Discovery. Innovation. Impact.Collaborations with St. Peter’s Health Partners, the New York Neural...
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Discovery. Innovation. Impact.
University at Albany Research Report2011-12
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Implementing Emerging Solar Energy Technologies
A product of research by Dr. Richard Perez of the
Atmospheric Sciences Research Center (ASRC), the Solar
Load Controller is a patented technology. The University
at Albany’s Office of Technology Development is currently
seeking partners for University development or licensing.
See page 3 for more information about this project.
Buffer Storage
Perez et al., ASRC
SOLAR LOAD CONTROLEnd-user standpoint : maximize [monthly] demand reduction
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12011-12University at AlbanyRESEARCH REPORT
The impact of University at Albany research is wide-ranging. Our scientists are
developing solar energy resources; advancing novel approaches to treating
diseases using RNA technologies; helping governments implement technology;
using evidence-based research to inform public policy; commercializing knowl-
edge; and utilizing nanotechnology to enable global competitiveness. We are also
training professionals.
Research expenditures totaling $337.4 million in 2010-11 reflect the scope of
work. UAlbany ranked an impressive 58th out of 697 higher education institutions
in a 2009 National Science Foundation survey of research expenditures.
This report provides an overview of UAlbany’s vast research enterprise, highlights key pillars of strength and features
examples of innovation driving economic development.
Vice President for Research James A. Dias
Research is a powerful engine. Discovery yields new knowledge, spurs innovation and generates impact.
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Implementing Discoveries of Climate and Biodiversity Research 2
Translational Impact of Life Sciences Research 4
Leveraging Information and Computational Technology 6
Exploring Political-Economic Possibilities in Public Policy 8
Alain Kaloyeros / Marlene Belfort 11Research Leaders
Creating a Culture of Innovation and Entrepreneurship 12
Technology Transfer and Commercialization 14
Data Bank 16
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Atmospheric Sciences
Implementing Discoveries of Climate and Biodiversity Research
University at Albany scientists in the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center (ASRC) and Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences (DAES) are making impressive inroads in the quest for climate sustainability that will also enhance economic growth. More than $5.1 million in 2010-11 funding for this research area supplies weather-sensitive industries with critical information for planning future decisions, including the following UAlbany projects:
• Wei-Chyung Wang, ASRC professor, is U.S. Chief Scientist for three joint research efforts with China, assessing the socio-economic impact of increases in atmospheric greenhouse gases.
• DAES Assistant Professor Ryan Torn is reducing errors in the predictability and dynamics of mesoscale weather systems – work now supporting the wind energy industry.
• Professor Kenneth Demerjian of ASRC continues groundbreaking investigations into the impact of pollutants upon populated urban areas, critical for developing systems that improve air quality.
• ASRC aerosol microphysics scientist Fangqun Yu uses global models to enhance both knowledge of solar variation on Earth’s climate and temperature change projections associated with human activities.
• Lee Harrison of ASRC helped develop a solar measurement instrument manu-factured and sold by Massachusetts-based Yankee Environmental Systems, and now partners with the company to develop inexpensive yet effective weather reconnaissance devices for exploring the inner workings of hurricanes.
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32011-12University at AlbanyRESEARCH REPORT
UAlbany biologist Gary Kleppel is helping New
York State control biological invasions while
supporting agriculture.
In cooperation with public and private sector
partners, Kleppel has developed a protocol
that uses livestock for vegetation management.
Invasive plants threaten native biodiversity and
cause millions of dollars in damage to farm and
forest land. Kleppel found that these plants
can be targeted for grazing by sheep, reducing
the enormous manpower and herbicide costs
required to control them.
Access to land is a major barrier to getting started
in agriculture. In collaboration with the Depart-
ment of Environmental Conservation, Kleppel is
developing a program through which beginning
farmers will be trained to use his “targeted
grazing” protocol and will then be allowed to
graze their livestock on designated parcels of
state land without charge. The result is that New
York State gets free land management, while
hundreds of new agricultural jobs are created.
The program is particularly suited to transitioning
military veterans interested in agriculture to civilian
life by providing training and a framework for
generating real income.
In the meantime, Kleppel and his students
continue to study the environmental impacts of
grazing and to seek new ways to improve environ-
mental quality while generating food and fiber.
Atmospheric science researchers at UAlbany
are bringing innovative ideas and solutions to
businesses around the globe.
