GSA Technology Council

Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) has become Clemson University’s first Motorsports Innovation Partner, providing the company preferred access to faculty, students, facilities and equipment related to motorsports and automotive research.

Clemson President James F. Barker and DEI Inc. chief executive Teresa Earnhardt sign the agreement creating the motorsports initiative.DEI Chief Executive Officer Teresa Earnhardt and Clemson University President James F. Barker signed a memorandum of understanding to create the formal research and higher education partnership.

Initially, the unique partnership will be driven by proprietary motorsports engineering research projects involving Clemson University faculty, researchers and graduate students, along with the funding of student scholarships and internship opportunities.

The Dale Earnhardt Foundation will fund an annual undergraduate scholarship honoring the memory of Dale Earnhardt Sr. for students interested in motorsports and automotive engineering. Clemson officials have selected William Howard Bostic III of Sissonville, West Virginia, as the first recipient of the Dale Earnhardt Motorsports Scholarship. Bostic is a rising senior majoring in mechanical engineering. (See related story.)

The Dale Earnhardt Foundation will provide $13,000 annually for a total minimum pledge of $39,000 to establish a three-year undergraduate scholarship for a student in the College of Engineering and Science. In addition, students selected to receive the scholarship will be eligible for internships with DEI.

Teresa Earnhardt said the relationship with Clemson is in keeping with the missions of both DEI and the Dale Earnhardt Foundation to foster education and to assure that the company and the motorsports industry will benefit from highly motivated, technically competent leaders and employees in the future.

“The work to create the relationship that formally begins today started President James F. Barker, DEI Inc. CEO Teresa Earnhardt and DEI Inc. president of global operations Max Siegel stand in front of one of the DEI carsmore than a year and a half ago,” said Earnhardt. “That investment in time and effort has produced a partnership with unlimited potential.

“In Clemson’s International Center for Automotive Research, we have the resources of a world-class institution with the capability and commitment to help us develop technical innovations that will continue the winning tradition of Dale Earnhardt Inc.”

She said, “I have no doubt that the work of Clemson University and Dale Earnhardt Inc. will produce remarkable results and years from now will be considered the model for how a racing organization and a research university can collaborate for the sake of progress.

“The partnership also provides a great match for the mission of The Dale Earnhardt Foundation. The Dale Earnhardt Motorsports Scholarship will support the education of deserving students and it will be these motivated, talented individuals who will continue the legend.”

Clemson is recognized as a leader in motorsports and automotive engineering education. Its undergraduate program in mechanical engineering offers students real-world experiences through a competitive curriculum augmented by a cooperative education and internship program. Students also can compete in two automotive design projects: SAE Mini-Baja and Formula SAE through the Society of Automotive Engineers. The Carroll A. Campbell Jr. Graduate Engineering Center at the CU-ICAR campus in Greenville, S.C., offers the nation’s only master’s and doctoral graduate degree programs in automotive engineering and unique research and testing resources.

Barker emphasized the value to the university and its students in partnering with one of the motorsports industry’s leading organizations.

“This partnership with DEI supports the academic focus of Clemson University to be a leader in automotive and motorsports education,” he said. “This is also a great opportunity for Clemson to learn from a key leader in the motorsports industry. It is critical that we foster relationships with the companies that will employ the engineers of the future. Our students and faculty will gain immeasurable benefits from association with this world-class motorsports organization.

“We welcome Dale Earnhardt Inc. to the Clemson family and expect this to be just the beginning of a long and mutually beneficial relationship,” Barker added.

Clemson University astrophysics students will continue their first-hand look into deep space with a Curry Foundation grant for $100,000 that allows for extended time on the Kitt Peak National Observatory’s four-meter Mayall telescope in Arizona.

The amount is the second installment that provides for approximately one-third the $290,000 cost for 33 nights on the telescope during the second year of a three-year agreement made through the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), which is funded through the National Science Foundation (NSF). It also allows Clemson to trade its Mayall four-meter time for access to other telescopes in the U.S. system around the world.

