graduate Students and STAR Students

Currently, there is very little opportunity for the upcoming generation of scientists to develop skills in mentoring, to develop a familiarity with the practicalities of establishing working relationships with the educational system in the community and to develop skills in communicating science to an audience that is broad in both age and science literacy. This program is designed to mentor and educate the next generation of scientists in the development of these skills. These graduate students and USC STAR high school students should then assume leadership of science education efforts as part of their careers as successful scientists.

Component 5: Murchison Elementary School: Integrative Science and Mentoring

The USC STAR Program’s “Science and Mentoring — an Integrative Approach at Murchison Elementary School” integrates science and science education skills into the entire elementary school course curriculum and mentoring skills into the curriculum of university undergraduate and graduate students, high school and elementary school students. This innovative program brings together elementary school teachers, university professors, graduate and undergraduate students and high school students to create an educational partnership that combines the resources of educational institutions and yields an enriched learning environment and experience for all participants.
Murchison Elementary School science education modules each incorporate multiple problem based learning exercises and experiments demonstrating scientific principles and the discipline of scientific discovery. Each module is based on the material personally presented by a USC scientist at Murchison Elementary School. After the USC scientist"s on site presentation, students will then conduct their own problem based experiments while being mentored in this endeavor by USC undergraduate and graduate students and high school STAR students. Following the students” problem–based learning exercises and experiments students then, via web based interactive conferencing technologies, follow the scientist in his/her laboratory as they and their research team conduct an experiment directly related to the material covered in the scientist’s personal visit. In addition to the scientist that students have personally met, the research team consists of those graduate, undergraduate and high school STAR students who have mentored Murchison students during the course of their experiments. Murchison students are able to interact, in real time, in the research laboratory with the scientists and mentors they have personally interacted with in their classroom. The integrated science education team and curriculum reinforces the continuum of scientific exploration and strengthens the role modeling impact of scientists and graduate, undergraduate and high school student mentors.

Component 6: Elementary and Middle School Teacher Education

An integral component of the USC STAR science education outreach program is an ongoing and concurrent elementary teacher science education program and an intensive summer science and engineering education and research program for El Sereno Middle School and Murchison Elementary School teachers. USC Rossier School of Education specialists in elementary and science education join with community education and assessment experts to formulate specific elementary and middle school teacher education instruction plans. Included in the teacher education curriculum is a comprehensive review of the most current and effective elementary science education pedagogical skills. These plans also address the unique skills necessary for successful science education instruction of a principally minority and economically disadvantaged student population. Teachers also learn effective science and engineering pedagogical skills by hands on learning through science and engineering module implementation, guided by scientists and professional science educators.
In addition, Murchison Elementary and El Sereno Middle School teachers tour the laboratories of the USC scientists who present science modules to their students and learn the scientific research background of those modules. Teachers are also taught effective use and integration of computers into their pedagogy and the technological knowledge necessary to implement computers and web based real time interactive conferencing technologies into their classroom and curriculum.

From Bedside to Bench: The Curious Course of Medical Device Development

Wednesday, April 21
12:00 Noon - 1:00PM

Aresty Auditorium
Harlene J. Norris Cancer Research Tower
1450 Biggy Street, Lower Ground Level

A light lunch and refreshments will be served prior to the seminar

Guest Speaker
Stephen N. Oesterle, M.D.

Host: Dr. Mark Humayun, Professor of Ophtalmology & Biomedical Engineering

Reserve your space online at www.usc.edu/esvp Code: Oesterle

Webinar: Government Research Funding Programs that Support University-Industry Collaborations at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)
Wednesday, April 21, 4:00-5:00pm ET (1:00-2:00pm PT)
More

Upcoming Webinars
Webinar: SBIR Programs Series: The Department of Energy (DOE)
Wednesday, April 14, 12:00-1:00pm ET (9:00-10:00am PT)
More

April 13, 2010
University of Southern California
USC Bovard Auditorium

REQUEST AN INVITATION

TEDxUSC “Ideas Empowered” Conference

Think of TEDxUSC as a retreat with 1200 of your smartest friends. A time to explore new ideas, get inspired by visionary thinkers, and gain exposure to concepts and innovations you may not have ever seen before. A time to check-out from the day-to-day routine, and enter an afternoon of intellectual adventure.

And true to the format of the TED conference, TEDxUSC presenters will give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes or less.

