Upcoming Events
Society of Women Engineering: Play With the Boys and Still Be a Girl (March 21)
The March meeting of the Society of Women Engineers will be held at 6:15pm on March 21, 2006 at the Nedley's Restaurant at 1801 North Plano Road. Pamela Christy of Your Coaching Connection will be the speaker. For more information, contact Jennifer Ray at jray@ppoinc.net or 214-226-6967.
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TCU Joseph Morgan Lecture: Simulating Large-scale Brain Models (March 21)
The TCU Department of Physics and Astronomy announces the Tenth Annual Joseph Morgan Lecture to be given by Dr. Eugene M. Izhikevich, Senior Fellow in Theoretical Neurobiology, The Neurosciences Institute, San Diego, CA.
The lecture is open to the general public and is entitled "Simulating large-scale brain models." It will be given on Tuesday March 21 at 7:30 pm in the Sid W. Richardson Lecture Hall 3.
Dr. Izhikevich received the M.S. in applied mathematics from Moscow State University in 1992, and the Ph.D. in Mathematics from Michigan State University in 1996. He was a postdoctoral fellow and then a visiting professor at the Center for Systems Science in Arizona State University. He joined the Neurosciences Institute in 2000. Dr. Izhikevich has made important contributions to the theory of coupled nonlinear oscillators, culminating in the 1997 book "Weakly Connected Neural Networks”, co-authored with Frank Hoppensteadt. Using methods of bifurcation theory, he classified all possible types of bursting dynamics that can be observed in physical, chemical, and biological systems. He identified many new types of bursters that were then found experimentally. Recently, he suggested a novel approach to model spiking and bursting dynamics of biological neurons, which for the first time allows simulations of large-scale neuronal models having the size comparable with that of the human brain.
In 1963 Hodgkins and Huxley won the Nobel Prize for developing a quantitative model of the squid giant axon. They demonstrated that the behavior of a neuron could be modeled mathematically. Since that time, with the goal of someday achieving a better understanding of brain function, interest has grown in modeling networks of interacting neurons with computer simulation. The computational methods that have proven to be indispensable in physics and engineering are slowly percolating into neuroscience. Today most experimental neuroscientists accept simulations of single neurons as a legitimate scientific tool. Dr. Izhikevich is going to discuss the challenges and pitfalls of large-scale simulations of realistic brain models.
For more information, visit TCU Physics and Astronomy Department website or call at 817-257-7375.
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UTD McDermott Library Talk to Address Identity Theft, Personal Cyber Crimes (March 22)
Dr. E. Douglas Harris, executive director of the CyberSecurity and Emergency Preparedness Institute in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), will give a free lecture titled "Identity Theft and Other Personal Cyber Crimes"at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 22 in UTD's McDermott Library Auditorium (MC 2.410).
Millie DeAnda, president of the North Texas Crime Commission, will join Harris in the presentation. According to Harris, millions of dollars are extorted from U.S. citizens each year, and most are unaware of how it happens. The talk will alert people about identity theft and other methods "cyber criminals"employ. Harris will include portions of a video by the U.S. Department of the Treasury that provides information about how to outsmart cyber crooks.
Harris also is an associate dean for student services at UTD. His institute was created to deal with rapidly growing Homeland Security problems, such as cyber crime, information assurance and emergency preparedness. It is one of only a handful of entities of its kind in the United States. UTD offers courses in related topics through its Jonsson School.
The talk is a part of the McDermott Library Lecture Series, which was designed to provide the public with an opportunity to hear and understand the types of research being conducted by UTD faculty and staff.
For more information about the lecture, please contact Tom Koch at 972-883-4951.
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Emerging Technology Fund Workshop (March 23)
Haynes and Boone is hosting a series of workshops to raise awareness and provide detailed information about Texas' Emerging Technology Fund. In June 2005, the Texas Legislature established the Emerging Technology Fund, with $200M of state funds to be made available during the 2006-07 fiscal years. The Emerging Technology Fund was established to expedite innovations and their commercialization. The Fund will help attract, create, and expand the private sector, and promote substantial development of advanced technology and high-quality employment opportunities. The Fund also promises to increase applied research capabilities of Texas higher education. For more information visit Emerging Technology Fund Workshop website.
