June 26, 2008
Students Recognized as Barry Joins Programs Under New Honor Society
The Master of Science in Health Services Administration program at Barry University recently inducted its second class into Upsilon Phi Delta, a national honor society for health services administration students and alumni. The 15 students and alumni inducted join 45 members from last year's inaugural class who, in addition to kicking off the honor society at Barry, also hosted the largest induction ceremony in the history of the national honor society.
Current students, alumni and staff joined to network and celebrate the occasion at a reception held Friday, June 20 in Barry's Landon Student Union. While the event was sponsored by the Master of Science in Health Services Administration program, students from several degree programs are eligible for induction.
These three degree programs - the M.S. in Health Services Administration, the B.S. in Health Services Administration and the M.S. in Public Health - will all unite with other health-related programs under Barry University's new College of Health Sciences beginning July 1, 2008. Dr. Pegge Bell, Dean of the College of Health Sciences, spoke at Friday's event, welcoming these students and alumni.
"Our students have a lot in common and should be in the classroom together, doing community service together, doing research together," she said. "That is easier to do when we're talking about a college instead of schools. Every time I have met someone from health services administration, they've spoken very proudly of it and I'm very proud to have you as a part of the College of Health Sciences."
In addition, Steve Klein, senior vice president for Jackson Health Systems, gave a keynote address - paralleling the challenges of the health care industry with those of the aviation industry. Klein, who is also a member of the Master of Science in Health Services Administration's advisory council, compared issues of safety with those of competencies, communications, training, rules and policies.
In addition to celebrating the honor society induction, the event also acted as a forum for current alumni and students to meet outside the classroom. Since the program's beginning 14 years ago, more than 450 students have graduated from Barry's Master of Science in Health Services Administration program, which was ranked the 16th largest in the country in 2007.
"We are already planning next year's event, and plan to have two events per year," said Dr. Jeff Ritter, assistant professor and honor society academic coordinator. "We will continue to grow and develop the program with guest speakers, networking, fund raising, sponsorship development and a commitment to alumni, honor society members, students and faculty."
Source: Barry University, Florida
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June 17, 2008
Texas A&M University: Mays Business School PhD Graduates Headed to Prestigious Placements
PhD graduates from Mays Business School at Texas A&M University recently finished their formal education and have moved on to new challenges in classrooms of their own. As Mays' placement is among the top for U.S. business schools, it is only fitting that many of its doctoral graduates have been offered teaching positions at acclaimed institutions with high-ranking business programs such as Wharton and Kellogg.
This fall, Anup Srivastava, graduating with his doctorate in accounting, will begin his career at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. Kirsten Cook, Roy Clemons, and Janell Blazovich will also begin their careers as accounting faculty at the University of Arizona-Tucson, Florida Atlantic University, and the University of St. Thomas, respectively.
From the finance department, Phillip Illeditsch will begin his career at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania; Juan (Julie) Wu is set to take on her position at the University of Georgia-Athens; Brooke Stanley will head to Winthrop University; and Semih Tartaroglu will begin at Wichita State University.
In management, Mary Triana will begin her career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Toyah Miller will take on her position at the University of Oklahoma-Norman; R. Michael Holmes is headed to Louisiana State University; Brian Connelly will begin at Auburn University; and Kwanghyun (Harry) Kim will be teaching at California State University-East Bay.
Sujan Dan and Paul Dwyer will represent the Mays marketing department as they begin their academic careers at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and Willamette University in Oregon, respectively.
"The recent placement success of Mays doctoral students is indicative of the outstanding quality of its doctoral programs and the students admitted to these programs," said Rajan Varadarajan, associate dean for research and doctoral programs. Varadarajan added that the Mays Business School faculty members who are involved in the doctoral program are well aware of the competition they face for attracting the best doctoral candidates to Mays, which is why he and his colleagues are constantly striving to improve the quality of the already successful program.
