GSA Technology Council

We’ll be taking technology calls live at noon today on the ETVRadio stations in South Carolina. Whether it’s digital photography, the iPhone 4, using wireless technology, or how to find a good home for your old laptop, you can give us a call.

WEDNESDAY, August 18, 2010

A live call-in hour on the Internet and related technologies. Eric Rodgers hosts Phil Yanov, executive director of the GSA Technology Council and blogger at Thinkhammer. Listeners can call in via the tollfree number 888-539-8859 to ask questions about using the Internet, computers, new digital devices, and related topics.

The program is Your Day and it is carried across the ETV Radio Network. That’s 90.1 FM in the Upstate beginning at Noon. (or listen to the live web steam.)

We’ll be taking technology calls live at noon today on the ETVRadio stations in South Carolina. Whether it’s digital photography, the iPhone 4, using wireless technology, or how to find a good home for your old laptop, you can give us a call.

WEDNESDAY, June 30, 2010

A live call-in hour on the Internet and related technologies. Eric Rodgers hosts Phil Yanov, executive director of the GSA Technology Council and blogger at Thinkhammer. Listeners can call in via the tollfree number 888-539-8859 to ask questions about using the Internet, computers, new digital devices, and related topics.

The program is Your Day and it is carried across the ETV Radio Network. That’s 90.1 FM in the Upstate beginning at Noon. (or listen to the live web steam.)

The Clemson Small Business Development Center is presenting a FREE tax workshop for prospective and new small business owners. The workshop will be held from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 in Room #2 of the Greenville Technical College Admissions Office (McAlister Square), at 225 South Pleasantburg Drive in Greenville. To reserve a seat, please call the SBDC at 864. 370.1545.

The Small Business Tax Workshop contains general information about different types of business organizations, record keeping requirements and business tax returns. This workshop is a taxpayer education program sponsored by the Clemson Small Business Development Center, the SC Business Initiative (formerly SC Women’s Business Center), the IRS, South Carolina Enrolled Agents and the SC Department of Revenue. It is directed toward the small businessperson who is starting a business or has recently started a small business in the service, retail or manufacturing area.

The morning session will cover federal tax requirements for small businesses and the afternoon session will cover state tax and employment security obligations. A packet of very helpful publications is given to each participant.

To register for the workshop or for more information, please contact the Small Business Development Center via e-mail: sbostic@clemson.edu or by telephone: 864.370.1545.

via: Greenville Small Business Development Center

Aspiring Upstate entrepreneurs have an exciting resource to help them achieve their dream of business ownership. The Clemson University Small Business Development Center is conducting an interactive workshop designed to supply the information needed before taking the plunge. “JumpStart Your Business, Tips for Start Up Success” will explore the basics of what it takes to go into business, how to set-up a business, forms of business organization, legal requirements, the elements of an effective business plan, how to obtain financing and improve the odds of success, and the most important information to make informed business decisions.

Pre-registration is required.
Call 864.370.1545
EMAIL SBOSTIC@CLEMSON.EDU

WHEN
Tuesday, July 13th, 2010; 6:30 – 8:00 pm

WHERE
University Center, 225 S. Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville

INVESTMENT
$25

The South Carolina Small Business Development Center (SBDC) operates in partnership and is partially funded under a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. The support given by the U.S. Small Business Administration through such funding does not constitute an express or implied endorsement of the cosponsor(s) or participants’ opinions, products or services. All SBDC programs are nondiscriminatory and available to individuals with disabilities.

via: Greenville Small Business Development Center

The environmental engineering and Earth sciences department at Clemson University has received a three-year, $400,000 faculty-development grant from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to help recruit and retain younger faculty in nuclear science.

Clemson is one of 16 U.S. universities to receive the faculty-development grants, which are given by the NRC to boost nuclear education and expand the work force in nuclear safety and nuclear-related disciplines.

