The Hawaiʻi Business Roundtable and the University of Hawaiʻi will host the . This year鈥檚 conference is The Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative鈥檚 Forum on Sustainable Agriculture, Food Security, Cybersecurity and will be held October 10–11 at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center.

糖心视频 President will be one of three Hawaiʻi university presidents opening the conference with a discussion on preparing students for the future innovation economy.

“The Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative is one of our four strategic directions and can only succeed through valuable partnerships like our relationship with the Hawaiʻi Business Roundtable,” Lassner said. 鈥淭he Future Focus Forum is intended to raise awareness in the community of the many sectors in which we have opportunities to stimulate an innovation economy that creates great jobs for our next generation.鈥�

The forum will feature presentations, interactive panel discussions, “poolside chats” and a networking reception, offering attendees opportunities to learn more about emerging technologies, research and ways to engage in, and contribute to Hawaiʻi鈥檚 growing innovation and technology industry.

Featured presenters include:

• Peter Matlock, director of commercialization, Joint BioEnergy Institute; Lawrence Berkeley National Lab/Tropical BioTech Entrepreneur
• Josh Sullivan, best-selling author of The Mathematical Corporation; senior vice president, artificial intelligence lead; digital, analytics and strategy lead, Booz Allen Hamilton

Registration information

The registration fee for the Future Focus Forum is $150 ($75 for students with ID) and includes continental breakfast and lunch on both days. For more information and to register, visit the .

The University of Hawaiʻi has received a $3 million grant from national education non-profit to continue the advancement of career pathways in Hawaiʻi. In addition, the provided a $300,000 grant to amplify the work across the state.

The goals of the combined philanthropic investments are to:

• Sustain the industry-led sector partnerships to advance economic development and develop workforce solutions, while establishing a governance structure to provide oversight to statewide strategic planning.
• Enhance Hawaiʻi鈥檚 Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) career pipeline by:
  • Aligning the Department of Education鈥檚 Career and Technical Education pathways with 糖心视频 and advancing initiatives to improve 糖心视频 students鈥� math and English scores to better position them for successful careers as they transition from high school to postsecondary education.
  • Developing 糖心视频 STEM academic pathways in Engineering, Information Communications Technology, Biological Sciences, and Environmental and Physical Sciences for the transition from community college to 4-year campuses.
  • Bridging the success gap in STEM for students from underrepresented groups.
• Provide integrated student support to help students face fewer barriers to achieving their academic and career plans.
• Enhance and promote the Hawaiʻi Industry Sectors website to be more user-friendly for students and policymakers. This includes linking to 糖心视频鈥檚 nationally award-winning online graduation pathway system, STAR.

In 2016, 糖心视频 received a to launch the Building Hawaiʻi鈥檚 Innovation Economy and Workforce initiative. The initiative builds on and advances two of 糖心视频鈥檚 key strategic directions—the and . The overarching goal is to expand the state鈥檚 economy beyond tourism and military spending to create high-quality, living-wage career opportunities for residents, while working to ensure graduates have the skills that employers want and need.

“Our goal is to prepare Hawaiʻi鈥檚 students and our workforce for the jobs of today and tomorrow in a manner that is highly informed by employers and supported by educational pathways from K–12 to college to career,” said 糖心视频 President . “Strada鈥檚 remarkable investments are paving the way for others like the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation to join us and take the positive momentum even further. It is gratifying and energizing to partner with national and local funders who recognize and believe in our groundbreaking work that is increasingly becoming a model for other states.”

Impact highlights to date

• Eight industry-led sector partnerships in banking/finance, IT, engineering, food manufacturing, healthcare (Oʻahu and Maui), and agriculture (Hawaiʻi Island and Kauaʻi) launched in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce Hawaiʻi. The sector partnership convenings provide a venue for industry to collectively address opportunities for growth as well as challenges; and partner with economic and workforce development, education, and other stakeholders to build solutions.
• 237 state, county, and nonprofit employees received STEM training/certification through the STEM Workforce Fund.
• 16.2 percent increase in enrollment and completion rates for minority students under-represented in STEM fields across the 糖心视频 System between fall 2014 (2,432 students) and fall 2017 (2,825 students). Degree completion increased 18.3 percent from 415 students in FY 2015 to 491 students in FY 2017.
• Developed and aligned STEM academic pathways to increase student enrollment, persistence and transfer. For example, the engineering pathway was aligned so that all associates degree coursework counts towards a Bachelor of Science in Engineering at 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补.
• The launch of the award-winning website which uses data visualization to align Hawaiʻi鈥檚 economic and workforce needs with degree offerings at 糖心视频.
• Enhanced statewide data and reporting tools have allowed 糖心视频 to create dashboards and develop a culture of data use to inform policy decisions. For example, the STEM dashboard allows faculty/staff to track progress on STEM enrollment, transfer, retention and graduation.

“Improving outcomes and opportunity for the students of Hawaiʻi has always been a critical part of our mission as we work to strengthen pathways between education and employment for all Americans,” said Bill Hansen, president and CEO of Strada Education Network. “The University of Hawaiʻi System has become a leading innovator in higher education, working alongside local and government leaders to improve student success and build the state鈥檚 talent pipeline. We鈥檙e honored to support this work and to be joined by collaborative partners like the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation to sustain and scale these innovative programs in Hawaiʻi.”

Terry George, Harold K.L. Castle Foundation president and CEO added, “For Hawaiʻi to truly thrive, K–12 and higher educational opportunities must reflect labor market needs and lead to family sustaining wages. We are pleased to partner alongside Strada Education in helping the University of Hawaiʻi enroll far more students in career pathways that prepare them for in-demand jobs and obtain a degree that employers actually value. Working together, we can help Hawaiʻi鈥檚 youth to fulfil their most ambitious dreams.”

President made his report to the at their meeting on November 16, 2017.

Highlights include:

• ()
• Congressional visits ()
• Tax reform and higher education ()
• Programs serving Native Hawaiian and underrepresented students ()
• Defense-related programs ()
• ()
• ()
• Green-tariff initiative with HECO ()
• 糖心视频 places third in cybersecurity competition ()
• Leeward CC‘s Waiʻanae Moku ()
• ()
• Agriculture grants ()
• ()
• 糖心视频 Strategic Directions ()
• Hawaiʻi Graduation Initiative ()
• Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative ()
• 21st Century Facilities ()
• High Performance Mission-Driven System ()
• Strengthen relationship with 糖心视频 Foundation ()
• Indigenous-serving institution ()
• Sustainability initiatives ()
• 糖心视频 Strategic Directions ()
• William “Billy” Richardson ()

View previous reports to the board.

The University of Hawaiʻi鈥檚 award-winning startup accelerator, , was named one of only 20 national winners of the . This marks the third year in a row that the University of Hawaiʻi accelerator has won the competition, which includes a $50,000 cash award.

XLR8糖心视频 was the only winner from Hawaiʻi in this year鈥檚 SBA鈥檚 Growth Accelerator Fund competition, which is designed to draw attention and funding to parts of the country with gaps in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Winners were selected by experts in entrepreneurship, investing and business plans from both inside and out of the federal government and based on applications and pitch videos submitted by the finalists.

“We are pleased to have our XLR8糖心视频 program take home this prestigious SBA national award once again,” said 糖心视频 Vice President for Research and Innovation . “It further validates our continuing efforts under the to diversify the state鈥檚 economy by creating a third economic leg based on the commercialization of 糖心视频 research.”

Building on XLR8糖心视频鈥檚 national recognition

This award builds upon the national recognition garnered by XLR8糖心视频 in 2017, which also includes being named one of the top 30 accelerators in the country by Forbes. XLR8糖心视频 is one of the first public university investment programs in the nation, revolutionizing the way innovation and research is commercialized.

“We are honored, once again, to have won this award and be counted among the top accelerator programs in the country,” said Omar Sultan, co-founder and managing partner of XLR8糖心视频 and . “The SBA鈥檚 recognition over the past three years has helped shine a national spotlight on the strong and growing entrepreneurial ecosystem here in Hawaiʻi and on the innovations generated by 糖心视频 research.

In accepting the SBA award, the winning accelerators will be committing to bi-annual reporting of metrics on jobs created, funds raised, startups launched, corporate sponsors obtained and more. These metrics will allow the SBA to better understand accelerators and their impact, and to develop long-term relationships with the startups and constituents in these innovative and entrepreneurial communities.

Launched in 2014 as a public-private partnership between 糖心视频 and Sultan Ventures, XLR8糖心视频 has mentored and trained five cohorts consisting of 24 companies. In total, these companies have created more than 100 jobs and generated over $5 million in revenue, nearly all of which remains in Hawaiʻi.

“With only 20 awards available this year, the two tiered selection process made the competition even more difficult,” said Jane Sawyer, director of the SBA鈥檚 Hawaiʻi District Office. “Our team is extremely pleased that XLR8糖心视频 once again was recognized as one of the nation鈥檚 top accelerators.”

Potential game-changing research from three professors were highlighted at the 糖心视频 Tech Showcase held on October 18 at the Bankers’ Club at First Hawaiian Center. Presentations from the fields of oceanography, tropical medicine and tropical agriculture were made to an invitation-only audience of more than 30 local investors, entrepreneurs and business leaders.