Source: Texas A&M University-College Station
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June 17, 2008
Colorado School of Mines Receives $25,000 for Mineral Law Collection
The Society of Mining Law Antiquarians, in partnership with the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, has established a new endowment at Colorado School of Mines with a $25,000 contribution to Arthur Lakes Library. The RMMLF matched the Society's initial $12,500 gift, enabling Mines to build a robust mining law history collection to be housed in its Russell L. and Lyn Wood Mining History Archive.
The Society of Mining Law Antiquarians/Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Endowed Fund will support the collection of historical materials exploring the origins and evolution of mining law, particularly in the western United States. “This endowment opens new doors for the Wood Mining History Archive,” says Library Director Joni Lerud-Heck. “Such a generous investment in the future of Arthur Lakes Library enables us to assemble a comprehensive collection of mining law materials that will serve as an important resource for the entire community.”
John Lacy, president of the SMLA, said, “We are delighted to partner with the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation to contribute to Mines in this way, and glad to play a part in strengthening the School's mining law resources for the benefit of students, faculty, industry and the broader community.”
Craig Carver, RMMLF president, said, “The Foundation is grateful that Mines has committed to preserving these original sources of Western history, and we know that many of our members – faculty and lawyers alike – will be among those who make good use of these invaluable materials. We look forward to an enduring collaboration with the SMLA and Colorado School of Mines, and appreciate the opportunity to assist the library.”
The Society of Mining Law Antiquarians is an organization of mining lawyers and historians that promotes the preservation of books and materials related to the history of mining law.
The RMMLF is a Colorado-based nonprofit educational organization that provides scholarly research on the laws and issues affecting domestic and international mineral and water resources.
Arthur Lakes Library serves the Colorado School of Mines community and the general public, housing technical materials to support teaching and research in engineering and the applied sciences. The Russell L. & Lyn Wood Mining History Archive houses non-circulating collections of books, journals and other materials that cover mining history throughout the world, with emphasis on the Rocky Mountain region. The mining law collection is the newest addition to the archive's special collections.
Source: Colorado School of Mines
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June 17, 2008
Texas A&M University Management Faculty Edit Record Number of Top Journals
Texas A&M University's Mays Business School is known for the quality of its management research, but in the last year, the stakes have gotten higher: the department now houses three top-rated academic journals and a start-up entrepreneurship journal.
Texas A&M Univversity Distinguished Professor R. Duane Ireland recently began serving as editor of Academy of Management Journal. International business expert Lorraine Eden has taken over the reigns of the Journal of International Business Studies as editor-in-chief. Distinguished Professor Michael A. Hitt is serving as founding co-editor of a new journal in the field of entrepreneurship: the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal. Fouraker Professor Richard W. Woodman has edited the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science since 2005.
Ireland, also Bennett Chair in Business, served as associate editor of the Academy of Management Journal for three years. He has also been associate editor for Academy of Management Executive and consulting editor for Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. He is a Fellow in the Academy of Management, has published more than 70 scholarly articles and is a co-author of 10 books.
Eden is the first woman to serve as editor of the Journal of International Business Studies. Her goals include increasing the number of manuscripts reviewed for publication and amplifying the global scope of the academic journal with more contributions from scholars researching in top universities around the world.
Hitt previously served as editor of Academy of Management Journal, making Mays one of only three schools in the 50-year history of that journal to have had two Academy of Management Journal editors on faculty. His Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal is a new creation sponsored by the Strategic Management Society. That's the same society that publishes the Strategic Management Journal, one of the most influential journals in the management field.
In addition to his editor position on the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Woodman is co-editor of the annual series Research in Organizational Change and Development. He has been on the editorial boards of the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Applied Behavioral Science Review, Journal of Management, and the Journal of Organizational Change Management. He has also served as national program chair and division chair of the Organization Development and Change division of the Academy of Management.
Mays management faculty members are also associate editors and members of editorial boards for some 35 other scholarly publications, including Organization Science, Personnel Psychology, Journal of Management and Journal of Business Venturing. Additionally, they are active researchers, with hundreds of publications to their credit.
