Archive for September, 2011

Utah State University first to implement novel nutrition program in the U.S.

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

First U.S. Food Dudes Program results in more than 40 percent increase in fruit and vegetable consumption among elementary students

Food Dudes Program expands into six elementary schools in the Cache Valley School District

Utah State University (USU) researchers have completed the first U.S. implementation of the Food Dudes Healthy Eating Program and saw fruit and vegetable consumption increase by more than 40 percent among elementary school students. USU researchers are now expanding the program into six elementary schools in northern Utah.

The Food Dudes program was developed by psychologists at Bangor University in Wales in order to encourage children to eat more fruit and vegetables both in school and at home. Food Dudes is comprised of a three-step system of using role models, repeated tastings and rewards to help elementary students appreciate the benefits of healthy eating.

Last year, researchers in Utah State University’s Nutrition Department, Psychology Department and the USTAR Applied Nutrition Research Program were the first to adopt the Food Dudes program in the United States at the Edith Bowen Laboratory School on the university’s campus. After seeing a clear increase in healthy eating habits among the students, the program will be instituted at six elementary schools in the Cache County School District.

“At Edith Bowen we saw about a 40 percent increase in fruit consumption and a 55 percent increase in vegetable consumption among the students in the school, many of whom weren’t eating these foods with any regularity before,” said Greg Madden, associate professor in USU’s department of psychology. “We saw remarkable success with the pilot implementation of this program, and we are excited to see the program in action on a larger scale in these six Cache Valley schools. Our goal is to raise those percentages even higher by making some very slight variations to the program in the six new schools we are reaching.”

One of the variations in USU’s implementation is offering students social rewards, such as praise, encouragement and public acknowledgement as opposed to typical, tangible awards like stickers or pencils.

“We are excited to have the Food Dudes program at our school, and can’t wait to start seeing some results, especially as it pertains to the social rewards aspect,” said Kathy Toolson, principal at Sunrise Elementary in Smithfield, Utah. “My hope is that not only will these social rewards help our students want to make better choices when it comes to eating fruits and vegetables, but they will also boost their self esteems and help them cultivate a better sense of self and accomplishment.”

USU received funding for the grant from the USDA, which recommends that half of the plate at each meal contain fruits and vegetables. The grant is co-directed by Heidi Wengreen, associate professor in USU’s Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences Department. USU’s College of Education, where the Department of Psychology is housed, currently ranks fifth in the nation in terms of external funding for research.

About the College of Education and Human Services
The Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services at Utah State University is committed to offering high quality graduate and undergraduate programs in education and human services that are innovative and widely accessible. The college is also dedicated to establishing and maintaining nationally visible research centers that advance knowledge and professional practices. For more information, visit http://www.cehs.usu.edu/ .

Thanks to our friends at the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services for providing this information.

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Metal-munching yeast a biological solution for mine pollution

Sunday, September 25th, 2011

Most people associate yeast with a tasty slice of sourdough bread, but if a Salt Lake City-based company’s research and development pans out, yeast will be used to clean up mining waste. And the company stands to make a lot of dough.

In February 2011, the Utah Science Technology and Research initiative awarded Weber State University a $35,000 technology commercialization grant to assist US BioRemediation Inc. in verifying that a metal-loving microbe might address the needs of a $500 million domestic market.

It all started with an abandoned open pit mine in Butte, Mont.

Since the Berkeley Pit Mine’s closure in 1982, the pit has filled with water from various sources such as surface runoff and ground water leaching from underground areas of the mine. Thirty years later, the pit holds more than 40 billion gallons of toxic water. It is so toxic, in fact, that when a flock of migrating snow geese nestled on the Berkeley Pit Mine waters in 1995 to take shelter from inclement weather, nearly 350 geese perished by morning.

However, this vast pit of toxic water — a designated Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site — may actually hold the key to a cleaner environment.