“These are three examples of the world-class research being continuously conducted at the University of Hawaiʻi that seek and engage the major issues facing us today,” said 糖心视频 Vice President for Research and Innovation . “Through vehicles like this showcase, we hope to develop and strengthen community awareness and investment in the and its goal to help diversify the state’s economy through the creation of a thriving innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem based on 糖心视频 research.”

Presentations

Revolutionizing climate and ocean change research sensors
Associate Professor of the 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 showcased his work on oceanographic technological innovations and solutions, which are low-cost, do-it-yourself embedded system sensors that would replace expensive and overly complex commercial sensors and equipment in his field. Glazer’s research could revolutionize the monitoring of environmental factors pertinent to climate and ocean change research by making sensors readily available, affordable and accurate.

Monitoring Zika virus infection
Professor described his development of a superior serodiagnostic assay capable of specifically identifying Zika virus infections from other related viruses. As microcephaly has become an international concern, Wang’s procedure can monitor the Zika virus infection during pregnancy for at-risk mothers. Wang is with the of the John A. Burns School of Medicine’s .

Developing insecticides for specific pests
Professor of the 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 highlighted his research on monoterpenoids from select essential oils for toxicity effects on agricultural, storage and household pests. His acquired data from testing compounds alone, in combination and at different concentrations and formulations, could be useful in the development of insecticides for specific pests.

The annual event, sponsored by the , the 糖心视频 and the , was created to increase the awareness of 糖心视频’s cutting-edge research and is a component of 糖心视频’s efforts under the Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative.

C. David Ai has been appointed director of the Office of Innovation and Commercialization, as well as chief innovation officer of the . Ai will be responsible for the management of intellectual property (IP) and 糖心视频-developed technology assets through his oversight of three inter-related offices. Ai鈥檚 appointment was approved on August 24 by the 糖心视频 Board of Regents and he is set to begin his official duties on March 15, 2018.

“We are very pleased and fortunate to have a person with the impressive credentials, knowledge and experience of David to lead the University of Hawaiʻi鈥檚 tech transfer and commercialization efforts into the future,” said 糖心视频 Vice President for Research and Innovation . “In our push to become a leader of technology commercialization in the Asia-Pacific region, his stewardship of the Office of Innovation and Commercialization will be absolutely vital to that effort and to the success of the Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative.”

Ai will lead the (formerly known as Office of Technology Transfer and Economic Development or OTTED), that will develop, implement and manage 糖心视频鈥檚 IP and technology licensing functions, including the active solicitation of invention disclosures from researchers. Ai will also lead 糖心视频 Ventures, a newly created office that will be responsible for intellectual property and technology licensing, education and the development of commercial partnerships to help drive and stimulate opportunities for economic growth. He will work closely with the Strategic Grants Development Office, a newly created entity to assist and mentor 糖心视频 faculty, students and post-docs, alumni to navigate the complex development and application process associated with private research funding, including large multi-investigator grants.

“I am thrilled to join the University of Hawaiʻi System, and to help drive the innovation agenda with all the colleagues on 10 campuses and in research institutes under one umbrella,” Ai said, “Hawaiʻi has a long and proud history of diversity, which is the most important ingredient of innovation—to observe the world from a unique angle. I look forward to this unique and exciting challenge.”

More about C. David Ai

Ai comes to the University of Hawaiʻi from the City University of Hong Kong, where he served as director of knowledge transfer, leading the university鈥檚 IP commercialization operations for the past three and a half years—concurrently leading an intense push into China鈥檚 vast business and industrial world, while developing the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem on campus.

From 2008 to 2014, Ai served as senior IP licensing associate and licensed patent attorney for the Office of Technology Licensing at Stanford University, where he shaped the university鈥檚 China strategy and spearheaded their technology transfer efforts into the country. While at Stanford, Ai also negotiated and drafted IP licenses, managed patent prosecution, marketed more than 300 inventions and served as liaison to the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.

Additionally, he has more than 20 years of experience in various management and administrative positions within large corporations and venture companies such as vice president at NYSE-listed Varian Medical Systems and CEO at several startups, as well as chief advisor at Hitachi Corporate VC in the Silicon Valley.

Ai received his bachelor of science degree in psychology from National Taiwan University, master of science degree in computer science from Indiana University, master of business administration degree from Stanford University, and juris doctor degree from Santa Clara University. He is also a licensed patent attorney in California.

The Hawaiʻi Business Roundtable and the will be hosting the third annual . The conference will be held October 4–5, 2017 at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center.

As Hawaiʻi鈥檚 innovation sector continues to make strides, one of the featured keynote speakers at this year鈥檚 conference is NASA Astronaut Col. E. . Fincke, who joined NASA in 1996, served on two missions aboard the International Space Station and as a mission specialist aboard the last spaceflight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour in May 2011. His combined extra-vehicular activity time from all three missions of 48 hours and 37 minutes, places Fincke 10th on the list of most spacewalk time.

“This year, we are fortunate that Col. Fincke will join our conference to discuss the outlook of space exploration and astronomy across the nation and its impacts on our state,” said Rich Wacker, Hawaiʻi Business Roundtable chairman. “The forum will also focus on matters relating to disaster management, cybersecurity and innovation to ensure that the local businesses and the academic communities understand these key growth areas for Hawaiʻi鈥檚 economy.”

The forum will feature presentations, interactive panel discussions, “poolside chats” and a networking reception, offering attendees opportunities to learn more about emerging technologies, research, and ways to engage in, and contribute to Hawaiʻi鈥檚 growing innovation and technology industry.

University of Hawaiʻi President added, “糖心视频 is committed to continue partnering with local businesses and government to help drive innovation in Hawaiʻi. Future Focus provides us the opportunity to share our progress and capabilities as we also listen to and learn from leading experts in key growth areas in which our is working to help diversify the state鈥檚 economy and create more living-wage jobs.”

Featured presenters include:

• Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone, commanding general, U.S. Army Cyber Command
• John Roth, director of business development, Sierra Nevada Corporation鈥檚 Space Systems
• Adelina Kamal, executive director, Association of Southeast Asian Nations Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management

The event will also feature the public launch of CyberHawaiʻi, a partnership of local federal, state, county, private industry, professional organizations and academia combining efforts to implement a “cyber-ecosystem” to defend Hawaiʻi against cyberattacks. CyberHawaiʻi is aligned by CyberUSA, a non-profit “community of communities” governed by its members, established to enhance information sharing between states and improve cyber resilience at all levels of participation—local, regional and national—all while connecting the cyber ecosystem of the U.S and its allies.

Registration information

The registration fee for the conference is $100 ($50 for students with ID), which also includes continental breakfast on both days and lunch and a reception on the first day. .

University of Hawaiʻi spinouts Adnoviv, LLC; Radial3D and SNR Analytics, Inc. (SNRAI) were invited to present at the prestigious showcase of university technologies held on June 28, 2017 at California State University, Los Angeles.

Presentations were made to an invitation-only audience of over 200 investors, entrepreneurs, and faculty and staff from the participating universities. The University Hawaiʻi spinouts were invited to participate in the showcase by the 糖心视频 Office of Technology Transfer, Arizona State University Technology Transfer and the Los Angeles Venture Association.

Adnoviv

Adnoviv’s intelligent occupancy sensors were developed by and of the 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 . The company’s True Presence Occupancy Detection Sensors are the first to employ Doppler radar “life-signs” sensing technology to detect true human presence in indoor spaces to avoid the cost and nuisance associated with erroneous power switching.

Radial3D

Radial3D, developed by a team led by Scott Lozanoff of the , is a collaborative platform that allows medical students and healthcare professionals to work together to view medical imagery and share their diagnosis. It is a 3D web-based medical imaging platform that is accessible from any web-connected device and any VR/AR device.

SNRAI

SNRAI is a technology company focused on the discovery and validation of molecular signatures for precision immunotherapy applications. Developed by and his colleagues at the , SNRAI is an analytical pipeline that seeks to develop a portfolio that will provide “companion” diagnostics for existing antibodies that target specific checkpoint genes in a given cancer, or suggest cancers for which an antibody targeting a specific checkpoint gene should be developed.

Both Adnoviv and Radial 3D are graduates of XLR8糖心视频, the University of Hawaiʻi’s multiple award-winning proof of concept center and venture accelerator program.

“I’m pleased that we were invited to First Look LA for a third consecutive year,” said 糖心视频 Vice President for Research and Innovation .聽“It further validates our continuing efforts under the Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative to help diversify the state’s economy through the creation of a thriving innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem based on 糖心视频 research.”

More about First Look LA

First Look LA is a full-day showcase of emerging technology investment opportunities from premier research institutions in Southern California and Arizona, including Caltech, USC, UCLA, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, Children’s Hospital LA, City of Hope, and Arizona State University.

, 糖心视频 vice president for budget and finance and chief financial officer, shares his analysis of the 2017 legislative session to date.

The is now entering its final month for 2017, and in the next few weeks both the and the will be meeting in joint conference committee to deliberate their disagreements with each other’s draft of the state budget and to eventually settle on appropriation decisions for every state department and agency.