"The Mays management faculty has long been dedicated to giving back to the scholarly community through editorial service," Ireland says. "People are asked to serve as members of editorial review boards and are selected as editors on the basis of the quality of their published research...Our management faculty remains widely recognized for the high quality of its research and for its skills in handling editorial responsibilities."
Source: Texas A&M University-College Station
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June 11, 2008
Upper Iowa University: Combining Army Leadership Experience with MBA Beneficial
Upper Iowa University has been selected to provide online master of business administration degrees to transitioning Army officers and NCOs through its Military MBA program.
UIU joins Colorado State University and the University of Virginia Darden School of Business as the only providers of online MBA courses within a consortium of colleges and universities that form the Military MBA program.
"The Military MBA Program continues Upper Iowa University's long-standing service to members of the military," said Online Program Director David Binder. "We are pleased to be co-sponsoring the Military MBA Program with two other outstanding institutions in this endeavor." He added, "Upper Iowa's MBA program is recognized nationally as one of the premier programs for members of the military and their families."
Designed for Army personnel interested in moving up the ranks or transitioning to a future career in business, the Military MBA program provides easy access to some of the nation's best MBA programs delivered on campus or online, including scholarship and financial aid information.
The consensus among active-duty officers is that an MBA degree gave them an edge for promotions or more desirable assignments, while statistics show military MBAs in the private sector are drawing 35% more annual salary than traditional MBA graduates.
The Military MBA Program is supported by the Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP). ACAP provides soldiers and their families with transition and job assistance services on major Army installations and limited long-distance assistance for those not on, or near, an installation.
Source: Upper Iowa University
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June 11, 2008
South Dakota School of Mines & Technology: May R&D Funding More Than $1 Million at School of Mines
School of Mines researchers and professors received more than $1 million in research and development funding during May 2008.
The awards are funding research in departments across campus. Some research is basic, and is designed to create new knowledge or to add to the literature on a given topic. Other research is applied, and is meant to produce real-world products. The School of Mines has placed an emphasis on applied research to benefit the state, region and nation.
The School of Mines, an engineering and science university in Rapid City, is home to several research institutions and centers, and plans are underway to expand the number of graduate degrees and to enhance the technology-transfer process.
The School of Mines boasts a solid research program. During the 2007 fiscal year, researchers and professors received more than $17.1 million in 72 awards from federal and state agencies, from corporations and from direct Congressional appropriations. Since 2001, the School of Mines has received nearly $80 million in Congressional appropriations for research and development.
Source: South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
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June 11, 2008
Colorado School of Mines Receives $250,000 Gift from ConocoPhillips
Colorado School of Mines recently received a $250,000 contribution from ConocoPhillips in support of scholarships and fellowships, student professional organizations and outreach programs at the School. The grant also provides funding for several academic departments.
The largest portion of the gift supports the ConocoPhillips SPIRIT Scholars Program, which provides scholarships to outstanding students and provides them leadership and public service opportunities throughout their college careers. The program provides Mines students with valuable hands-on exposure to ConocoPhillips and the energy industry. In addition to financial assistance, SPIRIT Scholars receive professional development, mentoring, and the opportunity to be considered for internship and full-time positions.
During the 2008-2009 school year, 28 SPIRIT Scholars will participate in the program at Mines. Included among the scholars are undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of chemical engineering, petroleum engineering, mechanical engineering and geophysics.
“ConocoPhillips' continued support for Mines' pioneering energy-related programs and student scholarships is invaluable,” said Mines' President M.W. “Bill” Scoggins. “In addition to the generous funding provided by ConocoPhillips, the School benefits tremendously from the exchange of innovative ideas made possible through this partnership.”
Source: Colorado School of Mines
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June 10, 2008
Iowa State University Construction Engineering Students Help Coordinate Tornado Relief
Iowa State University construction engineering students spent part of a recent weekend cleaning debris left behind by the tornado that hit Parkersburg, New Hartford and other northeast Iowa cities on May 25.