“Maintaining a critical mass of faculty with academic training in the nuclear environmental engineering and science field is critical for the long-term viability of the program as well as for maintaining ABET ASAC accreditation of our environmental health physics program,” said Tanju Karanfil, head of the department and and co-principal investigator on the new grant. “This grant will be extremely helpful in keeping our program strong and strengthening the research capabilities of our faculty.”

The NRC grant program is devoted to developing the careers of junior faculty — those in the first six years of tenure-track jobs — in nuclear environmental engineering and science.

The Clemson grant will be devoted to a current radiochemistry assistant professor Brian Powell and to recruiting a new assistant professor in health physics to succeed Robert Fjeld, who recently retired. The new faculty member is to start in the fall.

“The new NRC Faculty Development Grant, coupled with existing NRC Education and NRC Fellowship Grants, will provide resources for the continued improvement and expansion of our very successful nuclear environmental engineering and science program and will establish an excellent base for Dr. Powell to establish a successful academic career,” said Timothy DeVol, co-principal investigator on the grant.

The timing of the grant is especially important for the state of South Carolina, where the nuclear industry is burgeoning, Karanfil said. A $4 billion mixed-oxide fuel facility at the Savannah River Site — a major component in the U.S. program to dispose of surplus weapons-grade plutonium — is scheduled to be completed by 2014, and the NRC recently granted 20-year license extensions to the commercial nuclear reactors in and around South Carolina.

With a significant portion of the current nuclear work force nearing retirement, academic programs in the field are especially important, Karanfil said.

The NRC faculty-development grants support such areas as research proposals, curriculum and course development, research equipment stipends, participation in professional societies and funding for graduate students to assist in establishing research programs.

The agency provides the grants to support education in nuclear science, engineering and related trades to develop a work force capable in the design, construction, operation and regulation of nuclear facilities, as well as the safe handling of nuclear materials.

via: Clemson University

Clemson University President James F. Barker announced Wednesday that Gerald Sonnenfeld will be the university’s new vice president for research.

“We had an exceptional field of candidates,” Barker said. “We are confident that Dr. Sonnenfeld offers the right combination of skills and experience to take Clemson’s research program to the next level. Our goal is to expand upon the success of increasing research funding and extend the scope of research across the university. We are very excited at the prospect of having him join the Clemson family.”

Sonnenfeld will assume his responsibilities in the fall.

“The opportunity to help lead the research activity at one of the nation’s great universities is exciting and challenging,” he said. “I was very impressed with the high quality of the faculty, students and staff. The desire at Clemson to really foster work that is interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary and to move forward in new areas is very positive. This collaborative approach will help Clemson to find additional funding sources from government and industry.”

Sonnenfeld comes to Clemson from Binghamton University, State University of New York, where he has been vice president of research and professor of biological sciences since 2004.

He received his bachelor of science in biology in 1970 from the City College of New York and his Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology in 1975 from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He completed postdoctoral training in infectious diseases and immunology at the Stanford University School of Medicine in 1978. He then became an assistant professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and rose through the ranks to professor.

In 1993, Sonnenfeld became director of research immunology in the department of general surgery research of Carolinas Medical Center. From 1999 until 2004, he was professor and chairman of the department of microbiology, biochemistry and immunology and associate dean for basic sciences and graduate studies at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.

The author of more than 140 peer-reviewed scientific articles, Sonnenfeld has written numerous review articles and edited two books. He holds two U.S. patents. He is associate editor of the Journal of Interferon and Cytokine Research and a member of the editorial board of the Immunological Journal and the Journal of Gravitational Physiology. His research has centered on the effects of stress on the immune system and resistance to cancer and infection. He also has directed multiple pre-clinical studies and has been involved in clinical study development for multiple immunoregulatory agents. He has carried out experiments on the U.S. Space Shuttle and on Russian space program satellites.

“The university owes a great debt of gratitude to the search committee and Provost Doris Helms for leading this extensive and thorough search,” Barker said. “I offer them my personal thanks for their thoughtful and deliberative process.”

via: Clemson University

Gil Gerretsen, CEO of Greenville-based BizTrek International, Inc. (BizTrek.com and GilSpeaks.com) will keynote an exclusive workshop for local business owners. The event will be hosted by the Clemson University Small Business Development Center under the title of “Unlocking the Marketing Mystery.”