A portion of the ETF program involves the North Texas Regional Center of Innovation and Commercialization (RCIC), which facilitates ETF proposals submitted by entrepreneurs, existing businesses, and academia in the North Texas region. Accordingly, each workshop in the series will feature a presentation by the North Texas RCIC explaining all the ins and outs of the program. These presentations will undoubtedly prove invaluable to those pursuing opportunities via the ETF.
The next workshop will be held from 11:30am-1:00pm on March 23 at the Bill J. Priest Institute located at 1402 Corinth Street in Dallas. The workshops are complimentary and refreshments will be provided. For more information or to register, email Dave.Hofman@HaynesBoone.com
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The 2006 World's Best Technologies Showcase (March 27-29)
The 2006 World's Best Technologies Showcase, held March 27-29 at the Wyndham Arlington Hotel in Arlington, Texas is among the nation's premier event showcasing the largest collection of undiscovered technologies emanating from top universities, labs, and research institutions from across the country and around the globe.
Like last year, there will be over 100 seasoned seed and early stage investors and Fortune 500 licensing scouts in attendance. Here is but a sample of those that are already registered: 3M, Air Products & Chemicals, Bell Helicopter, Church & Dwight, Cimarron Capital Partners, Cycad Group, STARTech Early Ventures, Nortel, Mason Wells, Gefinor Ventures, Intel Capital, J.M Huber Corporation, Roche Diagnostics, Eastman Kodak, Taproot Ventures, Procter & Gamble Company, Emergent Technologies, Inc., Nokia, Patent Bridge, Carrot Capital, Triton Ventures, SAS Investors, Research Corporation Technologies, Kellogg?s, Radio Shack, Rocke Capital Ventures, Texas Instruments, Headwaters Energy Services, Johnson & Johnson, Waters Corporation, Nine Sigma, Arch Venture Partners, Clear Blue Ventures, Blue Angel Ventures, Raytheon, Nomadics, Garage Technology Ventures
This year's WBTshowcase features over 75 prescreened, first to market, cutting-edge technologies or companies from across the nation and around the globe, each seeking venture capital, licensing partners, or both. Registered VC investors range from garge Technology Ventures to Intel Capital. Fortune 500 in-licensing managers range from P&G to Johnson & Johnson. So come early to build your Rolodex while getting a first look at the next generation of emerging tech-based companies. For a list of finalists and registered investors, please visit the WBTshowcase homepage
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AIDS Pioneer to Speak at Third Lecture in UGA Global Diseases Series (March 28)
Don Francis, one of the first scientists to grasp the devastating potential of the AIDS epidemic, will speak at the University of Georgia on Tuesday, March 28, at 6 p.m. in the UGA Chapel as part of the "Global Diseases: Voices from the Vanguard"lecture series. "Deadly Imbalance: Social vs. Medical Value of Preventative Vaccines"is the topic of Francis' talk, which is free and open to the public.
Francis' efforts to sound the alarm about AIDS and about the public health establishment's tragically inadequate response were chronicled in the 1987 book And the Band Played On, which remains the seminal account of the early years of what has become a global pandemic. Randy Shilts' book was later turned into a movie of the same name.
Francis' passion for battling infectious diseases has taken him from India to Africa, from Atlanta to San Francisco and from Alaska to Thailand. "People everywhere cry when they get sick,"said Francis. Vaccines are public health's most powerful shield against disease, and they have long been Francis' weapon of choice.