They helped clear damaged trees. They helped sift through wreckage. They sorted debris into garbage and burn piles.
And now they want to encourage and coordinate the ongoing relief efforts of other Iowa Staters.
Cory McDermott, who's from Dubuque and is studying construction engineering in a joint undergraduate and graduate program, said there is incredible need in the Parkersburg area. And he said he knows Iowa Staters have a lot of potential to help. So he and other students in Iowa State's construction engineering program are working to connect those in need with Iowa Staters who want to help.
To sign up, go to the Web site of Iowa State's student chapter of the Associated General Contractors at http://www.stuorg.iastate.edu/agc/ and fill out an online form.
Chapter members will work to match skills with needs, coordinate travel and build groups of volunteers.
"What we're hoping to do is build more of a relationship between the Parkersburg area and the Iowa State community," McDermott said. "We want to let people know there is a need and give them an outlet to help."
Iowa State's student chapter of the national contractor's group has experience with disaster relief.
The past three years, chapter members have spent spring break helping residents of Waveland, Miss., rebuild homes destroyed and damaged by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. The projects they've completed include constructing homes and sheds, pouring concrete, installing wheelchair ramps and building decks.
Those kinds of service projects have earned the chapter three consecutive Outstanding Student Chapter of the Year awards from the Associated General Contractors of America.
Larry Cormicle, Iowa State's Glenn H. DeStigter Scholar in Construction Engineering and the adviser for Iowa State's nearly 200-member student chapter, said the awards are judged strictly by a chapter's commitment to service.
"The spirit of this group is that they believe in helping those in need," Cormicle said. "Our students are just awesome. I'm stunned by what they do for people."
And now they want to use their skills and spirit to help Iowa tornado victims.
"Growing up in Iowa, there have always been tornadoes and tornado watches and warnings," McDermott said. "And I never paid attention. But then when you see massive granite gravestones tossed, houses leveled and trees snapped in half, you understand the intense, awesome power."
The student chapter's tornado relief work is being led by McDermott and three other students majoring in construction engineering: Tim Corcoran, a senior from Sumner, Dave Kubik, a senior from Bettendorf and Landon Streit, a senior from Barnum.
Source: Iowa State University
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June 9, 2008
Argosy University Announces the Opening of Argosy University, Salt Lake City
Argosy University has announced that it will open its 19th campus nationwide in the Salt Lake metropolitan area. With its first day of class slated for September 2, 2008, Argosy University, Salt Lake City will occupy approximately 38,000 square feet at 121 Election Road in Draper, Utah. The school will begin enrolling students immediately.
"We are pleased to offer the unique resources and educational opportunities of Argosy University to the citizens of Utah and the Wasatch Front," said Argosy University President Dr. Craig Swenson. "We are passionate about our mission to provide high quality education to individuals seeking advanced professional education in the behavioral sciences, education and business."
Argosy University, Salt Lake City's initial programs will include: doctoral degree programs in Educational Leadership and Counseling Psychology; master's degree programs in Business Administration, Educational Leadership, and Marriage & Family Therapy; and bachelor's degree programs in Business Administration, and Psychology. The degree programs are designed to develop professional competence, provide personal growth and foster interpersonal effectiveness.
"I am proud of my longstanding affiliation with a fine institution like Argosy University. I am looking forward to providing academic excellence, resources and opportunities that our students around the country have come to expect from us," said Argosy University, Salt Lake City President Dr. Darren Adamson.
Source: Argosy University
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June 6, 2008
California Institute of Technology: Zhen-Gang Wang Receives Feynman Prize for Excellence in Teaching
Zhen-Gang Wang favors the tried-and-true chalkboard for his classroom lectures on thermodynamics and polymer physics. The clarity of these lessons and the admiration of his students have won him this year's Feynman Prize for Excellence in Teaching at the California Institute of Technology.