Upon announcement of this event, Scott Whelchel, Area Manager for the Clemson SBDC, stated that “Gil Gerretsen is a popular speaker, podcaster, blogger, writer and local business activist. He is entertaining and thought provoking, and at the same time he challenges you to the core. He is the new secret weapon for Greenville’s business community!”

When announcing this event, Gil promised to give business owners and managers specific, practical tips they can walk away and use to improve business performance. He had one caveat – you must leave your old brain at home … and come prepared to replace old paradigms with new ones that can launch any skilled business to amazing heights.

The workshop will be held from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM on Tuesday, May 4, 2009 at 55 E. Camperdown Way in Classroom 2A. To reserve a seat please call the SBDC at 864. 370.1545.

The investment required is $27 and 1.5 hours. Registration is requested by Monday, May 3, 2010. To register for the workshop or for more information, please contact the Clemson University Small Business Development Center via e-mail: sbostic@clemson.edu or by telephone at 864.370.1545.

via: Clemson Small Business Development Center

The Clemson Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is offering a workshop aimed start up and small businesses on March 16th.
“JumpStart Your Business, Tips for Start Up Success” will explore the basics of what it takes to get into business. Topics include how to set-up a business, forms of business organization, an overview of financial statements, general legal requirements, the elements of an effective business plan, financing options, and how to improve the odds of success. This practical program is designed to help you ask the right questions and find the most important information to make informed business decisions. Pre-registration is required. Call 864.370.1545
OR EMAIL SBOSTIC@CLEMSON.EDU

WHEN
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010; 6:30 – 8:00 pm

WHERE
Clemson at the Falls
55 East Camperdown Way, Greenville
Classroom 1A

INVESTMENT
$25

via: Clemson Small Business Development Center

Clemson University and the South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) are scheduled to begin construction in mid-March on the approximately 43,000 square-foot innovation center complex in Anderson County to support the state’s growing advanced materials industry. Harper Corporation of Greenville is the design/build contractor on the project, with Goodwyn Mills and Cawood, Inc., serving as architect of record.

Clemson’s innovation center will occupy approximately 25,000 square feet and be dedicated to supporting tenants interested in growing start-up companies or “landing parties” associated with Clemson research, especially in advanced materials. SCRA will house secure research in approximately 18,000 square feet, with the remaining square footage devoted to a common area and collaboration space.

The facility will be adjacent to the Clemson University Advanced Materials Research Laboratory, where Clemson offers some of the nation’s top research facilities in optical materials/photonics and electron microscopy and houses cutting-edge research programs.

Chris Przirembel, Clemson’s vice president for research and economic development, said the facility will complete the ‘innovation chain’ that links academic research to the marketplace — and jobs.

“The knowledge generated by faculty and students is not intended to remain within the confines of the university,” Przirembel said. “Providing office and laboratory space for fledgling companies that want to start businesses and create jobs based on university discoveries is an exciting prospect. We look forward to creating an environment that nurtures new business for South Carolina, particularly in advanced materials where we know there is great opportunity for growth.”

Przirembel noted that Innovate Anderson, a public-private economic development organization formed by Anderson County, the City of Anderson, Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce and private businesses, is a critical partner in the development of the Advanced Materials Center, having purchased the remaining undeveloped property in the research campus to attract private development to Anderson County.

Bill Mahoney, SCRA’s chief executive officer, said the facility is specially designed for commercialization of advanced materials by start-up companies with intellectual property primarily coming out of Clemson University.

“This is one of three world-class facilities that SCRA is providing with its university partners in South Carolina to grow the knowledge economy,” said Mahoney. “With these centers, SCRA is fulfilling legislative mandates identified in the Innovation Centers Act focused on commercialization of new knowledge-based discoveries, using SCRA company-retained earnings instead of state taxpayer money.”