Butte, MT mine

Over the last decade, scientists in Butte isolated unique metal-binding organisms from the pit. One of these was yeast, which demonstrated unexpected bio-activity. In laboratory conditions, the acid-loving microbe thrives in pH below four and sequesters more than 80 percent of iron and other metals from aqueous solutions in minutes — a very high ratio of metal binding. This is important because high levels of iron contribute to problems with acid mine drainage.

Formed in 2008, US BioRemediation Inc. licensed theMontanadiscovery. In partnership with WSU microbiology researcher Dr. Mohammed Sondossi, the company is developing a way to environmentally remediate acid mine drainage sites. Removing metals from mine wastes with a cheap, mass-produced, stable, nontoxic microbe that works in highly acidic environments would be a vast improvement over present methods.

“To date, we’ve studied the yeast’s characteristics — its biosorption and bioaccumulation of metals — and its applicability to acidic mine waters to remove toxic metal contaminants,” Sondossi says. “An intriguing aspect of this organism is that it can grow in the lab at very acidic pH levels.”

The EPA estimates approximately 15,000 U.S. water sources are contaminated by acid and metals, including 90 Superfund sites. “We think this is an annual addressable market of $500 million,” says Fred Jaeger, US BioRemediation director of business development.

“Dr. Sondossi has been great to work with,” Jaeger says. “Besides independently verifying the efficacy of the yeast with the wastewater found in the Berkeley Pit Mine, he is determining what other types of wastewater we may remediate. The USTAR project is helping us learn how adaptable the organism is, and how we can scale a product and widen its application to a spectrum of needs. The testing and the USTAR backing give us greater credibility in the market.”

Yeast in laboratory

Other potential applications, Jaeger says, include the cleanup of waste from smelting operations, recovery of valuable metals such as silver through a bio-based extraction process, and the sequestration of radioactive metals including uranium.

Featured in the September/October 2011 issue of Zions Bank’s Community magazine. Reprinted with permission.

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Utah Entrepreneurial Resources and Support Network at Westminster

Saturday, September 24th, 2011

Successful entrepreneurs have always been known to marshal key resources, and Utah has a rich network of service providers. As part of Entrepreneurship Day, Westminster College is providing an opportunity to learn about key resources in Utah that can help your business grow.

Thursday, September 29, 2011
4:30 – 5:00 pm Networking
5:00 – 6:00 pm Utah Business Coalition members

Panelists:
1. Riley Cutler, Governor’s Office of Economic Development
2. Pamela Okumura, Women’s Business Center, Salt Lake Chamber
3. Steve Price, Small Business Administration
4. Kathy Ricci, Utah Microenterprise Loan Fund
5. Ron Tucker, SCORE
6. Beth Holbrook, Zions Bank Business Resource Center

Location: Westminster College, Bill & Vieve Gore School of Business Auditorium
Campus map: http://www.westminstercollege.edu/campus_map/
Parking is free

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Pushbutton and GEEX partner to provide premier digital media summit and gaming expo

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

Three-day Event to Focus on the Intersection of Creativity & Technology

Grow Utah Ventures has announced the 2011 Pushbutton Digital Media Summit (www.pushbuttonsummit.com), a digital media event focused on the intersection of technology and creativity. 

The three day event will be held October 13-15, 2011 at the South Towne Expo Center and Jordan Commons in Sandy, UT.

PushButton 2011 is a digital media summit where leading game designers, mobile app developers, digital animators, business executives, entrepreneurs, students and private investors come together to shape where technology and creativity is heading. Industry experts will give a first hand view into the forces and technology that are driving the future of the digital media industry.

This year, the Summit has been combined with GEEX Gaming & Electronics Expo presented by MediaOne of Utah.  This partnership brings a high-energy consumer expo to the event where attendees can explore innovative game consoles, mobile devices, computers systems and the games, applications, services, and the tools built for them. All PushButton Summit attendees will get unlimited access to the Expo.

The Summit will consist of presentations from a number of industry professionals and experts, including Jon Dean, Executive Producer of EA Salt Lake, Geremy Mustard, Technical Director of ChAIR Entertainment, Vernon Wilbert, Commercial Director of Digital Domain and others from Sony, VentureBlue and more.