“Charles Curry and his generosity have opened many Clemson student and faculty eyes to the mysteries of deep space,” said associate professor Jeremy King, who along with other faculty have taken students on regular trips to Kitt Peak. “These collections of telescopes are among the best in the world and offer a chance in a lifetime observing opportunity for our aspiring Clemson student astronomers. It also gives them an edge in a competitive job market.”

A group of Clemson students and faculty travel to Kitt Peak July 18-25 to study the formation of stars and the chemical evolution of the very early universe, among other things. They’ve also used their time to study gamma-ray bursts, supernovae and planet formation in deep space, where distances are measured in light years.

Through the Seneca-based Curry Foundation, more than $300,000 has been donated to the astrophysics program at Clemson since 2001. In addition, Charles Curry has endowed three fellowships for outstanding graduate student researchers in astrophysics over the past three years.

The Clemson University physics and astronomy department is an undergraduate, graduate and post-doctorate program with 26 faculty members.

via Clemson University

After a nationwide search, Clemson University has tapped an insider to be its new chief financial officer, President James F. Barker announced today.

Brett A. Dalton, who has served as executive assistant to the vice president for academic affairs and provost since 1996, will become Clemson’s top financial strategist effective June 29.

“Brett possesses all of the talents we were looking for. He is a strategic thinker who can analyze financial data, economic trends and business plans, but who also thinks creatively and is open to new ideas,” Barker said. “The fact that he has in-depth knowledge of Clemson’s budget and funding history is a bonus.”

This position was created through a restructuring of the university’s business and fiscal affairs division in order to enhance long-term financial strategic planning, develop new resources and increase efficiency and accountability, Barker said. The CFO will report directly to the president as an executive officer of the university.

Steve Copeland will continue to serve as interim chief business officer, providing leadership for ongoing budget and facilities planning and management.

“Separating these critical duties will allow us to bring greater focus and accountability to each area,” said Barker.

“Having the opportunity to serve as Clemson’s chief financial officer is a humbling honor and a great responsibility. Serving as a member of President Barker’s leadership team during this period of significant progress and improvement is exciting,” Dalton said. “As a member of this team I am committed to ensuring that Clemson continues to be a great investment for the families, students, alumni and many other supporters of the university.”

Dalton earned a bachelor of science in 1988 and a master of arts in 1990 from the Walker School of Economics at Clemson. He began his career at Clemson as a Thurmond Research Fellow with the Strom Thurmond Institute, then served as a budget analyst before being named director of financial planning in 1992. In that position, he completed Clemson’s first comprehensive financial plan/financial analysis and served as the primary liaison to the Commission on Higher Education on financial matters.

In his most recent assignment, Dalton was responsible for strategic financial planning and management for the Division of Academic Affairs and provided regular counsel to the president and other senior administrators on financial matters. He worked closely with the provost in developing the university’s academic plan, developed a retirement incentive plan and voluntary separation plan as a way to generate savings and protect jobs during budget cuts and co-chairs the Discovery Council, which aims to create a lean business culture in administrative operations.

Sealevel Systems, Inc. announces two additions to the popular SeaLINK USB serial product line, the SeaLINK+I.DIN (Item# 2113) and the SeaLINK+2I.DIN (Item# 2213). Offering designers the choice of one or two serial ports, SeaLINK serial devices are the perfect way to connect peripherals such as barcode scanners, serial displays, and data acquisition modules to any USB port. Each DB9M serial port is configurable for RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485 via dip switches accessible through the case, and optical isolation protects the host computer from damaging voltage surges and ground loops commonly found in industrial and OEM applications. For maximum reliability, each adapter includes Sealevel’s patent-pending SeaLATCHTM locking USB connector design that prevents accidental cable disconnection.
via Sealevel

Converse College and Clemson University have announced a partnership for an engineering dual degree program. The program is a response to the staggering gender imbalance in the engineering profession. According to the National Science Board, women comprise only 10.6% of the engineering workforce in the U.S.

Clemson’s College of Engineering and Science and Converse share a common goal of increasing the number of women who enter science fields. Students will earn two degrees upon completion of the program: a bachelor of science from Converse and a bachelor of science from Clemson in one of their nine engineering disciplines (bioengineering, biosystems, chemical, ceramic and materials, civil, computer, electrical, industrial and mechanical). Participants will complete studies in one of Converse’s science and math programs for three years (a minimum of 90 credit hours), then relocate to Clemson to complete the additional credits (approximately 60) required for an engineering degree.