The deliberations will be watched by all state agencies including the . Prior to the beginning of the legislative session, 糖心视频 submitted a very lean request for additional general fund support of $28,700,000 in FY18 and $29,600,000 in FY19. All requests aligned with the four strategic directions which include: , , and .

The Governor’s Executive Budget, which was submitted in December 2016, included a total of $21,900,372 for FY18 and $21,834,372 for FY19 for 糖心视频. However in early February, the governor sent down a message significantly reducing his December budget request due to the Council of Revenue’s downward forecast, and the only item which remained was $5,000,000 in each year for the .

In March of 2017, the House draft of the state budget only provided six school psychologists for a total of $600,000 appropriation, but transferred four extension agents from 糖心视频 Mānoa to the State Department of Agriculture for a total of $330,000, which provided 糖心视频 with a net gain of $270,000.

At the beginning of April, the Senate passed its version of the budget, which provided $3,000,000 in each year for the 糖心视频 Cancer Center; $350,000 for concussion awareness; $240,800 for Heʻeia Reserve; $1,290,000 for Title IX compliance; $400,000 for positions to help with the management of 糖心视频’s capital projects; and $1,829,000 for the Hawaiʻi Promise Program.

With uncertainty in the trajectory of state tax revenues and pressure from on-going collective bargaining negotiations, it is likely that very few additional requests will be funded by the Legislature.

Since the conference committee meetings on the budget will begin shortly, below is a synopsis of how 糖心视频 has fared this session.

Much of the university’s request is not included in either the House or Senate version of the budget—although, it appears the Senate was marginally more supportive of the university’s overall request than the House.

For the capital improvement projects budget, the initial 糖心视频 request was for $452.6 million over the two-year biennium. That amount was reduced by the governor to $150 million in his request submitted to the Legislature in December 2016. The House draft of the budget provided $150.5 million, although that was separated into 50+ individual line itemed projects. The Senate draft provided only $62.8 million for capital projects.

The following table shows the four main categories:

• Major projects: Whole building renovations or new structures
• Minor projects: A only category that focuses on smaller improvements
• Renew, improve and modernize (RIM): Projects that prioritize classrooms, laboratories and student spaces centered around improving the learning environment; and
• Planning: Initiatives that support or deliver long-term development plans that strategically align with the core mission of the campus.

)

Once the conference committee meetings start, much will need to be discussed, and we will need to wait for the end of session to see how the university fared. The Hawaiʻi State Legislature is scheduled to adjourn on May 4, 2017.

The University of Hawaiʻi announced that two of its accelerator programs, and the 糖心视频 Maui College (MFIC) at 糖心视频 Maui College, were recipients of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 2016 Growth Accelerator Competition awards. This marks the second straight year that both programs received the prestigious award and a $50,000 cash prize.

XLR8糖心视频 and MFIC are two of the 85 winners selected across 37 states and the District of Columbia who will collectively receive a total of $4.25 million to boost the economic impact of accelerators. The purpose of the SBA’s annual competition is to draw attention and funding to parts of the country where there are gaps in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, including those not readily supported by the private sector.

“We are again pleased that XLR8糖心视频 and MFIC were recognized nationally by the SBA,鈥� said 糖心视频 Vice President for Research and Innovation . “As we continue to build our innovation ecosystem through the aggressive commercialization of our research, this award is a validation of our efforts to help diversify the state’s economy.”

XLR8糖心视频 is one of the first public university investment programs in the nation, revolutionizing the way innovation and research is commercialized. To date, 19 companies have been developed through the program, generating more than $1 million in revenue and $8 million funding.

“It is a huge honor for us to be among the 2016 top accelerators. Winning a second time in a row speaks to the strength of Startup Paradise and the commitment to Hawaiʻi’s entrepreneurs,” said Tarik Sultan, co-founder and managing partner of XLR8糖心视频 and .

“There is a great camaraderie in Hawaiʻi among the entrepreneurial community and what we’re all working to achieve. The $200,000 coming into our State from SBA will support the continued growth of our startup community and accelerators holistically,” Sultan added.

Incubator for future food industry leaders

Through its Maui Food Industry X-Celerator Program, MFIC provides an incubator program to support businesses in the form of training, community resources and access to a certified commercial kitchen at 糖心视频 Maui College. To date, the program has received 47 applications and graduated 24 businesses in two cohorts—of which 90 percent are women entrepreneurs.

“We are thrilled to receive SBA national recognition and continued validation of 糖心视频 Maui College and our Maui Food Innovation Center programs for a second consecutive year,” said Chris Speere, site coordinator for the Maui Food Innovation Center. “The funding award speaks to the effort of our graduates, business, government, food industry leaders and community partners that help us build a successful and winning program.”

As competition winners, both XLR8糖心视频 and MFIC will report metrics such as jobs created, funds raised and startups launched. This will allow SBA to continue building upon its database of accelerators and their impact and to develop long-term relationships with the startups and constituents in these innovative and entrepreneurial communities.

“The creation of great, living wage jobs in Hawaiʻi through the establishment of a vibrant innovation sector is the goal of the ,” said 糖心视频 President . “National recognition like this illustrates the validity of our programs and the direction of our efforts to create at $1 billion innovation, research, education and training enterprise here in the islands.鈥�

In the official announcement, SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet said: ”SBA created the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition in 2014 as a way to make new connections and strengthen existing bonds within America’s small business support network, bringing entrepreneurs and innovators together and connecting them with local and national resources that support small business job creation and growth. These awards deliver on a longstanding commitment at SBA to strengthen and modernize these support systems especially in parts of the country where access to capital has been a major barrier to starting a business. This year’s winners show that our efforts are bearing fruit and further cementing our nation’s most pioneering accelerators, incubators and innovation hubs as major players driving America’s technology startup ecosystem.”

The announced the selection of eight teams for the fifth cohort of its accelerator startup investment program—. The startups in this round include digital technology providing athletes and physicians ways to identify, measure and monitor sports concussions; a lifesaving blood analysis smartphone platform; and a data collection and project management platform for conservation and agriculture customers.

The eight teams have the potential to receive $25,000 to $50,000 for completing the program and up to $100,000 in follow-up funding.

XLR8糖心视频 cohort 5 finalists

• Smart Yields, a farm data analytics platform designed to enhance yields by providing critical crop protection alerts and real-time monitoring to enhance yields.
• HealthTech Apps, a mobile technology platform that provides athletes and physicians ways to identify, measure and monitor sports concussions reducing the risk of re-injury.
• OiOiOT, provides smart and IOT solutions on connected community projects through a patented secure bi-directional communication method.
• Herbavore, a horticultural hand tool company for professional and hobbyist growers that offers customizable, ergonomic and more efficient products.
• Radial3D, a web and mobile store app that facilitates shared viewing of medical images by clinicians and their patients within a Mixed Reality environment.
• iFirst Medical Technologies, a lifesaving blood analysis and management smartphone platform.
• Natural Resource Data Solutions, a platform for data collection and project management for conservation and agriculture customers saving time and money.
• Azimov Technologies, guidance and control technology for unmanned aircraft systems.

The teams are currently in the first phase of XLR8糖心视频’s intensive 16-week mentorship and investment program, where they will be assessing and developing their business models. Startups selected to advance to the second phase will further their business development, and in the third phase will develop and practice their pitch to investors. Experienced entrepreneurs and investors will mentor the teams throughout the program.

“As a sector agnostic program, we receive a variety of applications from multiple sectors and disciplines, which is a testament to the amount of innovation occurring out of the University of Hawaiʻi. With this cohort we are seeing more emphasis on medical technologies, as well as applications for the agricultural industry,” said Omar Sultan, managing director of XLR8糖心视频. “We’re excited to see more innovation in sectors representing some of Hawaiʻi’s strengths.”

XLR8糖心视频 is a first-of-its-kind startup investment program developed by 糖心视频 and , a boutique venture firm that also manages the program. XLR8糖心视频 educates, mentors and invests in 糖心视频 research and talent, ranging from students to post docs, faculty and alumni. It is one of the first public university investment programs in the nation, revolutionizing the way innovation and research is commercialized.

“Once again, we are excited to see the diversity of issues that are being addressed by the XLR8糖心视频 teams though 糖心视频-based research,” said 糖心视频 Vice President for Research and Innovation . “These innovative ideas and their potential to develop into dynamic, locally based companies is what the Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative is all about.”

Editor’s note, November 30, 2016: This message has been updated to include Board of Regents approval.

, University of Hawaiʻi vice president for and chief financial officer, shares the University of Hawaiʻi biennium budget request approved by the Board of Regents at its November 17 meeting.

The 糖心视频 biennium budget submitted to the governor and the legislature requests $28,700,000 in the next fiscal year (FY2018) and $29,600,000 in FY2019 in additional general funds. The University of Hawaiʻi currently receives about $432.9 million in state general funds as part of its over $1.2 billion operating budget.

The budget requests are organized to fund initiatives in a number of themes that will advance the university’s four strategic directions: , , and . The (PDF).

The capital budget will request $216.6 million for FY2018 and $236.1 million for FY2019 to address capital renewal, progress on deferred maintenance and funding for projects to modernize each of the campuses within the 糖心视频 System.