Topics covered at Pushbutton will include:

  • Capitalizing on mobile technologies
  • The impact of social gaming
  • Digital media’s use of the cloud
  • The melding of analytics and creativity

Along with the Gaming & Electronics Expo, PushButton attendees will also get free access to the opening reception and awards ceremony at The Leonardo, a new innovation, technology and arts center in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.  An award for “Digital Leadership” will be given out that night as well as an exploration of creativity and technology.  The reception begins at 6:00 pm MST on Thursday, October 13, 2011 and ends at 9:00 pm MST.

“The inaugural Pushbutton Summit last year was a tremendous success,” said T. Craig Bott, president and CEO of Grow Utah Ventures and organizer of the event.  “We know that the digital media industry is booming and will continue to grow.  We know from the feedback we received from last years event that people want and need an event like this where they can see what colleagues are working on, discuss the industry and trends with peers and network to find the people that can help mentor and advance the industry.”

Pushbutton will begin on Thursday, October 13, 2011 with the welcome reception and continue throughout the following day on October 14th at Jordan Commons.  The Gaming & Electronics Expo will run all day October 14th through October 15th at the South Towne Expo Center.

“Utah is an emerging hotbed for digital media and entrepreneurs, and serves as the ideal location to host a conference on the future of digital media,” said Jon Dean, of EA Salt Lake.  “Utah has a great legacy in digital media, but now we want to look forward and that’s what this Summit is all about.”

For more information about Pushbutton 2011 visit www.PushButtonSummit.com.

Resources:
For updated event information:

About Pushbutton Summit 2011 PushButton Summit 2011 is Utah’s premiere Digital Media Summit for digital animation, gaming, mobile distribution, web development, movies and entertainment. The purpose of this two-day event is to bring together world-class industry and technology leaders, entrepreneurs, students and community executives to discuss the latest in what’s pushing the creation and use of digital media. It is also to create awareness in Utah’s digital media and entertainment industry and allow local talent, business leaders, investors and others to share ideas and collaborate around this growing industry.

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Latest e-Connections newsletter is here

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

To keep people up to date on developments at USTAR and alert you to upcoming events in the “innovation ecosystem,” we publish e-Connections, an email newsletter that appears generally monthly.

In this edition ( http://tinyurl.com/5s3fb6n), read about a new research center at the University of Utah, national recognition for a new U of U USTAR researcher, a tour of BioInnovations Gateway as part of Entrepreneurship Day, a reminder about the and nanoDDS conferences, a biomass conference at USU, and more.

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BYU connects students with start-ups

Monday, September 19th, 2011

On Thursday, Sept. 29, Brigham Young University is holding the Utah Startup Marketplace (USM), a singular opportunity for local start-ups to connect with BYU’s talented students interested in job/internship opportunities.

BYU has held USM five times in the past and usually, this access is offered only to Fortune 500 companies. “We want to allow start-up and emerging companies the same access and open the eyes of students to opportunities in that space,” says Jeff Brown, Assistant Director of the Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology at the BYU Marriott School of Management.

About 1,000 students visit the USM tradeshow booth area. USM attracts students with business and technical backgrounds.  If your company is in need of employees or interns (paid or unpaid) and you want to exhibit at USM, contact Jeff Brown at 801-367-3936 or jeff.brown@byu.edu.

The event runs from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm and has a limited number of booths available at a rate of $150, which includes breakfast and lunch for two attendees.

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USU’s 2011 Restoring the West Conference focuses on biomass

Monday, September 19th, 2011

Registration is now open for Oct. 18-19 gathering in Logan

Registration is in progress for the 2011 Restoring the West Conference slated for Oct. 18-19 at Utah State University’s Eccles Conference Center. Discounts are offered for students and participants registering by Sept. 30.         

“Sustaining Forests, Woodlands, and Communities through Biomass Use” is the theme for this year’s gathering, which features talks and workshops led by scientists and land managers from throughout the United States.