“Increasing female representation in engineering at the professional level as well as the collegiate level has long been one of our goals and is the chief reason why this partnership with Converse is important to us,” said Dr. Stephen Melsheimer, associate dean of Clemson’s undergraduate studies in the College of Engineering and Science. “At Clemson, the percentage of women in engineering tracks very closely with the national figures (17.2% in Fall 2006), but this is well below what we would like to see. Beyond that, I’ve seen many Converse graduates come through our program in the past and they have always distinguished themselves as coming from a very good college with solid academics. We need more such outstanding students, regardless of gender.”

Dr. Elizabeth A. Fleming, president of Converse College, said that increasing the pool of women engineers advances business, innovation and solution design due to the fact that women utilize different perspectives and methods. “Engineers are by their nature problem solvers. In today’s world, we need now more than ever before individuals with the ability to think critically and creatively, the capacity to collaborate and communicate, sensitivity for the problems of others and a strong sense of ethical principles. Because women tend to have strong aptitudes in these areas, Converse has taken a number of steps to encourage women to explore and pursue careers in the sciences. In addition to THR engineering partnership with Clemson, Converse has obtained funding from the Petrie Foundation in New York to provide scholarships to students who plan to major in math or science. Scholarship recipients will serve as mentors and tutors for girls studying science in local high schools. Converse is offering a new residential forensic science camp for high school students this summer. The college also recently collaborated with Spartanburg County Public Libraries to present a forensics workshop for middle school students and gave the library a ten-book series on Women’s Adventures in Science targeted to young girls. Converse’s strategy involves building a pipeline and support system for women in science-oriented careers.”

Catalyst, an organization that studies women in a variety of fields, notes that experiences faced by women engineering students at the collegiate level are also prevalent at the professional level. Their report states that women engineers “often find themselves the sole woman in their group during both academic training and their professional careers making it hard for them to tap into informal networks that could lend them support. It can be difficult also for women to find mentors through the same informal mechanisms used by men, especially since individuals tend to mentor people who are very much like them. Because having a mentor is critical to advancing into just about any professional role, women are at a disadvantage in predominantly male environments.”

Leading corporations echo the critical need for women engineers. Bill Timmerman, CEO of SCANA, said, “We are very excited by the new initiative by Clemson University and Converse College to expand the opportunity for young women to become engineers.” Betty Shanahan, CEO of the Society of Women Engineers, and Scott Ruby of the Fluor Corporation, and affirmed that creativity is but one of the chief reasons for a more diverse engineering workforce. “Our nation’s security and global competitiveness demands the full participation of our diverse population, both to provide sufficient numbers of engineers and to utilize the creativity of diverse teams. To address the severe under-representation of women in engineering, Converse and Clemson are leveraging their respective strengths to create a program that will promote the success of women in undergraduate engineering programs,” said Shanahan. “We need the absolute best minds in engineering, and that includes both men and women. Studies show that a diverse workforce produces better and more innovative results. Fluor Corporation supports this initiative because having more women in engineering allows us to maintain our top-quality staff and meet the needs of our global clients,” said Ruby.

For more information, contact Eric Lawson, associate director of communications for Converse College, at (864) 596-9705 or eric.lawson@converse.edu.

Clemson University is helping the United States transportation sector shift to a higher gear with the opening of its Computational Center for Mobility Systems (CU-CCMS), a technology anchor of the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) campus in Greenville, S.C. Powered by a high-performance computing (HPC) system from Sun Microsystems, CU-CCMS will be a comprehensive, world-class computational center that encompasses a wide range of disciplines under one roof.

CU-CCMS Executive Director Dr. James H. Leylek, an internationally recognized expert in computational modeling and advanced methods development, said the center will offer one-stop shopping for clients in mobility industries that include automotive manufacturers and their suppliers, the aerospace industry, motorsports teams, heavy trucks, shipbuilders, aviation and gas turbines companies.