The governor considers requests from all state departments as part of the executive branch proposed budget submittal for the upcoming biennium to the legislature which convenes in mid-January. The biennium budget will be for the fiscal year July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018 and for the fiscal year July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019.

, the University of Hawaiʻi’s nationally recognized accelerator program, is accepting applications for its 5th cohort taking place in fall 2016. The deadline for applications is October 7. The program provides industry mentorship to faculty, staff, students and alumni to validate their business ideas and bring them to market.

XLR8糖心视频 will prepare participants with:

• mentorship from an experienced team
• access to industry experts and investors
• investor led bootcamps and pitch practices
• help on financial models for their business
• intellectual property strategy guidance

Phase I companies (idea stage/proof-of-concept) can apply for up to a $25,000 investment.

Phase II companies (commercialization/growth) can apply for up to a $50,000 investment.

All companies are eligible for up to $100,000 in follow on investment.

or email aloha@xlr8uh.com for more information.

The and the will host the second annual . The day-and-a-half conference will be held on October 5–6, at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikīkī Beach Resort.

The forum will feature presentations, interactive panel discussions, “poolside chats,” workshops and a networking reception, offering attendees opportunities to learn more about emerging technologies, medical research and ways to engage in, and contribute to Hawaiʻi’s growing innovation and technology industry.

Presenters include:

• Vice Adm. Raquel Bono, director of the Defense Health Agency
• Akira Hiruma, president and CEO of Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
• Randall Holcombe, director of the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center
• Jerome Kim, director general of the International Vaccine Institute
• Scott Spiker, director of global business development and cloud security at Unisys
• Maj. Gen. Brett Williams (ret), president of operations and training at IronNet Cybersecurity

“This year’s Future Focus forum will bring together some of the top experts in innovation, technology and medical research locally, nationally and internationally,” said Bob Harrison, Hawaiʻi Business Roundtable chairman. “This event offers an opportunity to support an emerging industry that creates and sustains high-quality professions, business partnerships, stimulates economic development and enhances the quality of life in Hawaiʻi.”

糖心视频 President David Lassner added, “The strength of our research enterprise impacts many other business sectors. Through our partnership with the Hawaiʻi Business Roundtable, efforts like the Future Focus forum help the entire community understand the opportunities for public and private collaborations to grow our research innovation economy as we address the challenges and opportunities together that are facing Hawaiʻi today and tomorrow.”

Registration information

The registration fee for the conference is $100 ($50 for students), which also includes continental breakfast on both days and lunch and a reception on the first day. For more information and to register, visit the .

Join the 50+ other entrepreneurs that have graduated from the award winning startup investment program. Many have gone on to raise millions of dollars in funding and investment for their business.

Who we are:

XLR8糖心视频 is the accelerator program. We provide industry expertise and mentorship, working with faculty, students, staff and alumni of the 糖心视频 system to validate their business idea and bring it to market.

XLR8糖心视频 will prepare you with:

• Mentorship from an experienced team
• Access to industry experts and investors
• Investor led bootcamps + pitch practices
• Financial modeling for your business
• Intellectual Property strategy guidance
• And much more!

Phase I companies (idea stage/proof-of-concept) apply for up to a $25,000 investment.

Phase II companies (commercialization/growth) apply for up to a $50,000 investment.

All companies are eligible for up to $100,000 in follow on investment.

How to apply

Apply at by October 5 to be considered for our fall cohort. We are always reviewing applications and admit on a rolling basis. The earlier you apply, the better your chances.

Information sessions: Want to know more?

Take the first step in learning more about XLR8糖心视频 at one of our information sessions. Refreshments will be provided. RSVP below.

• Thursday, September 1, 4:30–6 p.m. at iLab 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 Campus
  
• Wednesday, September 14, 4:30–7 p.m. at XLR8糖心视频 HQ (Downtown)
  

Ask us about our award winning program. Email us at info@XLR8糖心视频.com.

The University of Hawaiʻi’s nationally recognized venture accelerator program XLR8糖心视频 is accepting applications for its 5th cohort taking place in fall 2016. Applications are open to all students, faculty, staff and alumni of the 10 campus University of Hawaiʻi System.

The University of Hawaiʻi’s budding innovation and entrepreneurial programs were featured in an innovation showcase and roundtable discussion co-hosted by Senator Mazie K. Hirono. The event held on the campus brought together top business, education and government leaders to highlight entrepreneurial efforts in Hawaiʻi as well as discuss how federal resources can fuel the growth of small business and spark innovation. The featured programs and presenters were from 糖心视频’s proof of concept center/venture accelerator, , , the (innovation lab) and 糖心视频 Maui College’s .

“This event served as a tremendous opportunity to share with a cross-section of local businesses and stakeholders, along with federal agencies and Senator Hirono, what we’re doing in Hawaiʻi to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship,” said 糖心视频 President David Lassner. “Today’s program showcased people who are establishing support programs and a strong representation of local entrepreneurs who are launching businesses and creating jobs, which is exactly why we’re here.”

“Innovation is vital to diversifying HHawaiʻi’s economy, and today’s event connected small business owners and entrepreneurs with the resources that can help them succeed,” said Senator Hirono. “But in order to maintain this momentum, we must continue to work with partners like the University of Hawaiʻi, and state and federal government agencies, to back initiatives that support entrepreneurship and job creation in our state.”

One of the projects showcased by the university at the event was XLR8糖心视频, a first of its kind proof of concept center/venture accelerator developed by the 糖心视频 and , a boutique venture firm that manages it. The proof of concept center educates, mentors and invests in university research and talent, ranging from students to postdocs, faculty and alumni. It is one of the first public university investment programs in the nation, revolutionizing the way innovation and research is commercialized.

• Related 糖心视频 News—

“Today’s 糖心视频 Innovation Showcase is key for highlighting the accomplishments and progress we’ve made in a short period of time, as well as offering insight on the direction we aim to go in in the future,” said Omar Sultan, Managing Partner of XLR8糖心视频. “Commercialization and innovation within the University of Hawaiʻi are important because they help support economic development as we train students to think entrepreneurially before entering the workforce, and help faculty spin out their scientific research to create startups and small businesses.”

The University of Hawaiʻi selected 12 teams as finalists for the fourth cohort of its startup venture accelerator. The pioneering enterprises in this round include: paddleboards for the disabled, organic cookies using locally sourced ingredients, an app for concussion patients and an online platform for students to search for scholarships. These teams have the potential to receive $25,000 to $50,000 for completing the program and up to $100,000 in follow-on funding. XLR8糖心视频 is a partnership between 糖心视频 and , which provides their startup investment expertise to the program.

“XLR8糖心视频 is integral for the continued growth and development of our entrepreneurial community,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, 糖心视频 vice president for research and innovation. “This program, a key component of the , supports some of the most forward-thinking, globally relevant, yet locally resonant companies in Hawaiʻi.”

The teams are currently in the first phase of XLR8糖心视频’s intensive 15-week mentorship and investment program, where they will be assessing and developing their business models. Teams selected to advance to the second phase will immerse themselves into further business development efforts and in the third phase they will develop and practice their pitch to investors. Throughout the entire program, the teams will have access to valuable mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs and investors.

“With this cohort we are complementing our focus on tech-based startups with more product-based companies than in previous sessions,” said Meli James, program director of XLR8糖心视频. “We feel these are potential high-growth opportunities leveraging Hawaiʻi’s brand equity.”

XLR8糖心视频 Cohort 4

• , end-to-end development platform that allows users to create, share, and rapidly deploy algorithms.
• , a new and innovative twist on eco-friendly, sustainable chopsticks.
• , The World’s Event Guide allowing users to discover and promote events, anywhere in real time.
• , apps to help athletes, doctors and parents identify concussions and enhance recovery programs.
• , ed-tech solution connecting language learners from foreign countries to native English speakers.
• , the most advanced and cost effective Prospective Motion Correction technology in the healthcare industry.
• KMB Co, patent-pending paddleboards that provide disabled persons the athletic and therapeutic experience of water sports.
• , specialty crafted gourmet cookies made on Maui, with locally sourced, organic ingredients.
• , wearable pressure and temperature-sensing device decreasing instances of pressure ulcers for paraplegics.
• PresentUS, digital booking platform connecting talent and entertainers directly with their clients.
• , online platform for students to discover and apply for multiple scholarships through one simple application.
• SNR Analytics, patented big data analytics that generate biomarker signatures for ovarian and liver cancer.

The (PACE) announced the winners of the 2016 at the Waiʻalae Country Club on April 26. Three teams competed for prize packages totaling more than $40,000 in cash and in-kind awards.

The 糖心视频 Business Plan Competition is an intense, experiential program that provides mentorship, training and resources to University of Hawaiʻi students and faculty who seek to learn what it takes to be an entrepreneur and start a business venture.

As part of the title sponsorship, President and CEO Connie Lau presented the first place prize and System Operation Vice President Scott Seu served as a finals judge. Other sponsors include, , and.

First place

Canine Kitchen
Team members: Kyla Aki, Curtis Evans, Sean Kovacs and Sara Reo

Canine Kitchen provides fresh daily meals for dogs using simple, healthy and USDA approved ingredients.