"What I teach is traditional topics, so I use traditional means," remarks Wang, a professor of chemical engineering at Caltech, adding that he was very pleasantly surprised by the news. "Excellent board work" is just one of many praises listed in student evaluations of Wang's classes. "He engaged me as no lecturer ever had before," says Andrew Downard, who came to Caltech from Notre Dame University for graduate studies in chemical engineering. "The class is a journey to seek the truth with basic postulates and a passionate expert in the field to help steer us."
The Feynman Prize is Caltech's most prestigious teaching honor. With it comes a $3,500 cash award and an equivalent raise in annual salary. Winners are selected by a committee of students, former winners, and other faculty.
Wang started teaching at Caltech 17 years ago, having never before taught or even served as a teaching assistant. He knew he was in trouble after his first class, in statistical mechanics: "The level was unreasonably high--the scores on exams were very low. I learned over the years to adjust the level of the presentation," he remembers. "You have to really understand the material well, from several different angles, and then find the best angle that would be suitable for the students."
The hard work paid off, and across the board Wang's students admire his "uncanny ability to cut to the heart of a question and provide an answer based on fundamentals," according to one. They appreciate how he challenges them to sharpen their questions, and how he "sets the intellectual bar high" but gives them the means to reach it.
"I love teaching," says Wang, adding that he finds a sense of nobleness through training the next generation of scientists and engineers. "I enjoy research and I am devoted to it, but it feels more like a hobby. But my research is theoretical; it doesn't have an immediate impact on society. Through teaching, I feel like I'm having a more direct impact."
"Zhen-Gang is already quietly becoming one of the legends of Caltech," raves Julie Kornfield, a professor of chemical engineering at Caltech who nominated Wang for the prize. "He profoundly affects our students and transforms the way they think. To me he represents the essence of what Caltech is all about."
The Feynman Prize is named after legendary Caltech physics professor Richard Feynman, who wrote, "I don't believe I can do without teaching," in his book Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! The prize is endowed through the generosity of Ione and Robert E. Paradise and an anonymous local couple, to annually honor a professor who demonstrates unusual ability, creativity, and innovation in undergraduate and graduate classroom or laboratory teaching.
Source: California Institute of Technology
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June 6, 2008
South Carolina State University Board of Trustees Name University’s 10th President
The SC State University Board of Trustees has announced today, (June 6, 2008) that Dr. George E. Cooper has unanimously been selected to be SC State’s 10th President. Dr. Cooper will begin his duties on July 1, 2008.
This is a great day in the history of SC State University, said Maurice G. Washington, chairman, SC State University Board of Trustees. The most important decision that a university’s governing body will ever make, is the appointment of its leader. I am proud that we have made an awesome decision.”
Currently, Dr. Cooper serves as the deputy administrator for Science and Education Resources Development with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in Washington, D.C.
“I am honored to be selected as the 10th President of SC State University,” Dr. Cooper said. “I look forward to working with the Board of Trustees, administration, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and stakeholders as we, together move towards academic excellence. It is my intent to establish a creative and participatory campus environment as we embark on defining SC State’s future. Again, I am honored and excited about the transition from Washington to Orangeburg, and to SC State University,” he said.
Source: South Carolina State University
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June 6, 2008
South Dakota School of Mines Baja SAE Team Takes First in Endurance Race
The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology's underclass Baja SAE team finished in first place in the endurance event held during the recent 2008 Baja SAE competition, held at the Caterpillar Edwards Proving Grounds in Peoria, Ill.
The contest pitted the School of Mines against nearly 100 teams from across the country and around the world and tested the team's ability to design, fabricate and race an off-road vehicle.
The School of Mines raced two cars. Car number 7, a new car designed and built by the senior students this year (with assistance from underclassmen), and car number 117, the car built last year and managed by the underclassmen this year. Car number 117 won the endurance event. Car number 117 also won the sales presentation event. Car number 7 was in the design finals and placed in fourth place overall in the design event.
In the overall competition, car number 117 finished in fourth place and car number 7 finished in sixth place. Also, car number 117 scored the highest design report score with 49 out of 50. Car number 7 scored 48 and tied for third place.
