Upcoming Events
Former Surgeon General to Speak at UTD (Aug. 24)
The Sickle Cell Disease Research Center at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) will host a talk by Dr. David Satcher, the 16th Surgeon General of the United States and a former Assistant Secretary for Health, on Thursday, Aug. 24 to help kick off the center's Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month activities. The talk, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 4 p.m. in the TI Auditorium of UTD's Engineering and Computer Science South Building.
Satcher, who most recently served as interim president of the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, will discuss the challenging issue of diversity in biomedical research.
As Surgeon General and Assistant Secretary for Health, Satcher led the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' effort to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health, an initiative that was incorporated as one of the two major goals of Healthy People 2010, the nation's health agenda for the next ten years. He also released reports about crucial health care issues, including tobacco and health, mental health, children's mental health, suicide prevention, youth violence and obesity. Satcher served as Surgeon General from 1998 to 2002 and as Assistant Secretary for Health from 1998 to 2001, making him only the second person in history to have held both positions simultaneously.
A former Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar and Macy Faculty Fellow, Satcher has been the recipient of numerous distinguished awards, including from the American Medical Association and the American Academy for the Advancement of Science. He also has served as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and president of Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn.
"Dr. Satcher has devoted his entire career to alleviating inequities in the fields of healthcare, science and research," said Dr. Betty Pace, director of UTD's Sickle Cell Disease Research Center. "The need for a diverse work force permeates all aspects of the health-related research efforts of our nation and we are excited that Dr. Satcher has consented to update us on the progress made to increase diversity in biomedical research."
Members of the public are invited to participate in the Sickle Cell Disease Research Center's efforts to "Discover the Cure" by attending the following events on Aug. 24:
4–5 p.m. — Satcher presentation — "Diversity in Biomedical Research" — TI Auditorium, ECS South, Room 2.102
7:30–9 p.m. — Dinner/fundraiser for the Sickle Cell Disease Research Center Student Scholarship Fund — $100 per person (sponsorships also available) — UTD Conference Center, Meeting Rooms, 1.206, 1.212
Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder. People with the disease have red blood cells that contain mostly hemoglobin S, an abnormal type of hemoglobin. Sometimes these red blood cells become crescent shaped and have difficulty passing through small blood vessels, leading to a decrease or loss of blood flow. This may lead to tissue damage recurrent pain and other complications. Bone marrow transplantation offers a cure for a limited number of individuals, but there currently is no universal cure. September is National Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month.
For more information about the seminar or to purchase dinner tickets, contact Rosie Peterson at (972) 883-4159.
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AeA Texas Council Hosts Summit Emphasizing U.S. and Global Competitiveness (Aug. 30)
Competition in the technology industry has risen to become one of the nation's top economic and cultural issues during the past few years. United States production in several of the high-technology markets has declined since 2001, with the nation falling behind developing technology powerhouses such as France and Germany in some markets.
The issue has already garnered national attention in the form of Sen. John Cornyn's Securing Knowledge Innovation and Leadership (SKIL) bill, which aims to retain highly skilled workers who are educated in the United States, promoting competitiveness through a market-based approach.
As part of nationwide effort to raise awareness of this problem, the Texas Council of AeA, a nationwide trade association that represents all segments of the technology industry, will be hosting the Texas Competitiveness Summit, Aug. 30, beginning at 8am at the University of Texas at Dallas School of Management. The summit is intended to raise visibility of the issue, allow participants to discuss how it is affecting the region and how Texas, specifically, is combating the problem. Sen. Cornyn will serve as honorary chair and keynote speaker of the summit.
In addition to Sen. Cornyn, the summit will have a number of distinguished speakers, including UTD President Dr. David Daniel; UNT System Chancellor Lee Jackson; SMU Dean of the School of Engineering Dr. Geoffrey Orsak; UTD Dean of the School of Engineering Dr. Robert Helms; UNT Dean of the School of Engineering Dr. Oscar Garcia; Phil Wilson, Deputy Chief of Staff for Governor Rick Perry as well as leaders from the technology industry, elected officials and K-12 educators. For more information, see the AeA website.
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MIT Enterprise Forum: Network Neutrality- Legislating the Future of the Internet (Aug. 30)
The MIT Enterprise Forum is presenting a workshop called "Network Neutrality-Legislating the Future of the Internet" at 5pm on August 30 in the Conference Center on The University of Texas at Dallas campus.
The Internet may be the single greatest development in civilization over the past decade. But now the open, unfettered, decentralized nature of the Internet is under assault. And the biggest challenge is not coming over control of the IETF, or from China's censorship. Right now the future of the Internet in the United States – the birthplace of the Internet and still the largest single group of users in the world – is being debated in the halls of Congress.