Richard Perez of the Atmospheric Sciences
Research Center has invented and patented the
Solar Load Controller (SLC) to better integrate
solar energy in satisfying overall power demand.
Industrial and business power consumers, such
as “big-box stores” and Energy Management
Systems, have steadily increased use of solar
energy to control costs, but demand reduction
has been compromised locally through such
occurrences as passing clouds.
SLC reduces load when needed by reacting to the
availability of solar energy, measuring the output
of the solar generation systems and taking
demand-side remedial action as needed to realize
maximum potential benefit. Early estimates suggest
SLC could save over $50-$100 per KW of installed
capacity per year.
Department of Atmospheric and Environmental
Sciences Assistant Professor Paul Roundy analyzes
how rainfall organizes in the tropics and influences
the global atmosphere through generation of rain-
related heat. His forecast products track the
evolution of various types of these tropical weather
systems. Several firms looking to invest in natural
gas now use his information to help predict the
likelihood of above or below normal temperatures
for regions in the U.S. and Europe. Such weather
information is also important for companies
working in the renewable energy sector such as
Albany-based AWS Truepower, a UAlbany research
partner. In the case of wind and solar power, for
example, it is crucial to have information about
wind and sunshine respectively and scientists in
both DAES and ASRC contribute to the research
that deals with this.
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Right to left: Gary Kleppel with Torri
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Translational Impact of Life Sciences Research
The University at Albany’s impact in life sciences research is growing dramatically.
Faculty in the life sciences were awarded a total of $15.2 million in national grants in 2010-2011 to support their investigations. Researchers are shedding new light on the molecular basis of life processes and disease, as well as potential treatments. Tuberculosis infections and the transmission of West Nile virus are among the many challenges they are tackling. Through public and private partnerships, The RNA Institute is creating a culture of scientific innovation as it advances the promise of RNA research in addressing diseases.
Collaborations with St. Peter’s Health Partners, the New York Neural Stem Cell Institute, the Trudeau Institute, the New York Department of Health Wadsworth Center and other institutions are building regional strengths in this critical area.
Recognition of the potential economic benefits of this work came in two awards through New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s “Open for Business” grant competition: $2 million to The RNA Institute to promote biotech translational research and $1 million for the East Campus, home of the School of Public Health and Cancer Research Center, to further develop a biotech hub in the Capital Region.
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52011-12University at AlbanyRESEARCH REPORT
In UAlbany biologist Mary Katherine Gonder’s
hands, the tools of modern molecular genetics
are providing new information about the history
and lives of chimpanzees in areas of Cameroon
and Nigeria, which encompass the Gulf of Guinea’s
Biodiversity region.
Her research focuses on understanding why
Cameroon is an engine of diversification for
chimpanzees and explaining the complex pattern
of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVcpz) infection
in chimpanzees in the region. Her findings may
offer insights into origins of HIV-AIDS, as well as
inform conservation practices.
SIVcpz, the likely progenitor of HIV-1 groups M
and N, is found in one of the two subspecies
in the region, the central African chimpanzee (Pan
troglodytes troglodytes). However, it does not
appear to occur naturally in the other subspecies,
the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee (P. t. ellioti),
although the sample tested to date remains small.
Through examinations of genetic data from wild
chimpanzees and those living in sanctuaries in
Africa, Gonder’s team found that the Nigeria-
Cameroon chimpanzee exhibits reproductive and
genetic distinctiveness that has clearly separated
it from other chimpanzee subspecies for the last
several hundred thousand years, but that central
and east African chimpanzees stopped exchanging
genes with each other only relatively recently.
Working to develop a novel generation of
diagnostics and therapeutics are three UAlbany
professors affiliated with The RNA Institute:
Hua Shi and Al Millis, Department of Biological
Sciences, and Li Niu, Department of Chemistry.
Their laboratories use relatively short pieces of
RNA known as aptamers as material to design
and generate molecular partners to seek out and
bind to either normal or disease proteins. Because
these RNA-based structures exhibit wide-ranging
utility in probing and manipulating biological
processes, they are potentially the building blocks
of highly specific medical interventions to treat
cancer, diseases linked to neurodegeneration,
and other illnesses. Recently, the first aptamer-
based drug was approved by the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration for treatment for age-related
macular degeneration.