Baja SAE simulates real-world engineering design projects and their related challenges. Engineering students are tasked to design and build an off-road vehicle that will survive the severe punishment of rough terrain. The object of the competition is to provide students with a challenging project that involves the planning and manufacturing tasks found when introducing a new product to the consumer industrial market.
Source: South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
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June 5, 2008
The University of Southern Mississippi Awarded $2 Million NIH Grant for Five-Year Walking Study
A $2 million National Institutes of Health grant has been awarded to The University of Southern Mississippi Department of Nutrition and Food Systems for a five-year community-based participatory research intervention to increase walking in Hattiesburg.
Based on a previous successful Department of Nutrition and Food Systems walking study model in another Mississippi community, the community research intervention will include the City of Hattiesburg as a research partner. Southern Miss researchers, in collaboration with a community steering committee, will recruit key community members to assist with the implementation and evaluation of intervention components, including health improvements resulting from an increase in walking.
"Eliminating health disparities, increasing physical activity and reducing the proportion of adults with high blood pressure are all among our nation's key health objectives. Despite these important objectives, evidence-based recommendations are lacking for community-based programs promoting physical activity," said Dr. Kathy Yadrick, chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Systems in the College of Health and principal investigator of the grant.
"With this grant, we hope to see some real health improvements for Hattiesburg residents, but also to learn more about successful approaches that we can in turn share with other communities that place a priority on health of their residents."
The project contains three components that include developing and assessing the community to promote physical activity and healthy food choices, an intervention phase to test the effects on blood pressure and other health indicators from a walking program using social support, and a maintenance phase to determine if motivational enhancement helps individuals to sustain walking after the intervention.
"I am extremely excited about the opportunity to partner with Southern Miss to positively impact the health and wellbeing of our citizens through the grant funded by NIH Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities,” said Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny L. DuPree, PhD. “I am confident that this process will improve the quality of life of our residents, and be the catalyst for change for healthy living for residents across the state.”
The National Institutes of Health grant comes from the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities to promote minority health and lead, coordinate, support and assess the NIH effort to reduce and ultimately eliminate health disparities.
“We are very excited about this award. National Institutes of Health grants are among the toughest federal dollars to win in competitive situations,” said Dr. Cecil Burge, vice president of research and economic development. “This says a lot about the strides this institution is making in terms of the ability of our faculty to compete on a national scale.”
Community-based participatory research plays a direct role in the design and conduct of this project by bringing community members into the study as partners and participants, rather than subjects; using the knowledge of the community to understand health problems and design activities to improve health; connecting community members directly with how the research is done and its results and providing immediate benefits from the results of the research to the community that participated in it.
“We’re also pleased that this project is going to increase the connectivity with our local community, and in the process, we will be able to leverage our research to improve the quality of life for residents,” Burge said.
Source: The University of Mississippi
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June 2, 2008
D'Youville College: New Six Story Building at D'Youville
D’Youville College has started construction of a new six-story, 93,000 square foot academic building. It will be located on the corner of Connecticut and Fargo streets, currently the site of a college parking lot.
The $20 million structure will house classrooms, laboratories, student service, faculty, and college operation offices, conference rooms, and also include facilities for a planned pharmacy program.
Designed by Cannon Design of Grand Island, it will feature modern mosaic precast, brick and glass panels, cultured stone and brick on the exterior with appropriate street landscaping on the Connecticut Street side.
“The building will be designed to allow the addition of features such as a connector and other amenities in the future,” according to Donald G. Keller, vice president of operations at the college.
Parking that will be displaced by the new facility will move to college lots on Connecticut and West Avenue adjacent to the college.
The building will accommodate the increase in students the college has seen during the past decade. In addition to a growing student body of U.S. students, more than 800 Canadians out of approximately 3000 enrolled students currently attend the private college.
“The college has no plans for any major new buildings for the foreseeable future.” Keller said.
D’Youville, currently celebrating its centennial, has invested more than $70 million in its West Side campus over the past 12 years.