Network Neutrality is the issue under debate. It's much bigger than it sounds.
Come hear a policy expert from Congressman Kenny Marchant's office speak about the legislation currently before Congress. And listen to our panel of experts as they join the debate about whether the Internet will remain a wide open, unregulated portal that gets bogged down with streaming video, or whether the Internet will become like the "closed garden" carrier-controlled environment that exists on cellphones. Or somewhere in between.
For more information or to register, visit the MIT Enterprise Forum Website or email mitforum@juno.com.
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Ross Perot to Open Major Nanotechnology Event in Dallas (Sept. 27)
H. Ross Perot of Dallas, internationally renowned business leader and two time Presidential candidate, will deliver the opening remarks at nanoTX'06 September 27, a world scale nanotechnology conference and expo held at the Dallas Convention Center. Chosen in 2004 as one of history's 10 greatest entrepreneurs, Mr. Perot is known to have followed advances in nanotechnology since 1999. Today Perot is heavily invested in nanotechnology firms with undervalued intellectual property rights, including trademarks, trade secrets, patents and copyrightable material. His opening message on the business of nanotechnology will be riveting, bringing new insights in his most quotable style.
nanoTX'06 will be held on September 27-28 at the Dallas Convention Center.
Perot has a history of betting on promising technology and made the bulk of his $3.7 billion fortune by starting the data-processing company Electronic Data Systems (EDS).
Over the years Perot has received numerous awards for his business success and community service, including the Eisenhower Award for support of the nation's Armed Forces, the Winston Churchill Award, the Horatio Alger Award, the National Business Hall of Fame Award, the Smithsonian Computerworld Award (first recipient; given for contributions to the computer industry), the Sarnoff Award (for contributions to the electronics industry), Medal for Distinguished Public Service (highest civilian award presented by the Department of Defense; given for his efforts supporting U.S. prisoners of war), the Raoul Wallenberg Award (first recipient; given for lifetime service reminiscent of the Swedish diplomat), the Jefferson Award for Public Service, the Patrick Henry Award (first recipient; given to a U.S. citizen for outstanding service to his country). As a noted author, his several books include Preparing Our Country for the 21st Century.
In the evening of the 27 th sponsors, exhibitors, and chosen guests will gather in the atrium of the Business Hall for the Exhibitor's Cocktail Reception where the Foresight Institute's Feynman Award winners will be announced. The following day two winners will present their work as the conference continues.
The Foresight Institute Feynman Prizes of $10,000 are given in two categories, one for experimental and the other for theory advances in nanotechnology. The prize is named after Dr. Richard Feynman, a Nobel Prize winner in Physics, whose original goal for nanotechnology — systems of molecular machines building with atomic precision, is the guiding vision of long-term nanotechnology.
Established in 1993, the Foresight Feynman Prizes in nanotechnology are given to researchers whose recent work have most advanced the achievement of Feynman's goal for nanotechnology: the construction of atomically-precise products through the use of molecular machine systems.
Presented by the Texas Nanotechnology Initiative, the event carries the theme: The Promise of Tomorrow—The Business of Nanotechnology. Sponsors include Lockheed Martin, Applied Materials, Texas Instruments, the Japanese Consulate, Winstead, Zyvex, BioForce Nanosciences, Raymor Industries of Quebec, among other big firms and organizations in nanotechnology.
Also expected at nanoTX'06 are Madam Congressman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-30 th Dist.) on the House Science Committee and Madam Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) who, as chairman of the Department of Defense Appropriations Committee, included $15 million in new funding for Research in Nanotechnology (SPRING). The program is a consortium comprised of the University of Texas (UT) at Arlington, UT- Austin, UT-Brownsville, UT-Dallas, UT-Pan American, Rice University and University of Houston, that are participating in nanoTX'06, September 27-28, 2006. Also part of the event is Texas State Technical College.
This funding will build on that effort and continue the consortium's work to establish a collaborative network of well-equipped research centers to rapidly develop and promote
nanotechnology.
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IEEE Emerging Technologies Conference (September 15)
From the heart of the Telecom Corridor, the Dallas Section IEEE brings together international experts, educators and colleagues in a one-day conference of workshops and technical sessions to address emerging technologies and their applications.
This year's conference will be held on Friday September 15th. A reception sponsored by local companies and universities will be held on Friday evening following the conference program. This year's focus areas include consumer electronics, mobility and the digital home.
Please note: the deadline for paper submission is August 25. Please see more information on the IEEE website.