In the early 1970s, Francis joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which teamed with the World Health Organization to defeat smallpox in India, Bangladesh, Sudan and the former Yugoslavia. He battled the cholera epidemic in Nigeria and fought the Ebola virus in Sudan. A Harvard-trained virologist as well as a physician, Francis worked for years on hepatitis viruses and conducted large clinical trials of experimental hepatitis B vaccines in China and the United States. These studies proved the worth of genetically engineered vaccines widely used today.
Francis retired from the CDC in 1992 and joined an HIV vaccine effort at South San Francisco's Genentech, Inc. In 1995, he and several other Genentech scientists spun off VaxGen, a small company devoted solely to HIV vaccine development. With Francis at its helm, VaxGen became the first company in the world to test the efficacy of a vaccine to prevent AIDS. While much of the testing was done at hospitals and clinics in the United States, Francis and his colleagues collaborated with researchers in Thailand, Canada and Holland.
The story of the world's large HIV vaccine trial was at the heart of Big Shot: Passion, Politics, and the Struggle for an AIDS Vaccine, a 2001 book authored by Patricia Thomas, now Knight Chair in Health and Medical Journalism at Grady College. "Don Francis took AIDS vaccine research into uncharted territory,"Thomas said. "Although this particular vaccine turned out not to protect against HIV infection, completing the trial demonstrates that the logistics of testing an AIDS vaccine are not insurmountable."
Francis retired from VaxGen in 2004 to establish a non-profit foundation, Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases, dedicated to developing preventative vaccines for AIDS and other diseases for the less developed parts of the world. The mismatch between the medical need for such products and society's commitment to making them is the subject of his UGA lecture.
"In the United States, we are fortunate to have the CDC. Even that stellar organization has problems getting support from short-sighted elected officials,"Francis said. "In my opinion, our government's ability to tackle global health problems is diminishing. Organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are driving international health efforts in a way that is invaluable."
Francis is the third of four speakers in "Global Diseases: Voices from the Vanguard,"a lecture series featuring heroes in the global battle against premature death and disease.
The final speaker comes to campus on Tuesday, April 18. All lectures are held at 6 p.m. in the UGA Chapel, followed by a reception next door at Demosthenian Hall.
The "Voices from the Vanguard"lecture series is a joint effort of Patricia Thomas, Knight Chair in Health and Medical Journalism in UGA's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, and Daniel G. Colley, director of UGA's Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases.
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RCC Women In Leadership Power Luncheon (March 29)
Marsha Clark, the author of The Power of Self, will be speaking at the Richardson Chamber of Commerce Women in Leadership Power Luncheon at 11:30am on March 29 at the Canyon Creek Country Club on 625 W. Lookout Drive in Richardson.
Marsha Clark in an independent consultant who founded her own company, Marsha Clark & Associates, in 2000. As an Organization Development consultant, Marsha has led efforts in the areas of change management, leadership development, performance management, executive coaching, meeting facilitation and keynote speaking.
There is a $30 charge for members and a $35 charge for non-members. Reservations made after March 24 will be charge a $10 surcharge. For more information, or to register visit Women in Leadership Power Luncheon web page.
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Texchange: Near Death Experiences and the Lessons Learned (March 29)
Texchange will be featuring a presentation by Michael Gorton, the CEO and Chairman of TelaDoc at 5:30pm on Wednesday, March 29 at the Maggiano's Northpark at 205 Northpark Center in Dallas. There is a $55 charge for members and a $75 charge for non-members. Gorton will discuss the secrets of survival in the entrepreneurial world. For more information or to register visit Texchange website.
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World War II, Love Field and Braniff Airways (March 31)
Aviation historian Erik D. Carlson, Ph.D., Coordinator of Special Collections in McDermott Library, will give a free public presentation about the impact of World War II on Braniff Airways operations at Dallas' Love Field at 2:30pm on Friday, March 31 in the McDermott Library on The University of Texas at Dallas campus. The discussion will include Braniff Airways' wartime domestic service and overseas routes to Mexico and Central America, known as "The Banana Run." Braniff's public relations archives are located in the History of Aviation Collection in McDermott Library's Special Collections Department. For more information call 972-883-2570.