Prize package includes $10,000 cash and more than $12,500 value in legal and marketing services.

Second place

Alice’s Fresh
Team members: Alice Caldwell, Isaac Floyd, Reyn Kaupiko, Thijs Peekstok and Alice Sharp

Alice’s Fresh utilizes precision agriculture for local organic produce.

Prize package includes $5,000 cash and $8,000 value in legal and marketing services.

Third place

My Eyes
Team members: Shiraz Dole and Kathy Oyadomari

My Eyes allows users to give their own directions by compiling pictures, short videos, voice memos, text notes and geotags into a chronological list.

Prize package includes $2,500 cash and $3,000 value in legal and marketing services.

—A Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship news release

Entrepreneurs see the world differently. They question the status quo and look at the world, wondering what it could be, rather than accept how it is. Turn curiosity into a company with help from , the accelerator program.

The nationally-recognized venture accelerator program is accepting applications for its 4th cohort taking place in summer 2016.

XLR8糖心视频 will prepare entrepreneurs with:

• Mentorship from an experienced team
• Access to industry experts and investors
• Investor led bootcamps and pitch practices
• Financial models for businesses
• Intellectual property strategy guidance
• And much more!

Phase I companies (idea stage/proof-of-concept) can apply for up to a $25,000 investment. Phase II companies (commercialization/growth) can apply for up to a $50,000 investment. All companies are eligible for up to $100,000 in follow on investment.

Apply at by Sunday, May 1 to be considered for the summer cohort. Applications are open to all students, faculty, staff and alumni of the 10 campus University of Hawaiʻi System.

For more information, contact XLR8糖心视频 via email.

The (糖心视频CC) system announced that it is working with Impact Hub Honolulu to create and grow an entrepreneurship program to engage enterprising students (and eventually faculty and staff) across 糖心视频’s seven-campus community college system. The program is being funded with $100,000 from a $10-million to the 糖心视频CCs from the .

“This grant will help provide a direct portal to real-world start-up activities, as well as business planning, budgeting, patenting and more,” said 糖心视频 Community Colleges Associate Vice President Peter Quigley. “Bringing products and businesses into existence is the goal of the entrepreneurial initiative.”

Impact Hub Honolulu is part of the local startup ecosystem, Startup Paradise, as well as a global network of 85 Impact Hubs and 16,000 connected entrepreneurs. These partnerships with Hawaiʻi-based and global networks will be leveraged to connect 糖心视频CC entrepreneurs to mentorship, follow-on programs, incubators, accelerators and scaling opportunities. The six-week 糖心视频CC entrepreneurial program will host its first cohort July 11-August 12, 2016.

“We see this as an incredible opportunity to create a path for the innovative students across the 糖心视频CCs to actualize their ideas, create jobs for themselves and others and diversify economic development for Hawaiʻi,” added Shanah Trevenna, director of Impact Hub Honolulu.

The partners are asking any faculty, students, staff or community members who would like to contribute ideas, suggest a collaboration, participate as an advisor or mentor, or join the program to please email Shanah Trevenna or George Yarbrough.

Entrepreneurship roundtables at 糖心视频CC campuses

Impact Hub Honolulu will also be conducting roundtable discussions to be held at each of 糖心视频’s community college campuses and 糖心视频 Hilo. , 糖心视频’s accelerator program to educate, mentor and invest in the University of Hawaiʻi’s research and talent, will also participate in these roundtables.

Roundtable dates

• April 4, 12–1 p.m., , Wong Conference Room in the Hookipa Building
• April 6, 12–1 p.m., , Ilima 202A
• April 6, 2–3 p.m., , Akoakoa 107/109
• April 7, 12–1 p.m., , Cafeteria
• April 8, 12–1 p.m., , Administrative Building, Chancellor’s Conference Room
• April 11, 12–1 p.m., , Kaneikeao Building 379
• April 11, 12:30–1 p.m., , Administrative Conference Room, D-183.
• April 11, 3–4 p.m., Hawaiʻi Community College, Kaneikeao Building 379
• April 12, 12–1 p.m., , GT-105
• April 18, 12–1 p.m., , OCET 106

—By Kelli Trifonovitch

The University of Hawaiʻi’s nationally recognized venture accelerator program is accepting applications for its 4th cohort taking place in summer 2016. Applications are open to all students, faculty, staff and alumni of the 10 campus University of Hawaiʻi System.

On Campus Information Sessions

Downtown Information Session

The award-winning program provides two funding tracks depending upon the maturity of the idea, startup or innovation.

• Phase I: Proof-of-Concept
  Startups are focused on developing their proof of concept, i.e. taking concept and/or intellectual property, identifying the greatest market potential, converting that into a minimum viable product and working towards “product-market fit.”
• Phase II: Commercialization
  Startups are more focused on commercialization, i.e. taking their minimum viable product to market, completing beta testing and refining other aspects of the business with the goal of getting ready to raise funds from outside investors.

In just over a year, XLR8糖心视频 has graduated 15 companies from its program that have raised millions in capital and generated hundreds of thousands in revenue.

Submit your application or get more information about XLR8糖心视频 and upcoming info sessions at .

XLR8糖心视频 : Turning research into viable products and businesses

The University of Hawaiʻi celebrated the grand opening of its new 糖心视频 i-Lab (innovation lab) on Wednesday, March 2, 2016.

Inspired by Stanford University’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, also known as the D.School, the University of Hawaiʻi has created a lab based on those same principles of exposing students to experiences that get them involved with innovation and entrepreneurship.

“Our visit to Stanford’s famed D.School served as a tremendous source of inspiration for us to create something similar here for our students,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, 糖心视频 vice president for research and innovation. “We look forward to it becoming a vibrant hub on the 糖心视频 Mānoa campus brimming with students and faculty working in collaboration to solve real-world problems with real-world innovative and entrepreneurial solutions.”

The i-Lab features floating whiteboards, chairs and tables that can be moved anywhere and most importantly, an absence of walls—all of which will help foster the free-flow of thought and sharing of ideas across multiple disciplines. The reconfigurable space is also equipped with rapid prototyping equipment like 3-D printers and laser cutters that allow students to turn design concepts into working models. The i-Lab is already being used for classes, workshops, lectures, and in the future, will play host to events like start-up weeks and innovation challenges.

“Many academic and nonacademic units as well as individuals within 糖心视频 have pulled together magnificently to deliver the 糖心视频 i-Lab,” said Peter Crouch, 糖心视频 Mānoa dean who spearheaded the i-Lab effort. “The i-Lab will be the hub for activities that help students from all over the 糖心视频 Mānoa campus and the wider community explore notions such as creativity, innovation and eventually entrepreneurship in interdisciplinary groups by grappling with a myriad of challenges and competitions.”

糖心视频 Mānoa schools and colleges already participating in activities through the i-Lab, include the , , , , and .

“The i-Lab represents another facet of our aggressive and comprehensive efforts to develop and build a thriving innovation, research, education and training enterprise at 糖心视频,” said David Lassner, 糖心视频 president. “By developing talented entrepreneurs from among our faculty and students and fortifying the innovation ecosystem at 糖心视频, we are playing a key role in Hawaiʻi’s efforts to diversify our economy, create high-quality jobs and build the foundation for new revenue sources through the .”

The University of Hawaiʻi’s proof of concept center/venture accelerator was recently awarded a $500,000 grant from the to expand its successful commercialization efforts statewide, including underserved rural communities on the neighbor islands.

“We are pleased that the EDA recognized the value and promise of our XLR8糖心视频 program,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, 糖心视频 vice president for research and innovation. “The University of Hawaiʻi will be matching the EDA award to amplify even more of XLR8糖心视频’s reach in extending our research innovation and commercialization efforts across the state.”

The grant is part of the EDA’s 2015 Regional Innovation Strategies Program, a cutting-edge federal program that supports initiatives to spur innovation commercialization, entrepreneurship and job creation at the local level. XLR8糖心视频 is one of just 17 awardees to receive grants totaling $8 million. The funding will enable XLR8糖心视频 to introduce new activities utilizing regionally developed intellectual property, entrepreneurs and startups.

“Our XLR8糖心视频 program is a vital component of our work to advance the Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative, and this significant grant from the EDA, following on our recognition by the SBA validates the confidence in our new directions,” said 糖心视频 President David Lassner. “By developing talented entrepreneurs from among our faculty and students and fortifying the innovation ecosystem at 糖心视频, we are playing a key role in Hawaiʻi’s efforts to diversify our economy, create high-quality jobs and build the foundation for new revenue sources.”

About XLR8糖心视频

Launched in 2014, XLR8糖心视频 is a first of its kind proof of concept center/venture accelerator developed by the University of Hawaiʻi with Sultan Ventures, a boutique venture firm which also manages it. The proof of concept center educates, mentors and invests in 糖心视频 research and talent, ranging from students to post docs, faculty and alumni. It is one of the first public university investment programs in the nation, revolutionizing the way innovation and research is commercialized. Last year, XLR8糖心视频 was recognized as one of the nation’s leading accelerators by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Growth Accelerator Fund Competition.

