Tech Council Celebrates 20th Anniversary

The Tech Council of the Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 20th anniversary on Thursday September 23rd at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts. About 200 guests gathered to see two technology heros receive awards---Dr. Douglas Maynard and Ted Kaplan. Dr. Maynard is credited with being the technology council's first chairperson and instrumental in envisioning the Piedmont Triad Research Park. Former Senator Ted Kaplan was responsible for procuring $3.1 million in funding for the research park. Others were credited for having a role in the development of a knowledge based economy for Winston-Salem, including Gayle Anderson, head of the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, Jerry Long, then president and chief operating officer of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Tom Hearn, then president of Wake Forest University and Dr. Pete Santago, a professor of biomedical engineering at the medical school.

Read below for more on the history of the Research Park
http://www2.journalnow.com/business/2010/sep/23/fruits-of-20-years-change-in-direction-toward-life-ar-414611/

http://www2.journalnow.com/news/2010/sep/24/the-class-of-1990-ar-416140/

Winston Salem Journal Recaps Speaker Series Event

The Winston-Salem Journal wrote a summary of yesterday's Chamber Tech Council panel discussion on cyber security.

From the article:

The cost of fending off cyber threats to businesses is increasing, a panel of local technology officials and analysts said today.

But compared with repairing cyber damage--whether to business and customer information, trade secrets and lost trust--companies are more willing to absorb the expense.

The panel spoke at the quarterly Tech Council presentation sponsored by the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce.

"It is less costly to be proactive than reactive to cyber threats," said Chris Summers, an Associate Director of Enterprise Architecture for Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

Read the entire article here.

Speaker Series Event on Cyber Security

The Tech Council held a Speaker Series event today on cyber security, with advice and wisdom from a panel of experts: Steve Scott, Vice President and Group Technology Manager of Information Security Technology at Wachovia Bank, A Wells Fargo Company; John Pueschel, Attorney at Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice; Chris Summers, Associate Director of Information Security at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center; and Special Agent Christopher Avery, Federal Bureau of Investigation. The panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Errin Fulp, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Wake Forest University.

For more on upcoming Chamber technology events, visit the Chamber website at http://www.winstonsalem.com/.

OTAM Provides a Full Menu of Technology Commercialization

At the recent PTRP Lunch and Learn series, Michael Batalia, the Director of the Office of Technology and Asset Management, shared the mission and vision of his department and the role they play in commercializing the research efforts from Wake Forest University. The Office of Technology and Asset Managaement has worked with 298 inventions, 36 issued patents, 47 options and license agreements and 6 start up companies in the last five years. In 2009 alone, Wake Forest University realized about $90 million in licensing revenue.

Audience members were able to enjoy a light lunch, chat with colleagues from the Research Park and ask questions about the future of new ventures and the overcrowding of the patent marketplace.

For more information about the Office of Technology and Asset Management go to http://www.wfubmc.edu/OTAM/About-Us.htm

National Manufacturing Institute and National Center for the Biotechnology Workforce join forces to create a future pipeline

WASHINGTON, D.C.– The Washington-based Manufacturing Institute (the Institute) and the National Center for the Biotechnology Workforce (NCBW) at Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, announced a formal alliance today to jointly develop a highly-skilled and educated 21st century biotechnology and pharmaceutical production workforce.

Read more...

Tengion Inc. reports on kidney treatment

A study of treatment techniques for kidney disease by scientists at Tengion Inc. shows positive signs in rodents. The preclinical data on treatment techniques for kidney disease comes as Tengion works to attract new investors to help pay for continued operations of its headquarters in Pennsylvania and its laboratory in Winston-Salem.

Read full article.

20 Years of Community Success Deserves a Party! Tech Council Gala Sept 23rd

Registration is now open for the Chamber Tech Council 20th Anniversary Gala, September 23, 2010 at the Milton Rhodes Downtown Center for the Arts. Join us for cocktails and appetizers at 5:30 p.m., followed by insightful highlights of Winston-Salem’s and the Triad’s transition to a technology and knowledge-based economy. Meet the leaders of this effort, and celebrate the people who are working tirelessly toward vision, innovation, and growth. Cook Medical is our title sponsor. For more information, contact Andrea Howell at 336-728-9228 or ahowell@winstonsalem.com.

Click here to get your tickets for this event.

Art Meets Science in Cyberspace

Open Dream Ensemble, a professional multi-disciplinary children's theater group sponsored by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts, brings science to life on stage and in cyberspace . The group will be on tour with Peril on the Red Planet in North Carolina and California through November but for those who miss the live performances, the first episode of The Adventures of the Open Dream Ensemble airs on their website www.opendreamensemble.com on October 25th. "We think this is a new and exciting way to teach science to children that will engage them in learning in creative ways," said Margaret Mertz, executive director of the Kenan Institute for the Arts. "We hope that this multimedia, online production will set the high standard for web series geared toward youth."

Read more at
http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2010/sep/12/to-the-web-group-expands-educational-message/entertainment/

Lunch and Learn at The Piedmont Triad Research Park

"Technology Development and Technology Transfer at WFUBMC"
Presented by Michael Batalia, Director of Technology Assest Management

Lunch and Learn is a free, educational program hosted by the Piedmont Triad Research Park to help tenants in the Park get to know each other. Our goal is to provide an opportunity for business owners and departments to share and discuss their services, products or skills with others in the park.

PTRP Lunch & Learn (light lunch provided, bag lunches encouraged)
PTCRC Building, 115 S. Chestnut Street, Winston-Salem, NC
PTCRC Auditorium
12:00 - 1:00
September 15, 2010

Contact Jill Peters to REGISTER
jpeters@wfubmc.edu 713-7154

SciTech Lecture Series - Ideas in Action

Forsyth Tech Community College and the National Center for the Biotechnology Workforce present in celebration of Forsyth Tech's 50th Anniversary, the SciTech Lecture Series.

Dr. Frank Torti from Wake Forest University Health Sciences Comprehensive Cancer Center kicks off the series with "Advancing Cancer Treatment through Technology Innovation".

This lecture is free and open to the public and will be held on Forsyth Tech's Main Campus in the Ardmore Auditorium at 4 P.M., September 29th, 2010.

Hear scientists, researchers and industry thought leaders explore how science and technology are combining to change our world.

For further information please contact Mona Cofer or call 336.734.7205.

Triad Celebrates N.C. Science Festival Sept. 11- 26

From wiggly worms to advances in biotechnology, an assortment of fun-filled, hands-on workshops and activities are planned in Winston-Salem and surrounding communities from Sept. 11 through Sept. 26, coinciding with the first annual North Carolina Science Festival, a statewide celebration of science and technology.

The Science Festival offers the public an opportunity to experience science in fun and welcoming settings. The aim is to create an environment that encourages children to pursue science-related careers. Throughout the state, events will take place in a variety of venues, including science museums, businesses, college and university campuses, parks, theaters and more.

A special local feature, "STEMulating the Mind," is a free event that will be presented by the Atkins School of Biotechnology at Atkins Academic and Technology High School on Tuesday, Sept. 14. Event participants will be able to rotate through a series of hands-on demonstrations, accompanied by speakers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Click on the link below to view an events calendar, compiled by local organizations such as Targacept, SciWorks, Atkins Biotech High School and the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, that lists some of the events planned in the Triad.

Click here to see the complete schedule!