Research in the Shi, Millis and Niu laboratories,
supported by grants from the National Institutes
of Health, American Cancer Society, Muscular
Dystrophy Association of America, and U.S.
Department of Defense, is focusing on metastatic
cancers and neurological disease via activation
or inhibition of cellular activities, delivery of
therapeutics or commandeering cellular defense
mechanisms to target diseased cells. The three
scientists have been awarded patents and
submitted patent applications for this and other
research.
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sLeft to right: Li Niu, Al Millis, Hua Shi
Left to right: Matthew W. Mitchell, Mary Katherine Gonder, Paul Sesink Clee
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Leveraging Information and Computational Technology
Addressing the challenges and opportunities of our information society, University at Albany researchers make their mark in areas such as the behavior of terrorist organizations, new computing approaches for large networks and the use of information to advance fair trade. Their work in the information and computational technology field attracted $3.9 million in support in 2010-11.
Exemplifying the scope and quality of work in this area are two computer science professors, Siwei Lyu and Jeong-Hyon Hwang, both of whom have received Faculty Early Career Development Awards from the National Science Foundation.
Lyu is developing new methods to detect digital images that have been altered, work that could have applications in criminal justice investigations. Wang is developing new open-source computing approaches for large, frequently changing networks used in business, science, transportation and government.
Another kind of network – the North American coffee network – is the focus of a project designed to provide consumers with information about how, where, and by whom products are being manufactured and brought to market in the North American Free Trade Agreement region. The project is led by Center for Technology in Government Director Theresa Pardo.
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72011-12University at AlbanyRESEARCH REPORT
A University at Albany interdisciplinary research
team is turning computer games into powerful
learning tools.
In partnership with 1st Playable Productions, the
team is developing a video game to train people
to recognize and reduce cognitive biases routinely
used. Such biases can lead to bad decisions in
critical matters, including national security.
Led by College of Computing and Information
Professor Tomek Strzalkowski and co-investigator
Jennifer Stromer-Galley of the Department of
Communication, the team also includes Laurie
Feldman and Elana Gordis from the Department
of Psychology.
The CYCLES (Cycles of Your Cognitive Learning,
Expectations, and Schema) project is supported
by an $8.7-million contract from the U.S. Air
Force, and is sponsored by the Sirius Program
of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects
Activity, an arm of the federal Office of the
Director of National Intelligence.
The non-commercial game will teach players
how to recognize six common decision-making
biases: confirmation bias, fundamental attribution
bias, bias blind spot, representativeness bias,
anchoring bias and projection bias. The goal
is to reduce players’ dependency on bias in
real decision-making situations by as much
as 65 percent. It is intended to be relevant to
intelligence community analysts.
Rockefeller College professors Victor Asal and
R. Karl Rethemeyer are collecting and analyzing
extensive data on terrorist and extremist
organizations through their main project, dubbed
Big Allied and Dangerous (BAAD).
They are gathering two major categories of data
about terrorist groups. One includes organizational
information such as home base, ideology, size,
financial support, territorial control, and number
of fatalities, as well as the pursuit of chemical,
biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN)
weapons. The other is social network data,
which characterizes relations between terrorist
organizations as well as between countries and
terrorist organizations.
Asal, of the Department of Political Science,
and Rethemeyer, of the Department of Public
Administration and Policy, are also using
quantitative data in innovative ways in other work
conducted through Rockefeller College’s Project
on Violent Conflict, which they co-direct. Along
with colleagues Kathleen Deloughery and Ryan
King, they are doing a nationwide county-level
analysis of factors related to hate crimes and
terrorism.
Asal’s and Rethemeyer’s work is supported by the
U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department
of Homeland Security.
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sLeft to right: R. Karl Rethemeyer, Victor Asal
Left to right: Jennifer Stromer-Galley, Tomek Strzalkowski
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Exploring Political- Economic Possibilities in Public Policy
Public policy research at University at Albany touches upon a broad range of disciplines, including education, public health, international affairs, and social welfare, with interdisciplinary programs also engaging experts in such fields as computing and information sciences, sociology and psychology. These investiga-tions often serve not only government policymakers, but also those of industry and the nonprofit sector.
Yvonne D. Harrison of the Department of Public Administration & Policy has developed an on-line self-assessment diagnostic tool to enable nonprofit organi-zation boards to evaluate themselves and obtain best-practices strategies to improve overall board performance.