TEDxUSC 2010 promises to be even more inspiring, jaw-dropping, and entertaining than ever before. The surprise presenter line-up will fascinate and delight guests, with mind-blowing technology demos, captivating talks, and stirring musical performances.

There are no breakout sessions. Everyone at TEDxUSC will share the same experience. Because of this, there are no “in-and-outs”. Once the doors close, they stay closed until the end.

TEDxUSC is an invitation-only event. To request an invitation for the 2010 TEDxUSC conference, click here.

WHAT HAPPENED AT TEDxUSC 2009?
As the first to pioneer the TEDx program, the University of Southern California is the place where it all began.

In 2009, the TEDxUSC “Ideas Empowered” conference brought the spirit of the TED conference to USC – hosting some of the world’s smartest thinkers, greatest visionaries, and most fascinating teachers to inspire a better understanding of the world and create a better future.

TEDxUSC reached nearly 50,000 people through outreach efforts, filled USC’s Bovard auditorium to capacity at 1200, and the four TEDxUSC talks that have been posted to TED.com have been seen by more than a half million people worldwide (that’s 6 Coliseums full!)

Since TEDxUSC 2009, we have helped to create a model for a worldwide TEDx experience, helping kick off a world-wide success story through hundreds of smaller “TEDx” events in over 60 different countries.

Here’s how the day will run:

FORMAL PROGRAM:
The TEDxUSC formal program takes place in USC’s Bovard Auditorium. Modeled after the TED Conference, TEDxUSC features a fast-paced afternoon of rapid-fire simulation and thought provoking interstitial content from talks, short films, musical performances and technology demos.

RECEPTION:
TEDxUSC reception immediately follows the formal program. Taking place at Town & Gown, just a short walk from Bovard, the reception is a highlight of the event, chock-full of interactive and highly engaging art installations, progressive media demos and other hands-on experiences. It’s a fully catered, engaging, and one of the most important parts of the TEDxUSC experience.

REGISTRATION and MUSIC IN THE PARK:
Pick up your badge early and join us for Music in the Park! During registration hour, TEDxUSC guests will enjoy a picnic lunch and live music in Alumni Park, right in front of Bovard. The live jazz ensemble includes students from the USC Thornton School of Music, and is hosted in partnership with USC Spectrum.
Sandwiches will be available for $5, and side salads will be available for $3. The picnic lunch is catered by Lemonade and subsidized by USC Spectrum.

CUSTOMER SERIVICE:
Questions
Elisa Schreiber
Please use email for all registration questions: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Please do not call with registration issues. Phone messages regarding registration will not be returned.

TICKET INFORMATION:
Ticket prices:
General Admission: $85
USC Faculty: $60
USC Students: $25

Tickets can be picked up at the registration booth before the event.

There are no refunds for tickets.

PRIVACY POLICY
USC is committed to the responsible use of personal information collected from and about students, faculty, staff, business partners and others who provide such information to us and in compliance with both state and federal regulations concerning the use of personal information.

Click here to download the USC Privacy Policy.

http://stevens.usc.edu/programs_grants.php

In an effort to enhance innovation in the classroom, the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation launched the first series of “Innovation Inside” curriculum grants. At $2000 each, these awards recognize selected faculty that are enhancing their existing undergraduate and/or graduate coursework in experimental ways to best foster a culture of innovation and cultivate innovative traits and skills in USC students. Developed as a pilot, this intentionally small and highly-selective grant program is designed to establish a diverse cadre of faculty who emphasize innovation in their curriculum, and are interested in exploring different ways to teach the process. At the culmination of the program, Innovation Inside” award recipients will deliver a short description of key findings from their project, as well as participate in a 1-day summit to share their experiences and lessons learned with other awardees, peers, mentors and innovators. Learn more about the 2007 award recipients.

 

http://stevens.usc.edu/programs_support.php

USC Law School Small Business Clinic
The USC Law School Small Business Clinic (SBC) provides basic corporate legal assistance to small businesses, entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations that cannot afford to pay market rates for legal services. The purpose of the SBC is to give students hands-on experience handling transactional legal problems while providing assistance to small business owners in the greater Los Angeles area. The SBC provides an opportunity for these businesses to get legal guidance on what type of entity to form and assistance in forming a corporation or an LLC, to implement legal protections and to obtain guidance in complying with a variety of legal requirements, without the high costs of business legal services. For more information, click here.