“This center will reduce both the time and money that it takes to get an aerodynamically sound vehicle or an optimized engine into the marketplace,” Leylek said. “Manufacturers can simulate multiple design options simultaneously by running computations overnight and build the final product only once, instead of the more traditional build-and-test cycles, which drive up cost and time.” The ultimate goal of CU-CCMS is to help its clients reduce the overall design-cycle-time of their products.

The Sun Microsystems HPC at the heart of CU-CCMS is designed to help the center’s technical staff handle all phases of multiple, large-scale simulations simultaneously. The system comprises grid computing, servers, storage, archive sub-systems and a dedicated high-speed InfiniBand fabric from Voltaire. In addition to its impressive throughput of more than 11 teraflops, this powerful engineering problem-solving system is well-balanced in both CPU usage and RAM, making it especially well-suited for dealing with computations encountered in vehicle aerodynamics and structural analysis programs.

Leylek says computations that traditionally required many weeks of around-the-clock processor time can now be completed in just a matter of hours using Sun’s complete range of servers; software, including the Solaris 10 Operating System; services; and systems. He adds the center will provide a complete resolution center for just about any problem that can be computed, predicted and simulated in the transportation industry. CU-CCMS will enable engineers to conduct a large number of “what if” type computational simulations, which will result in ideas getting into products, and products making it to the marketplace ahead of competition and at a reduced cost.

The CU-CCMS start-up is funded through a $17 million alliance between Clemson University, the state of South Carolina and Sun Microsystems Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif. The state has provided $8 million in matching funds for research infrastructure. One of the world’s foremost HPC companies, Sun has contributed computing systems and start-up cash to CU-CCMS. Sun also has provided graduate fellowships for Ph.D. students in the Advanced Computational Research Laboratory (ACRL) and the department of mechanical engineering as well as other support and services.

“We are delighted to support Clemson in the opening of a world-class automotive research facility in South Carolina,” said Kate Driscoll, area vice president for education, research, state and local government of Sun Microsystems. “As universities increasingly make research and economic development an important part of their institutional identities, Sun’s high performance computing systems provide the computational power to help them achieve a competitive edge while saving capital costs and expenses related to power consumption, cooling and floor space.”

CU-CCMS technical staff will be located at temporary headquarters within the Timken Technology Center on the CU-ICAR campus, while the HPC system is housed at the Clemson Computing and Information Technology building in the Clemson University Advanced Materials Center on Clemson Computing and Information Technology (CCIT) infrastructure. CU-CCMS will manage the HPC, with excess capacity available for use by university faculty. Plans are under way for a permanent CU-CCMS building in the Technology Neighborhood 2 on the CU-ICAR campus.

CU-ICAR is a new model for economic development in South Carolina, matching Clemson’s strengths in automotive research with the state’s strong automotive economic cluster. CU-ICAR is a 250-acre “technopolis” where BMW, Michelin, Timken, Sun Microsystems and other corporate partners are joining with Clemson to focus on automotive and motorsports research and other transportation issues. The State of South Carolina is also a key partner, having created legislation to support economic development and innovation.

Product Highlights

· Optically isolated inputs, Reed and Form C relay outputs

· NEW SeaLATCH^TM locking USB connectors prevent accidental cable disconnection

· Powered from USB connection

· Compact, rugged design with versatile mounting options

Sealevel Systems, Inc. announces the SeaDAC Lite family of USB digital I/O solutions offering system designers a compact, low-cost alternative for interfacing any USB equipped computer with real world signals. The first two SeaDAC Lite products feature four optically isolated inputs and four Reed relays outputs (Item# 8111) or Form C relay outputs (Item# 8112). For maximum reliability, all SeaDAC Lite products include Sealevel’s patent-pending SeaLATCH^TM locking USB connector design to prevent accidental cable disconnection.

SeaDAC Lite modules are perfect for a wide variety of applications including process control, facility management, security, and broadcast automation. The optically isolated inputs protect the host computer from damaging voltage transients and ground loops commonly found in industrial and OEM applications. The 8111’s SPST Reed relays are rated to 500mA, and the 8112 uses high-current SPDT Form C relays to switch up to 6A loads. To simplify installation and troubleshooting, status LEDs display I/O activity and USB connection information. All SeaDAC Lite modules are powered by the USB connection to the host computer.