Public Policy Associate Professor Ik Jae Chung’s recent work focuses on policy that impacts the efficacy of solid waste management and its level of environmental risk.
Theresa Pardo, director of UAlbany’s Center for Technology in Government, is developing models of social and technical interactions in cross-boundary information-sharing and integration. Her work has gained support from government and international corporations, including Microsoft and SAP.
In addition, UAlbany public policy researchers in the last year have tackled such current critical political-economic topics as the effects of terrorism upon national elections, outcomes of economic sanctions upon rogue nations, and the workings and effectiveness of the Federal Reserve Board.
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92011-12University at AlbanyRESEARCH REPORT
To foster economic and social development, many
nations look to enhancing education programs.
New policy regimes, such as large-scale
international tests and global treaties to increase
education quality, are now more prominent.
Domestically, curriculum governance involving
testing and standards are more prevalent.
Gilbert A. Valverde of UAlbany’s Department of
Educational Administration and Policy Studies
researches the challenges this policy environment
poses, focusing on how international and domestic
policy can promote quality educational opportunities
to improve the lives of children worldwide.
Valverde has helped NASA, UNESCO, the World
Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Develop-
ment, national ministries, and research institutions
define curriculum and evaluation policy challenges,
identify courses of action, and evaluate outcomes.
A member of the influential Working Group on
Standards and Evaluation of the Program to
Promote Educational Reform in Latin America,
Valverde also researches international tests in
countries performing poorly. As director of the
Educational Research Consortium, he has con-
ducted groundbreaking longitudinal studies of
opportunities in mathematics and reading in the
Dominican Republic.
In 2011, Valverde was elected to become 2013-
2014 president of the Comparative and Interna-
tional Education Society, the premier scholarly
organization in the world dedicated to cross-
cultural understanding, academic achievement
and societal development.
Hundreds of individuals erroneously convicted of
rape, murder, and other serious felonies, many
of whom spent decades in prisons and/or were
under the death sentence, have been exonerated
by DNA evidence. Some studies estimate that
wrongful convictions in the U.S. occur in three
percent or more of annual felony convictions.
School of Criminal Justice researchers James
R. Acker and Allison D. Redlich delve into this
complicated subject in their 2011 book, Wrongful
Conviction: Law, Science, and Policy (Durham, N.C.;
Carolina Academic Press).
Acker and Redlich’s work addresses issues of law,
science and policy related to wrongful convictions
in the American justice system. Organized in the
form of a casebook, the book includes detailed
analyses of forensic science, jailhouse snitches,
false confessions, prosecutorial misconduct,
ineffective defense counsel and unreliable
eyewitness accounts.
The authors observe that many of the problems
contributing to wrongful convictions are well
known, but criminal justice systems still struggle
for remedies.
Acker is a well-published expert in the areas of
death penalty law and judicial uses of social
science research. Redlich is internationally
recognized for her studies on police interrogations
and false confessions, particularly involving
vulnerable populations, such as persons with mental
illness and juveniles.
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sLeft to right: Allison D. Redlich, James R. Acker
Gilbert A. Valverde
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Under the strategic vision, pro-active support and critical
investment of Governor Andrew Cuomo, the College of
Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) continues
to chart a revolutionary course for educational and
research excellence. That effort is driven by the CNSE’s
groundbreaking model for partnerships between academia,
industry and government. Together, they are increasingly
viewed as a national paradigm to fuel innovation and
enable global competitiveness.
Alain Kaloyeros, CEO of UAlbany’s NanoCollege, embodies
a new breed of 21st century academician: a professor
and researcher who not only embraces but delights in
the role of entrepreneur. Under his leadership, CNSE is
recognized as a world-class powerhouse in integrating
pioneering education with leading-edge research.
The impact, in economic terms, is stunning. In just over
a decade, CNSE has attracted more than $14 billion
in public and private investment, over 300 worldwide
corporate partners, and nearly 3,000 high-tech jobs at its
unparalleled Albany NanoTech Complex.
Across the state, CNSE has catalyzed $28 billion of
investment and the creation and retention of more than
12,500 jobs. It has broadened its considerable footprint
through CNSE-led enterprises in Utica, Syracuse
and Rochester that leverage both the NanoCollege’s
resources and the strengths of those regions.
Yet what truly energizes Kaloyeros and his colleagues
is the knowledge that in some ways, the story is just
beginning to unfold – a reflection of the game-changing
nature of nanotechnology innovation, and CNSE’s standing
as the global hub for nanoscale know-how.