Every semester, the USC Stevens Institute helps to identify candidates for this clinic and selects eight students to become clients. If you would like to be considered for this program, please download the fill-in PDF application here and e-mail it to Polai Av at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with subject: USC SBC.

Keck School faculty member Jeffrey Upperman and Pharmacy Faculty members Roberta Diaz-Brinton, Bangyan Stiles and post-doc Jennifer-Ann Bayan are featured in a recently released report intended to show policymakers how American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding of medical research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is improving health and the economy.

The “Investing in Discovery” report, produced by United for Medical Research (UMR), a coalition of leading research institutions, patient and health advocates, and private industry, was released just before the one-year anniversary of ARRA’s enactment. USC is a UMR member.

The report includes video stories from researchers, administrators and patients that demonstrate how the $10.5 billion infusion of funds is creating and preserving jobs, helping to reduce long-term health care costs, and laying the foundation for industry growth.

Upperman is director of the trauma program at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and an Associate Professor at the Keck School of Medicine. Brinton is professor of pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences and biomedical engineering at the School of Pharmacy, and the Director of the Center for Scientific Translation for the Los Angeles Basin Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (LAB-CTSI). Stiles is associate professor, pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences.

To watch their video stories, visit http://www.investingindiscovery.com/#/scientiststories, then click on the proceed button.

By Krisztina “Z” Holly, Special to CNN
January, 29, 2010
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/01/29/holly.innovation.universities/

Editor’s note: Krisztina “Z” Holly is vice provost for innovation at the University of Southern California and executive director of the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation, where she leads a multidisciplinary approach to help faculty and students bring innovations to the market and develop their skills as innovators. She formerly served as the founding executive director of MIT’s Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation.

(CNN)— On Monday, President Obama will post his much-anticipated federal budget for fiscal year 2011. And as America reviews the plan, few issues will be as critical as how it addresses job creation.

Fortunately, an opportunity to solve our job crisis lies right under our noses.

Currently, the federal government is investing nearly $50 billion a year on university research—yet barely a dime on university programs to help translate the most promising ideas into new businesses and employment opportunities. That’s like turning up the water pressure but never opening up the faucet.

Thought leaders in academia, industry, and the public sector have collaborated to develop a policy proposal called IMPACT, which I recently presented at a forum on Capitol Hill. This proposal would expand our country’s capacity to harness innovation to create real impact—impact in the form of high-paying jobs.

Academic research has driven many of the most vital technological advancements and industries of the last 50 years. Imagine the world without the benefits of the Internet. Or biotechnology, sparked by Stanford’s invention for recombinant DNA. Or the semiconductor industry, enabled in part by the “Mead and Conway revolution” from Caltech and MIT and the MOSIS IC fabrication platform at the University of Southern California.

Meanwhile, as a Wall Street Journal column highlighted recently, private industry has shied away from basic research since the heyday of companies like Bell Labs. Accordingly, the Obama administration has stepped up its commitment to science and technology.

Without question, investing in pioneering research is more important than ever for our country now, as we work harder to maintain—or even regain—the technological leadership we’ve been losing to other countries.

Yet, according to the Labor Department, over 15 million Americans are out of work and 7.2 million have lost their jobs in the last two years. Ask one of them about funding for basic research and they might say, “Sounds fancy, but unless that test tube is cooking up my next mortgage payment or kid’s college tuition, what’s in it for me?” It can be hard to make the case when world-changing ideas take such a long time to make it to market.

A U.S. Census Bureau report earlier this year demonstrated that new ventures are a critical part of job creation. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke is quite clear on the subject: in the last three decades, he said in a speech recently, startups have accounted for nearly all increased employment in the American private sector. In other words, if you want job growth, create businesses.

Here’s where higher education already has made a real difference. University-launched startups are particularly good powerhouses for value creation; Brent Goldfarb and Magnus Henreksen found in 2003 that at least 8 percent of university spin-offs in the United States become public companies, more than 100 times the average of new companies.

In 2007 alone, more than 550 companies spun out and more than 650 products made it to market from universities nationwide. This means that the next high-growth company is likely to be lurking in a university laboratory near you.

But here’s the catch: University inventions and new technologies face major hurdles on their path from research to market. And for every groundbreaking invention that makes it, dozens of others are left on the shelf, waiting to be put to work.