“This year’s conference examines how woody biomass harvest can facilitate land restoration projects while supplying much-needed forest products, including fuel for renewable energy,” says Darren McAvoy, conference co-chair and USU Forestry Extension program associate. “Talks will focus on how biomass harvest can enhance the ecological and financial feasibility of restoration projects with an emphasis on collaboration between land owners, public land managers, community leaders, business and scientists.”

Featured speakers for the conference include Jay O’Laughlin, professor of forestry and policy services at the University of Idaho, and Craig Rawlings of the Montana-based Forest Business Network, as well as Lianxiu Guan, a postdoctoral research fellow with USU’s USTAR-funded Biomass Energy Team of the Synthetic Bio-Manufacturing Center and representatives from the Utah Biomass Resources Group.

Cost to attend the two-day conference is $120 if registration is received by Sept. 30 and $140 after that date. Cost for students is $30 if registration is received by Sept. 30 and $40 thereafter. Conference cost includes materials, lunch and breaks on both days and a reception.

Dixie National Forest - Yankee Meadow overlook

For a full agenda and registration information, visit www.restoringthewest.org or call USU Conference Registration Services at 1-800-538-2663 or 435-797-0423.

The gathering includes a poster session on Tuesday, Oct. 18, from 12:10 -1:30 pm in the Eccles Conference Center. The poster abstract submission deadline for the poster session is Sept. 30, at 5 pm. MDT. For poster submission guidelines, contact Mike Kuhns at mike.kuhns@usu.edu or 435-797-4056.

Sponsors for this year’s conference include USU (Cooperative Extension, Department of Wildland Resources, College of Natural Resources and Ecology Center), the Utah Biomass Resources Group, USDA Forest Service – State and Private Forestry, the Western Aspen Alliance, USDA-ARS Forage and Range Research Lab, USDA Rural Development, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Rural Community Assistance Corporation.

Mary-Ann Muffoletto of USU shared this item with us.

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Entrepreneurship Day tour of BiG open to the public

Thursday, September 15th, 2011

In honor of Entrepreneurship Day, the BioInnovations Gateway (BiG) and USTAR are holding a free, public tour of the BiG facilities Sept. 27.

One of the first projects of its kind in the nation, BiG is a high-tech business incubation and educational facility designed to train Utah’s life sciences workforce and support start-up companies. On the one-hour tour, you’ll see state-of-the-art wet and dry labs, clean room, and prototyping facilities, and meet some of the entrepreneurs who are launching companies here.

More than 80 students are currently in Granite School District’s Biomanufacturing program, and BiG provides training opportunities for many of them. BiG is supported by the Granite School District, Granite Technical Institute, Governor’s Office of Economic Development, U.S. Department of Labor, and USTAR.

The tour takes place from noon to 1:00 pm on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 2500 S. State St. #224, South Salt Lake. RSVP to Susannah Hutchins at 385-646-4634 or shutchins@utah.gov.

For more information on BiG, visit www.bioinnovationsgateway.org.

For more information on Entrepreneurship Day, visit http://business.utah.gov/whyutah/education/eday/

 

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U of U USTAR researcher named to Technology Review’s “35 Innovators under 35” list

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

Miriah Meyer, a recent recruit to the University of Utah’s Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute, has been acclaimed one of the top 35 innovators under age 35 by Technology Review, a magazine published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

As the article states: “Biological research is exploding with genomic, molecular, and chemical data. But analyzing all that information has been difficult and slow, in part because biologists haven’t had good ways to visualize the data—to see it represented graphically on screen so as to help them spot trends and make comparisons. University of Utah computer science professor Miriah Meyer is addressing that problem by developing programs that make it easier for scientists to explore the data they’re generating.”

“I heartily agree with Technology Review’s selection panel,” Chris Johnson, Director, SCI Institute, said. “Miriah Meyer is one of the young research stars in designing effective visual analysis techniques and systems. Her visualization tools allow scientists to understand their underlying data in detail and to develop new insights. Her software tools are already having impact in biology.”