A plethora of nanoelectronics research, development
and commercialization programs, from faculty research
to collaborations with CNSE’s industrial and government
partners, are enabling development of faster, more
powerful, energy-efficient computer chips. Meanwhile,
CNSE is leading the world’s inaugural and exclusive
Global 450 Consortium that will develop the first chips
on the 450mm wafer platform.
In accordance with Governor Cuomo’s regional blueprint
for economic development, the NanoCollege is deploying
its unmatched intellectual and technological assets across
upstate New York to accelerate research that addresses
society’s most important issues.
That includes critical programs to enrich health care,
including improved diagnosis, treatment and prevention
of cancer and other deadly diseases; rapid development
and delivery of nanomedicines; enhanced organ transplanta-
tion; and safeguarding exposure to nanomaterials in the
workplace.
Meanwhile, CNSE’s growing green energy portfolio is
highlighted by advances in CIGS-based photovoltaic
technologies through the CNSE-led U.S. Photovoltaic
Manufacturing Consortium, along with technologies to
improve battery storage and lessen reliance on the grid.
“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known,”
said astronomer Carl Sagan. In today’s nanotechnology
era, that “somewhere” is CNSE, and the stars have already
begun to align.
Alain Kaloyeros: A New Breed of Scholar
Alain Kaloyeros
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RESEARCH LEADERS RESEARCH LEADERS
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2011-12University at AlbanyRESEARCH REPORT
11
A groundbreaking scientist in the field of genetics and
biochemistry, Marlene Belfort has received a host of
prestigious honors, most notably her election to the
National Academy of Sciences.
Of particular significance to her, however, is the award
for mentoring she received from the American Society
for Microbiology.
The award recognizes what those who work with her
already know. Belfort is a dedicated mentor, passionate
about guiding and fostering young scientists.
At UAlbany’s RNA Institute, Belfort focuses that zeal on
attracting and nurturing a cluster of accomplished young
scientists, while contributing her considerable scientific
expertise.
Belfort joined The RNA Institute in 2011 after a distin-
guished 33-year career as a research scientist at the
Wadsworth Center, the research-intensive public health
laboratory of the New York State Department of Health.
While there, she made major discoveries in the field of
genetics, the study of organisms’ hereditary information
encoded in DNA and RNA. She provided new insights
into genome organization, and the role of introns, mobile
elements, and RNA biology in the evolution of life.
She has served on and chaired prestigious committees
for such organizations as the National Institutes of Health
(NIH) and the National Academy of Sciences. Belfort is on
the editorial board of several respected scientific journals
and serves on advisory boards to biomedical research
organizations. She also became a faculty member in the
Department of Biomedical Sciences at UAlbany’s School
of Public Health, where she was awarded the rank of
Distinguished Professor. She trained and mentored
dozens of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
Her work has appeared in more than 160 leading scientific
publications. For about 25 years, her two main grants
from the National Institutes of Health have been funded
continuously; together these grants total about $1 million
a year.
As UAlbany prepared to launch The RNA Institute, Belfort
played an important advisory role. Now, she serves as
part of the impressive team working to make the Institute
a center of translational research for RNA-based drug
discovery.
When providing young scientists with the support they
need, Belfort cites parallels between life in the lab and
raising a family. In “The Win-Win Potential for Motherhood
and Science” published in Current Biology, Belfort writes,
“creative cooking enables original experimentation, while
regimentation in the lab translates into organization in
the home.”
She emphasizes the critical importance, in both arenas, of
collaboration which, in turn, can help young scientists achieve
balance and success in their work and personal lives.
Under Belfort’s guidance, collaboration may even help
aspiring scientists write better. She is working on a partner-
ship between The RNA Institute and the New York State
Writers Institute to do just that.
Marlene Belfort
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YMarlene Belfort: Stellar Researcher and Mentor
RESEARCH LEADERS RESEARCH LEADERS
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University at Albany research has been a springboard for
a number of successful spin-off companies supporting
business and enhancing society. Two of these enterprises
recently expanded into the international arena: Albany-based
AWS Truepower and X-Ray Optical Systems, Inc. (XOS).
AWS Truepower is one of the world’s
leading meteorological and engineering
consulting firms specializing in wind
and solar energy. Former UAlbany
Atmospheric Sciences Research Center
researcher Bruce Bailey has served
as the President and CEO since the company’s founding
in 1986.