IMPACT is a pilot initiative that would invest a small amount of federal funding—$2 million per program at 10 local demonstration sites—to identify best practices for coaxing breakthrough ideas out of universities, and to develop objective metrics for measuring results. The ultimate goal is to expand the program to all eligible universities, so Americans everywhere who are eager to work can share in the benefits these new businesses can create.

At the University of Southern California, through the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation, we have already seen how a renewed focus on accelerating innovation can impact the economy.
At least 24 USC-bred businesses are in operation. In 2009, just seven of those startups reported a combined revenue exceeding $30 million; we believe the total of all 24 companies to be far greater. Moreover, in the last two years, 16 of the spin-offs raised at least $148 million in financing. And, importantly, these companies employ approximately 500 full-time employees, more than half locally in Los Angeles.

These initiatives work. They have created businesses, revenues and jobs. We hope to see IMPACT, or its key initiatives, in the nation’s fiscal year 2011 budget so we can create a scalable model to turn more ideas into jobs as soon as possible.

The university innovation process is too critical to be left to chance. By harnessing these ideas and resources, we can open the tap for another 50 years of great economic growth in America.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Krisztina “Z” Holly. For more information about the proposal, click here

http://stevens.usc.edu/read_article.php?news_id=566

By Steven Linan

Born decades after the devastating 1940 collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and on the other side of the earth, Omid Nohadani is developing mathematical methodology to ensure such a catastrophe never happens again.

A physicist’s son, Nohadani moved from his native Iran to Germany at age 12 and became a groundbreaking physicist himself. He is at the forefront of the relatively new field of robust optimization — a modeling methodology that uses computational tools to address optimization problems in which the data is uncertain.

Earning his Ph.D. in physics at USC College in 2005, Nohadani will take his research to his new post as assistant professor at Purdue University.

For nearly four years, Nohadani has conducted postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Medical School, where he has advanced his work on robust optimization. The field’s real-world applications could prevent bridges from collapsing due to errors that in the case of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington was later referred to as a blind spot.

The calamity occurred four months after construction because engineers failed to take into account the effects of vertical side winds.

“After these side winds, the bridge started to vibrate like the strings of a guitar,” Nohadani said during a telephone interview from Cambridge. “You can’t just blindly design. You have to take errors into account.”

Nohadani said he built a strong research foundation at USC College. After earning his bachelor’s and master’s in psychics with a minor in philosophy at the University of Bonn in Germany, he chose the College because of his interest in theoretical research and the opportunity to work with Stephan Haas, a highly respected physicist in the field.

“For the particular kind of research I wanted to do, USC was the best choice,” he said. “And because of the family atmosphere, I quickly felt at home. It became my scientific home.”

Haas, professor of physics and astronomy, said Nohadani’s success was a result of his former student’s intellectual independence and originality in research.

“We like to prepare our graduate students as much as we can to develop these characteristics,” said Haas, Nohadani’s academic adviser. “In my experience, successfully struggling with hard research problems at the beginning of a career is an excellent way of gaining the resourcefulness and independence that one looks for in a prolific scientist.”

Nohadani said USC was among the first universities to establish a high-performance computing center (HPCC) to solve scientific problems.

“They brought in 20 to 30 computers to create a parallel machine at HPCC, and I was one of the first users on the computational side,” he said. “By the time I graduated, this machine was the second-largest academic computer in the world. I was a graduate student and allowed to be part of all of that.”

While at USC, Nohadani was appointed Graduate Student in Residence by the Office of the Provost. In that post, he served as a resource for all graduate and professional students and as a liaison with USC administration and faculty.

“This opportunity sharpened my leadership skills significantly,” he said.

Nohadani looks forward to continuing other crucial research in nanophotonics and ultrafast optics at Purdue. He also uses robust optimization techniques to improve treatment for cancer patients at the Massachusetts General Hospital. His treatment plan takes into account all phases of breathing during radiation, in particular for lung cases. Organ motion during breathing can compromise the effects of radiation.

“This is a mathematical model that has very, very wide applications,” he said. “It can be applied to building bridges, to treating cancer, to assessing the stock market. The model is emerging and finding its way into real life.”

He credited USC College for helping him to reach his current success.

“Nowhere else in the world could I as a graduate student have been able to carry on the kind of research I did there,” he said. “The opportunity was unique.”

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Universities lead technological innovation but is the government following?

Universities lead technological innovation but is the government following?