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Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas Meeting (April 5-6)
The mid-year meeting of The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas will be held at Moody Gardens in Galveston April 5-6. This year, the meeting will focus on cutting-edge approaches to understanding and controlling emerging infectious diseases, and is being sponsored jointly by the Academy and the University of Texas System Office of Health Affairs. The two-day program promises to be outstanding, with three keynote talks to be given by members of the National Academy of Sciences: John Mekalanos (Harvard), Bernie Moss (NIH), and Peter Palese (Mount Sinai). A dozen other speakers represent some of the best science in Texas today. Registration is free to students, and only $25 for postdocs. There will be a poster session, and those who submit the three best posters will be selected to present their work orally during the plenary sessions. There will also be a poster viewing-reception on the afternoon of the 5th which will be a unique opportunity for students, post-docs and faculty to meet their peers from other Texas institutions. For more information or to register visit Bugs, Drugs & Vaccines: Securing Our Future website.
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Cyber Threats of the 21st Century (April 6)
The Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce is hosting the 2 nd Annual Cyber Threats of the 21 st Century Issues Forum at 7:30am on April 6 at The University of Texas at Dallas School of Management at 800 W. Campbell Road. Expert panelists will address planning and implementing disaster recovery strategies, corporate wireless security and threats. For more information, contact Connie Fung at 214-712-1937 or cfung@dallaschamber.org.
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US-China Issues Forum (April 12)
The Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce is hosting a conference on US-China Issues will be held from 7:30am-1:30pm on April 12 at The Fairmont Hotel located at 1717 N. Akard in Dallas. There is a $110 charge for members and a $165 charge for non-members. Panel discussions will address China's macroeconomic trends, political climate, foreign exchange rates, protection of intellectual property rights, and how technology innovations on China's end will provide opportunities for U.S. companies. Robert Theleen, the chairman, CEO and founder of ChinaVest will be the keynote speaker. For more information, contact Jennifer Vuong at 214-712-1968 or jvuong@dallaschamber.org
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The Sixth Annual Emerging Information Technology Conference (EITC-06) (August 10-12)
Besides discussing the cutting-edge topics that will dominate the Global intellectual and economic landscapes will be the theme of this conference for Tech-Titans, the sixth annual Emerging Information Technology Conference (EITC-06) will also feature Mark Ellison from Texas Governor Rick Perry's office of economic development and presidents from some outstanding research universities in the Pacific Rim.
The conference will be held from August 10-12 on The University of Texas at Dallas campus.
Mark Ellison is the Director of the $300 Million Texas Emerging Technology Fund, which was recently approved by Governor Perry and the Texas Legislature to assist the development and commercialization of technologies important to the future of Texas. The Emerging Technology Fund aims to improve university research, expedite the launch of technology firms, and speed transition of inventions from the lab into the hands of consumers.
This year is also the first time for EITC to host a research university presidents forum. For the past two decades, with significant economic growth, research universities in Asia are also seeing unprecedented growth, both in student population as well as research quality and output. The participants so far are from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Paul C. W. Chu), National Taiwan University (S. C. Lee), National Tsinghua University (W. T. Chen) and National Chiao-Tung University (Vice President W. Hwang). Topics that will be discussed include responsibilities of research universities in the landscape of globalization, recruiting world class scholars, educating versus training the best young minds, and last but not least, promotion and interactions with the corporate worlds and commercialization. Dr. Da Hsuan Feng, Vice President of Research and Economic Development of University of Texas at Dallas will moderate the forum.
The conference will include programs on
- Nanotechnology,
- MEMS,
- SoC (Systems-on-Chip),
- Bioinformatics,
- C4I (Content, Computer, Communications, Consumer Electronics, and Integration),
- EET (Emerging Energy Technology), and
- VC (Venture Capital).
For more conference details, please contact the Executive Secretary Office of the EITC team at: 713-963-9433. Information is also available by visiting the EITC website.