In 2011, AWS Truepower acquired Meteosim Truewind S.L.
of Barcelona, Spain. The move brought the company’s
reach of science and technology-driven solutions to the
European, Latin American and Asian markets.
The late Walter Gibson, a 25-year UAlbany faculty
member and physicist, was a pioneer in semiconductor
detectors, X-ray optics, and X-ray analysis techniques.
In 1998, he co-founded X-Ray Optical Systems, Inc. and
remained the company’s chief technology officer until his
death in 2009.
A leading global provider of materials-
analysis equipment for industries
needing to control material quality
and performance of X-ray optics and
instruments, XOS was acquired in
2012 by Danaher Corp., a manufac-
turer of scientific equipment doing business in more than
125 countries.
Through its research and outreach programs, the University at Albany is leveraging
knowledge for the economic benefit and stability of businesses and governments
worldwide. The Professional Development Program’s public service training initiatives, the
good governance and policymaking efforts of the Center for International Development,
UAlbany’s Small Business Development Center, and individual research initiatives fostering
entrepreneurship all underscore the University’s commitment to enhancing progress
and prosperity.
Business incubator managers now
have a resource designed to make
comparisons and recommendations,
and provide links to additional
resources on how to improve their
programs’ operations and performance.
The “Web-Based Toolkit” complements a comprehensive
study, “Incubating Success: Incubation Best Practices
That Lead to Successful New Ventures,” for which David
Lewis, associate professor in UAlbany’s Department of
Geography and Planning, is the research director and
lead author.
The project was a collaborative effort among UAlbany;
the University of Michigan’s Institute for Research on
Labor, Employment and the Economy; the National
Business Incubation Association; and Cybergroup Inc.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic
Development Administration, the study examined
business incubation programs throughout the U.S. and
across industry sectors, and identified which practices
contributed most to incubator client success, including:
• Emphasizing job creation and nurturing entrepreneurial
climate in the community;
• Establishing synergy among multiple practices, policies,
and services;
• Showcasing clients to the community and potential
funders;
• Frequent collection of client outcome data;
• Use of a not-for-profit model, and;
• Support from local government agencies, economic
development groups, universities, or other incubator
sponsors.
Creating a Culture of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
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2011-12University at AlbanyRESEARCH REPORT
The following faculty members earned prestigious awards for their research accomplishments and scholarly achievements.
Ronald Toseland, School of Social WelfareSelected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare, 2010
Steven Messner, Department of SociologySUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities, 2010-11
Lawrence M. Schell, Departments of Anthropology and Epidemiology and BiostatisticsSUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities, 2010-11
Iris Berger, Department of HistoryUniversity at Albany President’s Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Activities, 2010-11
Istvan Kesckes, Educational Theory and PracticeUniversity at Albany President’s Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Activities, 2010-11
JoAnne Carson, ArtUniversity at Albany President’s Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Activities, 2010-11
Fatemeh Shahedipour-Sandvik, College of Nanoscale Science and EngineeringUniversity at Albany President’s Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Activities, 2010-11
The RNA Institute at University at
Albany teamed up with Waltham,
Mass.-based Thermo Fisher Scientific,
Inc., in 2012 to challenge students to
develop commercially viable RNA-
technology projects.
The Thermo Fisher Student Venture Fund unites under-
graduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows
from the School of Business, the College of Arts and
Sciences and the Institute to develop inventions and
submit project proposals aimed at advancing both the
technology and commercialization of RNA science.
The Venture Fund is made possible through a $133,900
gift from Thermo Fisher Scientific, a world leader
in serving pharmaceutical and biotech companies,
hospitals, clinical diagnostic labs, universities, research
institutions and government agencies.
Two teams from the six participating are awarded $65,000
each toward the development of proof of principle, market
analysis and a business plan, formulated through an
entrepreneurship course offered by the business school.
Winning projects are based upon scientific merit, market
potential, and synergy with existing Thermo Fisher
product lines. UAlbany owns the intellectual property
created in the projects and Thermo Fisher has the first
right to license inventions.
The Venture Fund presents an opportunity to create a
collaboration among life scientists and MBA students
that catalyzes the effective commercialization of RNA
science.