“There is pent up demand for entrepreneurial training in Hawaiʻi, and this $1 million boost will make a significant difference in XLR8糖心视频’s ability to reach out to even more communities across the Hawaiian Islands,” said Omar Sultan, co-founder and managing partner of XLR8糖心视频.

Under the XLR8糖心视频 program, participants receive hands-on training and resources through the three-phased program branded Lean, Build, Pitch™ as well as the opportunity to pitch at “Demo Days” in both Honolulu and in Silicon Valley. To date, the XLR8糖心视频 program has developed 15 companies that currently employ 67 individuals. These startups have already generated over $600,000 in revenue and have raised $7.8 million in total funding.

糖心视频 News video about XLR8糖心视频

About the i6 Challenge

Launched in 2010, the i6 Challenge is part of the Startup America Initiative, and is now in its fifth iteration. The i6 Challenge is a national competition that makes small, targeted high-impact investments to support startup creation, innovation and help turn technology into jobs. The funding supports the development and expansion of new and existing proof-of-concept and commercialization centers, which help innovators fine tune and scale their innovations to bring new products and services to the market.

today announced a state-wide initiative involving education, industry and nonprofit sectors to strengthen Hawaiʻi’s innovation economy and workforce and expand education and employment opportunities for state residents. Funded with grants totaling $6.8 million from nonprofit , the project aims to enhance and diversify Hawaiʻi’s economy, prepare residents for high-paying jobs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, strengthen teaching and learning of STEM subjects and address Hawaiʻi’s “brain drain” of talent to the mainland.

“This initiative will help prepare our students for careers in fast-growing segments of our state’s economy and expand high-quality employment opportunities for our residents,” Gov. Ige said. “I deeply appreciate the private sector’s investment in Hawaiʻi’s students, teachers and the University of Hawaiʻi. The investment will further build the state’s innovation economy and workforce.”

USA Funds, which has worked with state government and higher education institutions in Hawaiʻi since 1979, awarded the funds in keeping with its focus on promoting student success in college and career.

“This transformative initiative will help ensure Hawaiʻi is able to create and attract the jobs of the future and fill these jobs with in-state talent,” said William D. Hansen, USA Funds president and CEO. “Consistent with USA Funds’ focus on college Completion With a Purpose, this partnership will link student success in education to rewarding and fulfilling careers following graduation, while enhancing the state’s overall economic vitality.”

Implementing K–12 programs in computer, engineering or biomedical science

With nearly $2.2 million in funding from USA Funds, , a nonprofit that provides transformative learning experiences for K–12 students and teachers across all 50 states, will help at least 48 Hawaiʻi high schools implement programs in computer science, engineering or biomedical science. The initial group of high schools, which are being selected to participate in the project through a competitive process, will be announced later this month.

“Project Lead The Way currently partners with 30 schools in six complex areas in Hawaiʻi to deliver transformative learning experiences for students and teachers,” said Vince Bertram, Project Lead The Way president and chief executive officer. “Today, Project Lead The Way is honored to expand our partnership with schools in Hawaiʻi to empower more students with the knowledge and skills that will help them thrive in our evolving world.”

As part of the initiative, Project Lead The Way also will provide professional development support to teachers and work with local partners to ensure the materials and programs are culturally relevant.

Supporting 糖心视频’s STEM workforce initiative

to the University of Hawaiʻi will support a multi-faceted economic and workforce development initiative, including the following components:

• Promoting government, industry and education collaboration to determine current and future STEM workforce needs
• Creating a continuous academic pathway in STEM fields through college
• Supporting economic development and high-quality job creation through just-in-time workforce development
• Improving information available to help students select the best path through education to STEM careers and help policymakers and educators better assess the outcomes of education and training programs

In addition, the University of Hawaiʻi will establish a STEM Center of Excellence, which will coordinate STEM-related activities across the state.

“Hawaiʻi’s centralized K–12 and higher education systems, which already work together closely, provide us with a unique opportunity to model for the nation how to use complex data and collaborate with business and government to understand and meet current and emerging workforce needs for an entire state,” said University of Hawaiʻi President . “This initiative will prepare our students so that they have the skills and expertise our state needs in high-wage and high-demand STEM fields. We are most grateful to USA Funds for its innovative vision and very generous investment in Hawaiʻi’s students and our workforce.”

The program advances the , a public-private partnership to build a thriving innovation economy in the state and create living-wage jobs, and the , which aims to increase higher education opportunities and college completion, especially among Native Hawaiians and students from low-income households.

By 2017, Hawaiʻi is projected to need 16,000 more workers with STEM skills each year, but the state currently ranks 47th among the states in the number of STEM-related degrees awarded per 100,000 residents.

For additional information about the initiative, visit .

Seven teams have been selected as finalists for the third cohort of the University of Hawaiʻi proof of concept center/venture accelerator. The innovative research represented includes potential solutions in the areas of algorithms, desalinization, structures, travel, language and culture. The teams have the potential to receive between $25,000 to $50,000 for completing the program and up to $100,000 in follow on funding.

XLR8糖心视频 is a first of its kind proof of concept center/venture accelerator developed by the and , a boutique venture firm that manages it. The proof of concept center educates, mentors and invests in 糖心视频 research and talent, ranging from students to post docs, faculty and alumni. It is one of the first public university investment programs in the nation, revolutionizing the way innovation and research is commercialized.

“XLR8糖心视频 continues to lay a solid foundation for the expansion of our entrepreneurial ecosystem at 糖心视频,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, 糖心视频 vice president for . “The program is a key component to the successful commercialization of our research and to success of the Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative.”

The teams are currently in the first phase XLR8糖心视频’s intensive 16-week mentorship and investment program, where they will be assessing and developing their business models. Teams selected to advance on to the second phase will immerse themselves into further business development efforts and in the third phase, they will develop and practice their pitch to investors. Throughout the entire program, the teams will have access to valuable mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs and investors.

“We are very pleased with the diversity of our teams and the size of problems they are tackling,” said Omar Sultan, managing director of XLR8糖心视频. “These teams have the real potential to produce substantial companies.”

XLR8糖心视频 cohort 3 finalists

• , a platform that allows developers and data scientists to rapidly deploy algorithms
• DeSal Survival, a pocket-sized desalination device to produce fresh potable water for survival.
• , Innovative structures for the 21st century
• , connecting you with local travel guides right from your phone
• , preparing young athletes for varsity sports
• , online international language and cultural training
• , zero pollution, zero waste, transforming wastewater into clean water and energy

糖心视频 News video about XLR8糖心视频

A video posted by University of Hawaii System (@uhawaiinews) on Nov 3, 2015 at 7:45pm PST

Editor’s note: The original story was updated to reflect launch vehicle anomaly

The U.S. Navy along with the U.S. Air Force’s , in partnership with , the University of Hawaiʻi’s , the and launched the first rocket from Hawaiʻi.

After take-off, the experimental launch vehicle experienced an anomaly. ORS is currently assessing the cause.

The rocket was launched from the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands, Kauaʻi, through a mission known as ORS-4. The mission was sponsored by the Space and Missile Systems Center’s Operationally Responsive Space Office and was the first launch of the Super Strypi launch system. The rocket was carrying 糖心视频’s hyperspectral imager as the primary payload, along with 12 cubesats in an integrated payload stack.

Despite the vehicle issue, the project is still a tremendous success for University of Hawaiʻi. About 150 students worked on the payload, a hyperspectral imager called HiakaSat. All milestones for the payload were met and the students received real-world aerospace experience in building a sophisticated satellite.

Because of this project, there is now a rocket launch pad and rail launcher in place at Pacific Missle Range Facility and those assets performed well today. There are also tracking stations in place at and that are fielding requests for services from commercial agencies. 糖心视频 students at multiple campuses, including the community colleges, are currently working on payloads for future space launches.

Related 糖心视频 News stories

• October 29, 2013
• April 11, 2013
• April 10, 2013

has awarded a $4.6 million grant to the to help build Hawaiʻi’s innovation economy workforce and stem the state’s “brain drain.”

“Hawaiʻi’s centralized K–12 and higher education systems, which already work together closely, provide us with a unique opportunity to model for the nation how to use complex data and collaborate with business and government to understand and meet current and emerging workforce needs for an entire state,” said 糖心视频 President David Lassner. “This will prepare our students so that they have the skills and expertise our state needs in high-wage and high-demand STEM fields. We are most grateful to USA Funds for its innovative vision and very generous investment in Hawaiʻi’s students and our workforce.”

The USA Funds grant will advance two key University of Hawaiʻi initiatives—the and the . It will enable the State of Hawaiʻi to create a model for understanding current and future workforce needs through partnerships among the public and private sectors including the Departments of Labor and Business/Economic Development/Tourism, the University of Hawaiʻi, the Hawaiʻi Department of Education, the Hawaiʻi Business Roundtable and the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaiʻi.

“This transformative initiative will build Hawaiʻi’s innovation economy and workforce, ensuring Hawaiʻi is able to create and attract the jobs of the future and fill these jobs with in-state talent,” said , USA Funds president and CEO. “USA Funds is delighted to extend our five-decades-long partnership with Hawaiʻi by working with the University of Hawaiʻi in collaboration with the business community to ensure that the state has thousands of additional employees equipped with science, technology, math and engineering skills. Consistent with USA Funds focus on student Completion With a Purpose, this partnership will link student success in higher education to rewarding and fulfilling careers following graduation, while enhancing the state’s overall economic vitality.”

