Dr. McConnell Shared WFUBMC Goals at Chamber Annual Meeting

From the Winston-Salem Journal:
Dr. John McConnell, the chief executive of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, spread his message to a larger audience yesterday that the system is at a crossroads.

McConnell spoke at the 125th annual meeting of the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce. He gave a similar presentation in February.

Wake Forest Baptist is playing an increasingly large role in the local economic transition. It is Forsyth County’s largest employer, with about 11,800 employees overall, and is the driving force behind the build-out of Piedmont Triad Research Park.

Read the rest of the article, including the names of the winners for both the Duke Energy Citizenship and Service Award and the Cook Medical Innovation Award, here.

WinstonNet Gets Second Federal Grant

From the Winston-Salem Journal: WinstonNet Inc. yesterday received its second large federal grant in three months, this time aimed at providing free computer training for some adults in Forsyth County.

WinstonNet is a partnership of local government, academic institutions and the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce. It was started in 2001 to help bridge the technology divide between higher- and lower-income residents by providing free computer labs and tutoring services.

The $1.06 million grant is geared toward the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Connect Your Community program. The program is part of the U.S. Commerce Department’s Broadband Technology Opportunities program.

Read the entire article here.

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.

Winston + Salem = Arts and Innovation

Read this in-depth article in Winston-Salem Monthly magazine about the history of the city's efforts to grow its technology sector. From the article:

The Twin City's wealth of higher education gives us a competitive edge in the 21st century and is part of what makes its Piedmont Triad Research Park, an innovation community for life sciences and information technology, so dynamic and flush with collaborative opportunities. "Life outside the lab makes all the difference," the park's website states. "The city of Winston-Salem nurtures intellectual and business opportunities, stimulating its residents' creativity and their visions for the future."

Read the entire article here.

Targacept Celebrates 10th Anniversary

There is a comprehensive article in today's Winston-Salem Journal about Targacept and the work they are doing to find treatments for Alzheimer's. From the article:

As research extends into higher-level clinical trials involving patients, Targacept is adding to its work force. After spinning out with 24 employees, it expects to hire at least 35 this year to get to 150.

Read more here.

WFIRM Mentioned in Today's WS Journal

There is a nice article about Dr. Atala and the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine in today's Winston-Salem Journal. An excerpt from the article:
"The 2010-11 state budget passed last weekend includes $10 million for the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine, which involves several partners around the country, including the Wake Forest institute. The armed-forces effort focuses on creating new tissue and organs for wounded soldiers."
Click here to read the story.