Meyer joins the SCI Institute from Harvard University, where she was a postdoctoral research fellow in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences since 2008. From 2010 she was also a visiting scientist at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard where she cofounded the Data Visualization Initiative.

Miriah Meyer

Meyer is the recipient of a 2009 and 2010 NSF/CRA Computing Innovation Fellow Award for her work on collaboratively designing visualization tools for biological data. She was also awarded a 2006 AAAS Mass Media Fellowship that landed her a stint as a science writer for the Chicago Tribune. In 2008 she obtained her Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Utah. Dr. Meyer currently serves on the organizing committee for the inaugural IEEE Symposium on Biological Data Visualization.

Meyer joins SCI’s Imaging Technology research team, which is funded by the Utah Science Technology and Research (USTAR) initiative. Read the full Technology Review text here.

About SCI
The SCI Institute focuses on solving important problems in biomedicine, science, and engineering using computation and is an international research leader in the areas of scientific computing, visualization, and image analysis. For more information, visit http://www.sci.utah.edu

About the School of Computing
With more than 700 undergraduate and graduate students, the University of Utah’s School of Computing focuses on Applied Computation, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Graphics, Computer Systems, Information Management, and Program Analysis and Formal Methods. Visit http://www.cs.utah.edu

About Technology Review
Technology Review is an independent media company owned by MIT. More than two million people around the globe read the publication, in five languages and on a variety of digital and print platforms. Established in 1899, it is the world’s oldest technology magazine. Visit http://www.technologyreview.com

 

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USTAR Professor seeks ways to make renewable energy even cleaner

Monday, September 12th, 2011

 

Shelley Minteer, Ph.D., explores using parts of living cells rather than metals to facilitate catalysis, which is necessary for producing energy

By Amanda M. Smith

It’s no secret that precious metals such as gold and platinum are expensive. They have long been prized for their beauty and their industrial applications, including their use in some renewable energy applications. These metals are rare, non-renewable, and must be mined, which is a costly, involved operation.

While the idea of harvesting energy from the sun is hugely appealing, traditional solar panels have received criticism because it takes years before their clean energy production makes up for the “dirty energy” spent mining their essential components. A few of these components are metal catalysts that are necessary for the conversion of solar energy into electrical energy. But these metals may not be our only options.

Instead of using metals as catalysts, Shelley Minteer, Ph.D., thinks there is an alternative way that lies within living cells. Plants and cyanobacteria have been converting solar energy into usable energy for millions of years, and bacteria and fungi have been doing the same with food and fuel. The pathways they use for this conversion may be directly applicable to how we can make renewable energies such as solar and biofuels even cleaner. By using the parts of these organisms’ cells that are capable of catalysis, the need for metals in solar panels and fuel cells could be eliminated.

Shelley Minteer

Chloroplasts (plant cell organelles) and cyanobacteria both obtain their energy from the sun through photosynthesis. Within these organisms, the thylakoid is the site of the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis. A gradient is created as protons build up in the thylakoid. This gradient is used to create adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which transports chemical energy within cells. Minteer is studying how we can apply this process of using solar energy on a scale that could work for our increasing energy demands.

Minteer is a new University of Utah researcher on USTAR’s Alternative Energy Research Team. The team is studying using parts of living cells for both catalysis and storage of solar and chemical energy. Catalysts are needed for the production of energy, chemicals, and food, and the Alternative Energy team seeks to study plants, bacteria and fungi to find better and cleaner ways to facilitate these reactions.

In addition to her work with solar energy, Minteer has found a way to make the use of another renewable energy, biofuels, even cleaner. The process of extracting biodiesel from different sources, such as algae, is focused on just that: extracting oil. Therefore, about ten percent of the starting product, consisting of mostly glycerol, is considered waste. There is still a large amount of energy in this waste, and based on what we know of how bacteria and fungi use fuel, Minteer sees this energy as usable.

Minteer’s work with biofuel waste provides an opportunity for collaboration with USTAR’s BioEnergy Research Team as well as the USTAR Synthetic BioManufacturing Center at Utah State University. Foster Agblevor, USU’s biowaste expert, is also a USTAR recruit.