The grant will support the creation of a STEM Center of Excellence at the University of Hawaiʻi. This center will serve as a resource to coordinate STEM-related activities across the state. Efforts will include an Innovation Workforce Program that will provide rapid response training to meet immediate workforce needs. The center will also build and strengthen STEM Education Pathways from K–12 into community colleges and 4-year universities and provide students with the information and education they need for career success.

The USA Funds award will help 糖心视频 and Hawaiʻi meet workforce needs by:

• Implementing statewide industry, government and higher education collaboration to determine current and future workforce needs in the innovation and science, technology, engineering and math sectors.
• Creating clear, continuous academic pathways in STEM education from middle school through university.
• Enhancing Hawaiʻi’s student information systems to inform students and advisors of the most efficient STEM pathways to support timely completion and improve student outcomes.
• Creating best practices in statewide workforce data collection and utilization, integrated with P–20 education data, to drive decision-making, measure outcomes and inform policy decisions for Hawaiʻi’s educational leadership and stakeholders.

“Our goal is to grow the STEM sector in Hawaiʻi and help alleviate the ‘brain-drain’,” said Scott Murakami, the director of workforce development for the seven . “We are very grateful to USA Funds for providing resources to help us further our efforts to develop an industry responsive workforce and grow an innovation economy that benefits the entire state.”

Potential investors got to see some of the exciting developments at the at a technology showcase in October. The presentations included:

• 鈥淐测产别谤-CANOE 3D virtual reality environment鈥� by Jason Leigh, 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 professor of
• 鈥淎natomical 3D models on the zSpace virtual reality platform鈥� by Jesse Thompson, technical director for anatomical imaging at the
• 鈥淭elescope mirror technology for the solar industry鈥� by Professor and MorphOptic co-founder Jeff Kuhn
• 鈥淩ealistic brain phantom for MRI research and development鈥� by 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 graduate students Kyoko Fujimoto and Trent Robertson

The event was sponsored by 糖心视频鈥檚 , 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 and .

Guests included entrepreneurs, potential investors, intellectual property attorneys, defense contractors and other parties interested in licensing 糖心视频 innovations.

Photos from the event

View photos on the .

鈥擝y Kelli Trifonovitch

Partners from (KS) and the recently came together to launch an exciting three-year Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) innovation and entrepreneurship collaboration.

The collaboration includes two projects: , which comprises six integrated Hawaiian culture-based STEM and healthcare teams assigned to specific laʻau lapaʻau (Hawaiian herbal medicine) projects and Hālau Pā, an innovation hub located in the heart of Mōʻiliʻili.

Project ʻOlonā

The newly formed education collective aims to engage Native Hawaiian community college students in Project ʻOlonā through a series of applied and scientific research projects that are founded on Native Hawaiian ʻike and ways of knowing and doing while leveraging 21st-century scientific technology and tools to better investigate and understand what their kūpuna knew and practiced through centuries of lived experiences.

Hālau Pā

The Hālau Pā will be the piko or central point for the convergence of Native Hawaiian student research and innovation. It will provide a space for highly creative, culturally-grounded, interdisciplinary collaboration for students from the various colleges and programs—including nursing/health, construction and business—to pursue research, product development and prototyping.

Students will have access to design space and equipment, as well as university researchers, mentors and industry experts. Coordinated student research and product prototyping developed at the Hālau Pā will be supported by , and the 糖心视频 Mānoa faculty. Entrepreneurship experts from will assist the students in cultivating commercially viable products or services.

For the full article and photos from the launch, visit .

—Written by KS Executive Strategy Consultant Stacy Clayton (republished with permission)

On Wednesday, October 14, (SBA) Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet presented $50,000 checks to both , the University of Hawaiʻi’s proof of concept center/venture accelerator, and the at in recognition of being named two of the nation’s elite programs in the annual SBA .

The ceremony was held at the Daniel K. Inouye (C-MORE) Hale at 糖心视频 Mānoa. The presentation was attended by U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono and Congressman Mark Takai, who gave introduction to small business successes in the islands. Contreras-Sweet’s visit to Hawaiʻi marks the first by an SBA administrator since 2005.

About XLR8糖心视频

XLR8糖心视频 is a first of its kind proof of concept center/venture accelerator developed by the University of Hawaiʻi and , a boutique venture firm, which also manages it. The proof of concept center educates, mentors and invests in 糖心视频 research and talent, ranging from students to post docs, faculty and alumni. It is one of the first public university investment programs in the nation, revolutionizing the way innovation and research is commercialized. To date, 11 companies have been through the XLR8糖心视频 program, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue and receiving millions of dollars in follow-on funding.

“This national recognition of our accelerator program by SBA, at just over a year old, confirms our belief in the abundance of opportunities that exist at the University of Hawaiʻi in all disciplines, particularly those that emphasize Hawaiʻi’s strengths in energy, astronomy, marine and life sciences,” said Omar S. Sultan, cofounder and managing director of XLR8糖心视频 and founding partner of Sultan Ventures. “Our goal is to cultivate and empower the talent affiliated with 糖心视频.”

As a winner in the accelerator competition, XLR8糖心视频 will report metrics such as jobs created, funds raised and startups launched. This will allow the SBA to continue building upon its database of accelerators and their impact and to develop long-term relationships with the startups and constituents in these innovative and entrepreneurial communities.

“XLR8糖心视频 is a cornerstone to the successful commercialization of our research,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, 糖心视频 vice president for research and innovation. “By developing talented entrepreneurs from our ranks and fortifying the entrepreneurial ecosystem at 糖心视频 we are also contributing to the in its efforts to diversify the state’s economy.”

For more, read the .

About the Maui Food Innovation Center

The Maui Food Innovation Center provides business and technological expertise to food and agricultural entrepreneurs throughout the State of Hawaiʻi.

A program of 糖心视频 Maui College, the center helps farmers and food manufacturers increase profitability through the development of new value-added food products, reduces the state’s dependence on imports and contributes to the sustainability of island-based agriculture.

“The Maui Food Innovation Center is an important program that offers both the training and facilities needed by local food entrepreneurs to build a small business,” said 糖心视频 Maui College Chancellor Lui K. Hokoana. “We’re excited the project has been recognized nationally, and this additional award will increase learning opportunities for students.”

For more on the Maui Food Innovation Center, visit the .

, organized by the and the , is the first of what is expected to be an annual event aimed at creating and maintaining a dialog about what it will take to diversify Hawaiʻi’s economy by building the state’s technology and innovation sector.

“The University of Hawaiʻi is committed to continuing to accelerate the growth of our research activities,” said , 糖心视频 Board of Regents chair. “Our goal is to anchor and support the emergence of a billion dollar innovation and research sector in Hawaiʻi.”

The first Future Focus conference, sponsored by and the , focused on energy and cybersecurity with experts and officials from around the country describing the opportunities and resources available for Hawaiʻi companies.

It was all presented in a variety of engaging formats such as TED Talk style speakers, poolside chats, without the pool, and smaller breakout sessions. More than 200 people from the public and private sector attended, including officials from the , , , the heads of large companies such as and and the founders of promising local startups such as , and MorphOptics.

Governor started the conference by telling everyone in attendance that time is now for Hawaiʻi to develop its technology and innovation sector, adding that he has a personal interest in its success.

Said Governor Ige, “My son’s a junior majoring in computer sciences so essentially we have two years, everyone, to create the job opportunities (loud laughter from crowd) that our young people will want to fight for. To give them the opportunity to return to Hawaiʻi and live, work, play here at home.”

The and the will be hosting the first-ever on September 23–24 at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center. The day-and-a-half forum will feature presentations, interactive panel discussions, “poolside chats,” workshops and one-on-one sessions. There will also be a networking reception, offering attendees opportunities to learn more about emerging technologies, federal resources and ways to engage in and contribute to Hawaiʻi’s growing innovation and technology sector.

In addition to the forum’s keynote speakers, the event will also feature speakers from the National Security Agency, U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. Department of Energy, Small Business Administration’s Office of Investment and Innovation, U.S. Economic Development Administration Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, among others.

For a list of speakers and the agenda go to the .

“The inaugural Future Focus Forum will bring together some of the top experts in innovation, technology and research from Hawaiʻi, across the country and internationally,” said Bob Harrison, Hawaiʻi Business Roundtable chairman and president and CEO of First Hawaiian Bank. “This event offers an opportunity to engage in and support an emerging industry that creates high-quality jobs, stimulates economic development, business partnerships, and enhances the quality of life in Hawaiʻi.”

University of Hawaiʻi President David Lassner added, “The strength of our research sector impacts many other business sectors. Through our partnership with the Hawaiʻi Business Roundtable, efforts like the Future Focus forum will help us to enhance the knowledge and expertise of our research and technology industries as we address the challenges and opportunities facing our state and the world.”

The registration fee for the forum is $95 and includes continental breakfast on both days and lunch and a reception on the first day. For more information and to register, visit the .