Source: D'Youville College, New York
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June 2, 2008
Fairleigh Dickson University: Rothman Institute Presents Awards at Inaugral FDU Innovation Challenge
The Rothman Institute of Entrepreneurial Studies honored students and a staff member for the innovation ideas, products, and services at the inaugural FDU Innovation Challenge on May 7, with first-place winners taking home $1,000 each. The Innovation Challenge is open to all undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty and staff and recognizes bright ideas that add value to society.
Three winners are selected from the graduate level entrants, and three winners are selected from the undergraduate level. First-prize winners get $1,000, second place gets $500, and third place gets $250. One winner is selected in the staff and faculty category and is awarded a $500 prize.
In the graduate category, William Schwartz won with URBIZ.com. URBIZ is a business networking service that would allow users to post profile information about their hobbies, crafts, artwork, trade, or business skills to facilitate collaboration on a product. The process would begin when one user creates a ‘URBIZ Plan’ and identifies what parts of the project he or she is capable of completing. Other users can join the team if they have the skill set needed to complete other aspects of the project. With URBIZ a group of individuals would be able to create a one-of-a-kind product that they could sell on the URBIZ main site.
Two entrants tied for second place; Tess Tomasi with The Power of 99 and Nicholas Vertucci Collaborative Online Story Writing called Stikime.com. Tomasi’s The Power of 99 is a system which would use a $10 per month donation from citizens for two years to help the chronic homeless get back on their feet. The government classifies homeless persons as “chronic” if they have one or more disabilities and are homeless for prolonged periods of time. Recent research indicates that only about 10% of the homeless population is “chronic,” but that they can consume up to 80% of a community’s homeless services, with each one sometimes costing taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars per year in emergency services.
Vertucci’s StikiMe.com is a social-networking website that allows its users to share, collaboratively write, and publish stories about themselves, their experiences, family and friends, or their imaginations. A “stiki” is a story in wiki form. Wikipedia uses wikis to allow anyone to edit online encyclopedia entries. Similarly, StikiMe.com allows users to create, edit, and share stories with others in the StikiMe community.
The third place winner is Terry Hardin with Isolated EMP. The invention would help law enforcement officials to avoid engaging in dangerous high-speed pursuits, which are a high risk for injury and fatality. The idea is to produce two separate devices. One device is a ‘portable’ Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP) generator, with the other device being designed for installation into structures such as over-passes on major freeways and highway routes.
In the undergraduate category, Kenneth T. Betz Jr. earned first prize with his idea, WebSmallBusiness. The idea of Web Small Business is a website hosting and design company that would utilize personalized software specific to the customer’s website that would allow them to make changes in content while still keeping the professional layout and graphics.
Michael McNesby finished second with the Magnetic Vehicular Propulsion System. This system, when installed in transports such as personal vehicles, cargo trucks, and military vehicles by powering vehicles through the use of powerful magnets, would greatly reduce and perhaps eliminate the need for fossil fuels for transportation.
Darlene Branco earned third place for the Flyer’s IntelliCard. The Flyer’s IntelliCard is a smart card that includes all information needed for traveling purposes. It will carry a person’s passport, a person’s identification for traveling domestically, and a person’s boarding pass.
Dr. James Marcum, the University Librarian, was the winner in the faculty and staff category for his innovative idea, the Library College of Inquiry. The idea is a library-supported program of one-credit hour courses in information literacy, reading, inquiry, and professionally- supported short courses offered by librarians and professionals in writing, media, career planning, and other areas where students have needs inadequately addressed by existing curricula. Professional librarians help people with their information needs daily. This is a “next step” toward supporting more extensive inquiries.
The mission of the Rothman Institute of Entrepreneurial Studies of Silberman College of Business is to foster and support entrepreneurship and innovation in the academic and business communities. Since 1989, the Institute has fulfilled its mission by offering innovative academic and outreach programs on the local, regional and increasingly, global levels.
Source: Fairleigh Dickinson University, New Jersey
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