“Teamwork between Utah’s research universities could have enormous economic and academic impact for both institutions and for the state of Utah,” said Ted McAleer, USTAR Executive Director.

The USTAR program and the ability to build clusters of scientists with similar interests was Minteer’s biggest draw for bringing her research to Utah.

“When like-minded scientists work together, we can start tackling much larger problems than can be undertaken by single faculty in their individual research labs,” said Minteer. “This is especially important in solving the nation’s energy crisis.”

 

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$21.5 million for materials research at the U of U

Thursday, September 8th, 2011

University of Utah gets $12 million from prestigious federal program Sept. 8, 2011

The University of Utah is launching a six-year, $21.5 million effort to conduct basic research aimed at developing new materials for uses ranging from faster computers and communications devices to better microscopes and solar cells.

 The new Center of Excellence in Materials Research and Innovation is being established and funded for six years by a $12 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), $6.5 million for major equipment from the Utah Science Technology and Research (USTAR) initiative and $3 million from the University of Utah.

The coveted NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center grants are obtained only by the nation’s best research universities, says Anil Virkar, director of the new center and a University of Utah distinguished professor and chair of materials science and engineering.

“At the federal agency level, this is about the most prestigious award possible,” Virkar says. “Securing a grant of this size and scope really inaugurates our academic membership in the Pac-12.”

Other universities included in the new round of NSF materials research grants include Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Northwestern and Michigan.

The new Utah center involves more than two dozen researchers from seven departments in the College of Science, College of Engineering and College of Mines and Earth Sciences. The NSF says the new University of Utah center will focus on “next-generation materials for plasmonics and spintronics.”

“We are among the world leaders in these two fields,” Virkar says.

The center’s two interdisciplinary research groups will focus on those areas:

– Physicist Brian Saam will lead the organic spintronics research effort, which will work on developing organic semiconductors that can be used to carry and store information not only electronically by exploiting the electrons in atoms, but also “spintronically” by using a characteristic of electrons and atoms known as spin.

Organic semiconductors are aimed at developing faster, more efficient computers, displays and communications, as well as better solar cells, says Valy Vardeny, distinguished professor of physics and associate director of the new center.

“These are very promising materials,” Vardeny says. “If we can understand their electronic, magnetic and spintronic properties, they can be fabricated far less expensively than standard silicon electronics, and can be engineered with an enormous variety of other favorable characteristics, for example, as lightweight, flexible displays, or with resistance to harsh chemicals or extreme temperature.”

– Electrical engineer Ajay Nahata will lead the plasmonic metamaterials research team. Plasmonics involves using light that propagates in the interface between a metal and nonmetal. A metamaterial is a material that is structured artificially by etching, drilling, milling or other methods, thus allowing engineers to manipulate how various wavelengths of light propagate on the surfaces of such materials.

Plasmonics can allow tighter focusing than is possible using conventional microscopes, which may lead to better microscopic methods for biologists, Nahata says.

The plasmonic metamaterials team also will study the potential of uncommonly used wavelengths, such as terahertz radiation, to develop faster devices for use in future communication and computing systems.

Virkar says the kind of basic research conducted at the new center contributes to a crucial broad base of knowledge, and produces the kind of discoveries that lead to major technological revolutions, new practical applications and the new frontiers of research. He says that the long-term commitment for the center also will allow the basic research to mature into applications, devices, intellectual property and even start-up companies.

A laser in an electrical engineering lab at the University of Utah, which has won a $12 million National Science Foundation grant to launch a $21.5 million basic research program aimed at developing new materials for such uses as faster computers and communications devices and better microscopes and solar cells. (Photo by Nathan Weston, U of U)

In addition to training university graduate and undergraduate students, the new center will include outreach programs dealing with its research to K-12 students and teachers, says mechanical engineer Debra Mascaro, the center’s education and outreach director. “We will also actively recruit students, postdoctoral researchers and faculty with a goal of providing equal opportunities to underrepresented groups.”