The innovation center complex was funded through a public-private partnership that includes Advance SC, the Duke Energy Foundation, federal agencies and South Carolina Research Infrastructure Act funds, in addition to Clemson and SCRA. Construction is expected to be complete by early 2011.

via: Clemson University

Investments by C. Tycho Howle of Atlanta and an anonymous private sector partner, along with a state match, total $4 million to support an endowed chair position in the Cyber-Institute Center of Economic Excellence (CoEE) at Clemson University.

The center’s primary focus will be to develop novel software-based approaches and new computational capabilities to solve complex societal issues and meet complex human and business needs. The endowed chair holder will be the academic leader of the center and hold the title “hf Flagship Endowed Chair in Human Centered Computing in the Holcombe Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.” Human-centered computing is an emerging field focused on making computational technologies more usable and how computational technologies affect society.

“The holder of the endowed chair in human-centered computing will be a catalyst for bringing together an interdisciplinary research team involving a wide range of computing applications in engineering, physics, biology, psychology, sociology and many other fields,” said Holcombe Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Chair Darren Dawson. “This multidisciplinary team will develop software-based approaches and computational capabilities to build new tools and methods to gain a better perspective on their research. For example, when a computer combines a map with the data from thousands of sensors measuring ocean currents and temperatures around the globe, a collection of numbers can become a stunning visualization that helps us understand shifting climate patterns. Likewise, a computer-generated visualization can help a surgeon better understand what is happening inside a patient’s heart before ever picking up a scalpel.”

“In order to solve many of today’s complex societal issues, we must be able to analyze and understand large amounts of data,” said James Bottum, Clemson’s chief information officer and principal investigator of the CoEE proposal. “To do this, we often require high performance computer systems, high bandwidth communication systems and innovative user interfaces for remote collaboration. So, the center also will focus on developing new capabilities for improving and expanding electronic collaboration.”

“This new center will facilitate research, education and workforce development and provide an environment for collaboration,” said Clemson President James F. Barker.

“These capabilities will allow Clemson researchers to tackle more complex problems and enhance our ability to support economic development in our state. We are grateful to the donors and the State of South Carolina for their vote of confidence in Clemson.”

Howle and the anonymous private sector partner each invested $1 million to support the research and infrastructure of the center, and that will be matched by the state for a $4 million total investment.

“I’ve had the privilege of an exciting career centered on harnessing the power of computing to make business processes faster, more accurate and more measurable,” said Howle. “But, we’ve only scratched the surface on making the interaction between humans and software more intuitive, informative, accessible and interactive. There is tremendous potential for transformative innovation in this area, and this $4 million investment will help Clemson stay on the forefront of important technology research. The hf Flagship Foundation is honored to support this endowment.”

Howle is founder and chairman of Atlanta-based nuBridges, Inc., a leading provider of software and managed services that help businesses protect and exchange sensitive data in compliance with increasingly tight compliance requirements. He is a long-time supporter of Clemson. Howle received a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s degree in systems engineering — a degree program previously in the electrical and computer engineering department — from Clemson University in 1971. He also holds an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School. A native of Lancaster, he and his wife, Marie, reside in Atlanta.

The South Carolina General Assembly established the Centers of Economic Excellence Program (http://www.sccoee.org/) in 2002, and it is funded through South Carolina Education Lottery proceeds. The legislation authorizes the state’s three public research institutions to use state funds to create Centers of Economic Excellence in research areas that will advance South Carolina’s economy. The state funds must be matched dollar-for-dollar by private investment in the program. The program also supports CoEE endowed chairs, world-renowned scientists who lead the Centers of Economic Excellence.

The Centers of Economic Excellence program has created 12 Centers of Economic Excellence supporting 15 endowed chairs at Clemson to take advantage of the university’s faculty expertise and research strengths. This state program awarded the Cyber-Institute Center of Economic Excellence at Clemson in 2008 with $2 million to be matched in private funds.

via: Clemson University