Creating a Culture of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
13
Facu
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Patent and License Activity 20 —
15 —
10 —
5 —
0 —2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
■ Disclosures ■ Patent Applications ■ Patents Issued ■ Options & Licenses Executed
Mammography is a reliable tool for reducing breast cancer
mortality rates by providing early diagnosis. However,
conventional imaging techniques can miss carcinomas
and produce false positives. Some advanced research
techniques produce higher quality images, but typically
require synchrotron sources, which are large, expensive,
and not available for clinical use.
Carolyn MacDonald, professor and chair of the Depart-
ment of Physics and director of UAlbany’s Center for X-ray
Optics, devotes much of her research to the development
of X-ray technology and has patented inventions which
address both commercial and medical X-ray imaging.
Her Wide-Field, Coherent Scatter Imaging for improved
mammography, patented in 2010, would allow radiologists
to discriminate carcinoma from healthy tissue. This could
result in fewer breast biopsies, unnecessary patient trauma
and lower healthcare costs for patients and providers, and
fewer missed cancers in patients with dense breasts.
MacDonald’s 3-D Focusing X-Ray Imaging System,
patented in 2009 in collaboration with XOS, Inc., uses
clinical sources combined with an advanced optics system
to yield the higher contrast available from single energy
X-ray beams, previously possible only with synchrotrons.
Her new system works to remedy concerns in diagnostic
medicine concerning radiation dose, image contrast and
resolution, and cost.
Imp
rovi
ng M
amm
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phy
Tec
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ogy
Carolyn MacDonald
PH
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Technology Transfer and Commercialization
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Patents Issued
Patent Number Issue Date UAlbany Inventors and Title____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7,776,794 8/17/10 Szaro, Ben; Castracane, James; Feng, Xiaojun — Novel biosensor
using living cells on silicon-based microarrays____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7,745,600 6/29/10 Wang, Sho-Ya — Screen for sodium channel modulators____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7,646,850 1/12/10 MacDonald, Carolyn — Wide field coherent scatter imaging for
radiography using a divergent beam____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7,618,836 11/17/09 Tokranova, Natalya; et al. — Hybrid solar cells based on nanostructures
bulk semiconductors and organic materials____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7,601,823 10/13/09 Niu, Li; et al. — Nucleic acid inhibitors of glutamate receptors
(with Cornell U.)____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7,583,789 9/1/09 MacDonald, Carolyn; et al. (UAlbany and X-Ray Optical Systems)
— X-ray imaging systems employing point-focusing, curved
monochromating optics (with X-Ray Optical Systems)____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7,527,997 5/5/09 Xu, Bai; et al. — MEMS structure with anodically bonded
silicon-on-insulator substrate____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7,521,252 4/21/09 Carpenter, Michael; Zhao, Zhouying — Methods of forming palladium
alloy thin films and optical hydrogen sensors employing palladium
alloy thin films____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7,508,858 3/24/09 Oktyabrsky, Serge et al. (UAlbany & Intel) — Detuned duo-cavity
laser-modulator device and method with detuning selected to
minimize change in reflectivity____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7,405,086 7/29/08 LaBella, Vincent et al. — Above room temperature
ferromagnetic silicon____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
152011-12University at AlbanyRESEARCH REPORT
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Data Bank
University at Albany 2011 Total Expenditures by Sponsor Type (excludes College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering)
New York State 8%
Other 7%Federal 47%
Federal Flow Through 38%
Total Expenditures2008....................................... $89,437,820
2009....................................... $93,900,788
2010..................................... $103,252,474
2011..................................... $109,096,500
New York State 55%
Federal Flow Through 1%
Other 41%
Federal 3%
College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering 2011 Total Expenditures by Sponsor Type
Total Expenditures2008…................................. $107,688,331
2009…................................. $176,544,151
2010 …................................ $167,940,853
2011 ........ ............................ $228,314,475
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College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering Facilities and Administrative Costs by Sponsor Type
University at Albany Facilities and Administrative Costs by Sponsor Type (excludes College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering )
10,000,000 —
8,000,000 —
6,000,000 —
4,000,000 —
2,000,000 —
0 —2008 2009 2010 2011
10,000,000 —
8,000,000 —
6,000,000 —
4,000,000 —
2,000,000 —
0 —2008 2009 2010 2011
■ Federal ■ Federal Flow Through ■ New York State ■ Other
■ Federal ■ Federal Flow Through ■ New York State ■ Other
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