Downloadable photographs are at: http://unews.utah.edu/news_releases/21-5-million-for-materials-research

Thanks to Lee Siegel and Anil Virkar for sending this news our way.

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Economics of the Cloud: The US/UK Perspective

Tuesday, September 6th, 2011

The World Trade Center Utah and associated sponsors are holding a breakfast seminar on the topic of cloud technology.

Successful implementation of cloud technology cannot be fully realized unless businesses are aware of the benefits of the cloud space. Public cloud computing services offer scalable pricing models, but potentially at a premium to enterprise “do-it-yourself” models. There are opposing views as to whether recent increases in the adoption of cloud computing are transient, or whether it will eventually become ubiquitous with IT infrastructure.

In this seminar, leading proponents of cloud computing will provide their insight and advice to:

  • Help attendees understand how to access the benefits of the cloud
  • Dispel the negative myths associated with cloud computing
  • Empower business leaders with basic knowledge they need when developing a roadmap
  • Outline essential legal considerations

Date: September 12, 2011

Time: 8:30 a.m. -10:30 a.m.

Location: Zions Bank Founders Room – 18th Floor, One S. Main St., Salt Lake City, Utah

Guest Speaker:

Dr. Richard Nicholson – President of OSGi & CEO of Paremus

Panelists include:

  • Mike Perry – Vice President International Operations of inContact
  • Jim Livingston – Associate CIO University of Utah Health Care, Director, IT Infrastructure and Operations University of Utah
  • John Rees – Callister, Nebeker and McCullough

There is no cost for attendance, but space is limited and guests are encouraged to register early. To reserve your seat, please e-mail Elizabeth Goryunova at egorn@wtcut.com or call (801) 532-8080.

Supported by: Zions Bank, UK Trade & Investment, Oury Clark, Utah Technology Council, USTAR, US Department of Commerce, Silicon Slopes, Salt Lake Chamber, Governor’s Office of Economic Development, World Trade Center Utah, and the Utah European Chamber.

Click here to download a flyer.

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Grow Utah Ventures “Concept to Company” contest goes medical

Thursday, September 1st, 2011

The next “Concept to Company” Contest will focus on Medical Devices and Technology.

Contestants have until October 7, 2011 to submit their ideas for consideration. The contest is open to any Utah-based entrepreneur or small business with a new product or service innovation involving medical devices or technology. Entrepreneurs and small business owners interested in participating can apply online at www.ConceptToCompany.org.

“We’ve had tremendous interest from the entrepreneur community to run another medical technology contest,” said T. Craig Bott, president and CEO of Grow Utah Ventures. “Utah possesses great talent and innovation in the medical technology industry and we are excited to see the entries.”

A group of finalists will be selected and will have the opportunity to present their ideas to a panel of expert judges on October 19, 2011 in Salt Lake City where the field will be narrowed to three. One grand-prize winner and two runner-up winners will be selected that day and then announced on October 26, 2011 at the MD4 Utah 2011 Summit and luncheon event at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah.

The grand-prize winner will receive a cash and service prize up to $21,000. Runner-up winners will each receive a cash and service prize up to $9,500. Service prizes are being offered from Workman Nydegger, Ballard Spahr, Advanced CFO Solutions and Bio Innovations Gateway. Grow Utah Ventures and Zions Bank are providing the cash prize.

The“Concept to Company” contests are designed to encourage and support entrepreneurs with the intent of helping them turn their concepts into a company. The medical contest marks the third “Concept to Company” contest in 2011 and the eleventh contest overall. Each contest focuses on a different industry and region of the state. The Northern Utah General Technology contest recently wrapped up and awarded three entrepreneurs cash and services to help get their ideas off the ground. That contest was the most successful to date, garnering over 160 entries.

Since the “Concept to Company Contests’ inception in 2008, they have distributed more than $450,000 in prize money/services and helped over 30 companies bring their business ideas to fruition. For more information and to apply, visit: www.ConceptToCompany.org.

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