SeaDAC Lite modules are housed in rugged plastic enclosures ideal for mounting on walls, under counters, or inside equipment panels. For easy software integration, application programs or 3^rd party software can use Sealevel’s SeaMAX library or industry standard Modbus protocol. A variety of helpful diagnostic utilities and sample programs are included.

Standard SeaDAC Lite modules operate between 0°C to +70°C and designers can special-order extended temperature range (-40°C to +85°C) modules. SeaDAC Lite modules are available now and prices start at $159.

Sealevel Systems, founded in 1986, provides industrial computing solutions in addition to a variety of communications and I/O products including PCI Bus cards, Ethernet serial servers, USB serial adapters, PCMCIA cards, and PC/104 modules. Sealevel’s product line includes multi-port RS-232, RS-422/485, RS-232/422/485 multi-interface high-speed sync/async, and digital/relay I/O.

via Sealevel

Sealevel Systems, Inc. announces the SeaI/O-270U, a seven-port optically isolated USB 1.1/2.0 compatible hub that protects computers from damaging power surges, spikes, and ground loops commonly found in industrial and OEM applications.  The SeaI/O-270U offers system designers an effective tool for interfacing USB peripherals in virtually any environment. In addition to protection from electrical damage, the SeaI/O-270U includes Sealevel’s patent-pending SeaLATCH^TM locking USB connector design to prevent accidental cable disconnection of both upstream and downstream USB ports.

The SeaI/O-270U provides up to 1500 VAC protection from harmful voltages injected on USB peripheral cabling.  Status LEDs on the hub indicate external power, connection to the host, and fault conditions. The hub is housed in a rugged metal enclosure and each of the seven USB downstream connections provides a full 500mA of power suitable for all USB peripherals.

Product Highlights

·      Protects computers from damaging voltage spikes and surges

·      SeaLATCH^TM locking USB connectors prevent accidental cable disconnection

·      Provides power to USB peripherals

·      Rugged metal enclosure suitable for industrial environments

via Seavlevel

Carolina Software as a Service (formerly Carolina Business Systems, Inc) is pleased to announce that it has been selected as an information technology resource partner by SC Launch! Companies participating in the SC Launch! program are high-potential knowledge economy businesses in automotive/aerospace, advanced materials/fibers, alternative energy, biomedical, life sciences, nanotechnology, homeland security and information technology.

Through their strategic partnership with ERC Broadband for data center infrastructure and bandwidth, CSAAS will provide quick and affordable access to quality software solutions allowing emerging businesses to focus more resources on other areas and less on its IT needs.

In the last several years, CSaaS has transitioned from a traditional Software VAR to become one of the premiere Software as a Service providers for business and education in the state. This transition stems from the movement in the overall IT industry that has seen software vendors acknowledge that many companies need software but have less than ideal IT budgets. SaaS (Software as a Service) is a trend in the IT industry that allows a company to pay a monthly fee to subscribe to software services instead of having to purchase it.

�We are excited about the partnership and we�re convinced the SC Launch! program will have a major impact in helping encourage and foster high impact, knowledge-based companies ,� said John H. Macomson, President and CEO. �CSAAS has become a regional leader in hosted Software As A Service solutions in South Carolina. And the partnership with SC Launch provides a great opportunity for CSAAS to be a good corporate citizen and help in the process of SC expanding their high-potential knowledge economy.�

About SC Launch! SC Launch! Is a collaborative effort between the South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA), Clemson University, the University of South Carolina, and the Medical University of South Carolina to accelerate entrepreneurial growth of technology start-up companies in the state by delivering tools for success, creating high-paying jobs and building equity in the future for all South Carolina. For more information please visit www.csaas.com/SCLaunch

via CSAAS
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The Worthwhile Company, Inc. of Greenville, SC has announced the release of a new customer web site for Kanpai of Tokyo this week.

Worthwhile says the new web site is designed to capture the spirit of Kanpai of Tokyo, which offers Teppanyaki style Japanese cuisine prepared at tableside. The new site includes a photo gallery and video footage, locations of their 5 restaurants in the Southeastern United States, menus, and a VIP membership card application form.