—By Kapiʻolani Ching

The received a total of $425 million in sponsored funds to close fiscal year 2015 (FY2015). The total reflects an increase of 8.5 percent over the previous year’s tally of $392 million and marks the first increase in extramural award funding after three straight years of decline.

“With the effects of sequestration, budget cuts and the realignment of R&D funding priorities, the last few years have been extremely challenging not only for the University of Hawaiʻi but for every research institution across the nation,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, 糖心视频 vice president for . “However, thanks to the dedicated efforts of our faculty, support staff and students, we not only stopped the slide—but managed an increase of almost 9 percent in funding.”

The alignment of the University of Hawaiʻi’s research enterprise with both the nation’s and the state’s critical challenges is manifested by 糖心视频 Mānoa’s , which received $8.5 million from the for its Asia-Pacific Research Initiative for Sustainable Energy Systems (APRISES) to continue testing and evaluation of renewable generation and power systems controls for smart and micro-grids. APRISES has contributed substantial support for smart- and micro-grid research activities to ongoing efforts on Maui, Hawaiʻi Island, Maui and Kauaʻi. It is expected to save over $27 million across the state. In FY2015, the program received $5.7 million in the third increment of a $14 million award by NSF.

In addition, during FY2015 糖心视频 community college and university campuses were awarded , from pre-school through college and career training. These funds are supporting renovations on campuses, leadership development for Native Hawaiians, STEM education, college student success and Hawaiian culture and language.

“The entire state should take pride in our increase in extramural research funding,” said David Lassner, 糖心视频 president. “This not only advances the Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative and strengthens our economy, but benefits the people of Hawaiʻi as our remarkable faculty and staff address challenges and opportunities of local and global importance.”

and Jun Innovations were the first spinouts (inventions developed from university research) to be invited to present at the prestigious First Look LA showcase of university technologies held on June 24, 2015 at UCLA’s .

KinetiCor was represented by CEO Jeffrey Yu and Jun Innovations was represented by Luke Tucker of (糖心视频’s proof of concept center/accelerator program) and both made presentations to an invitation-only audience of 250 investors, entrepreneurs, and university faculty and staff. The 糖心视频 spinouts were invited to participate in the showcase by and the .

KinetiCor’s magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) motion correction technology was developed by Thomas Ernst of 糖心视频 Mānoa’s and his colleagues from other research institutions. KinetiCor has raised $3 million in investor funding and has generated revenues of about $2 million.

• Related:

Jun Innovations was founded by Soojin Jun of 糖心视频 Mānoa’s to commercialize his supercooling technology, which keeps perishable materials, including food, below freezing temperatures without ice crystallization. Jun Innovations is a graduate of , a key component of the .

First Look LA is a full-day showcase of emerging technology investment opportunities from premier research institutions in Southern California and Arizona, including Caltech, University of Southern California, UCLA, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, Children’s Hospital LA, City of Hope, and Arizona State University.

Modern science is increasingly data-driven, collaborative in nature and international. Large-scale simulations and instruments produce petabytes of data, which is subsequently analyzed by tens of thousands of scientists scattered across the globe.

The and the are partnering on a project led by to accurately understand the current use of scientific data networks, while planning for the required capacity of international network circuits.

NSF grant funds network traffic analysis

The has awarded a grant of $5 million for the five-year project called NetSage. The project is an open privacy-aware network measurement analysis and visualization service designed to address the needs of today’s international networks. NetSage will monitor and visualize all the network traffic flowing over the National Science Foundation’s next generation, high-speed, international and national research networks.

Co-Principal Investigator Jason Leigh, director of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s , explained that the NetSage project is similar to an automobile traffic map that people depend on to get to work in the morning.

NetSage aids in visualizing network problems

Leigh said, “NetSage will be used to figure out whether there is congestion or outages and what the cause is, so that problems can be quickly fixed and future networks can be better planned.”

糖心视频 Mānoa’s share of the grant is $1 million over five years. Hawaiʻi’s role is to work with all the network partners around the world to visualize the international network map using the enormous amount of data that will be collected. In addition the project aims to develop the next generation of networking engineers through internship opportunities working with under-represented students in Indiana and Hawaiʻi.

NetSage was funded by the National Science Foundation Award #1540933.

—By Kelli Trifonovitch

The University of Hawaiʻi is pleased to announce the selection of 10 teams as finalists for the second cohort of its proof of concept center. Their innovative research represents solutions in the areas of biotech, robotics, clean tech and software—and could lead to commercial success as well. The teams have the potential to receive up to $50,000 for completing the program and are eligible for $100,000 in follow up funding.

Selected from more than 70 team applications, the 10 finalists are represented by faculty and student researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s John A. Burns School of Medicine, Institute for Astronomy, College of Engineering and the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.

“We are thrilled to welcome the finalists for our second cohort at XLR8糖心视频,” said Omar Sultan, managing director of XLR8糖心视频. “The diversity and quality of our teams are a wonderful showcase of the talent, innovation and commercialization opportunities present at the University of Hawaiʻi.”

The teams are currently in the first phase of the program, where they will be assessing and developing their business models based upon the lean startup methodology. Teams selected to advance on to the second phase will immerse themselves into further business development efforts and in the third phase they will develop and practice their pitch to investors. Throughout the entire program, the teams will have access to valuable mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs and investors.

“The XLR8糖心视频 proof of concept center is a cornerstone to the successful commercialization of our research,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, 糖心视频 vice president for research and innovation. “By developing talented entrepreneurs from our ranks and fortifying the entrepreneurial ecosystem at 糖心视频, we are also contributing to the in its efforts to diversify the state’s economy.”

XLR8糖心视频 Second Cohort finalists

• Adnoviv, a smart occupancy sensor that detects true human presence by heartbeat and respiration.
• Akabotics, an autonomous robotic platform used to conduct continuous maintenance dredging on shallow waterways.
• Arismus Creativity, a free design platform created for small business.
• Bio-Logic, an oral pharmaceutical used for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease and associated colorectal cancers.
• Comprendio, a proven education technology that can identify, align and close the knowledge gap through real-time learning metrics.
• EmployAble, an online vocational training tool aimed at helping people with disabilities achieve success.
• Epistates, provides personalized medical treatment via epigenetic assessment for high-performance athletes and patients with chronic disease.
• Jun Innovations, a super cooling technology that maintains freshness and increases longevity of perishable products.
• MorphOptics, high-quality lenses that can be inexpensively mass-produced for specialized applications in solar energy and meteorology.
• News Navigator, provides users with more control over the news they receive.

糖心视频 News video: “XLR8糖心视频: Turning research into viable products and businesses”

About three dozen students at the and the are participating in 糖心视频’s first joint video game development class. The gaming industry is a profession with a bright future. According to the , the video game industry added $6.2 billion to the U.S. economy in 2012.

糖心视频 Mānoa student Andrew Guagliardo is interested in a career in animation and says the opportunity to learn video game development in a collaborative environment is exciting. “It’s really awesome the way it’s set up, because you have the programmers working with the artists,” he said. “If I want to collaborate with people on the mainland, I’m basically learning how to do that through this class.”

The dual-campus class is made possible by a new tool at each site called the CyberCANOE, which stands for the Cyber-enabled Collaboration, Analysis, Navigation and Observation Environment.

The CyberCANOE is a visualization and collaboration infrastructure that allows students and researchers to work together more effectively using large amounts of data and information. It was created by hire Jason Leigh, who is also the founder and director of the (LAVA), and funded by the (ACM). Leigh is teaching the class jointly with 糖心视频 West Oʻahu Assistant Professor Josiah Lebowitz.

Leigh is the inventor of the CAVE2 virtual environment at the . CAVE2 consists of a 2-D and 3-D 320-degree panoramic, virtual reality environment made up of 72 flat screen LCD panels, 20 speakers and 36 high-speed computers. 糖心视频’s CyberCANOEs are the next generation of this virtual environment.

Space for Mānoa’s first CyberCANOE was provided by the campus’ Information Technology Center while 糖心视频 West Oʻahu’s CyberCANOE is located in the ACM Computer Lab in the 糖心视频 West Oʻahu Library. Funding for both CyberCANOEs, a total of almost $100,000, came from the University of Hawaiʻi System’s Academy for Creative Media.

ACM Director Chris Lee said, “ACM was always designed as an industry catalyst and you can’t have an industry unless you are creating the workforce.”

However, there is much more to 糖心视频’s CyberCANOEs than video game development.

According to Leigh, multi-screened computer environments can be used for any class that needs the screen space for data-intensive research in almost any discipline, from astronomy to oceanography.

“Whether it’s video games, planning a new city or going to outer space, the idea behind the CyberCANOE is to use data visualization to allow people to be more creative, solve more challenging problems and come to better solutions with greater confidence,” Leigh said.

Leigh is building a larger CyberCANOE at 糖心视频 Mānoa, and it will be made available to researchers and students in various disciplines at all 10 University of Hawaiʻi campuses. He hopes to have it up and running by the end of 2015. He also has a grant proposal in to build an even bigger third CyberCANOE at the campus. More exciting voyages lie ahead for 糖心视频 and its CyberCANOEs.

Are you sitting on the next multi-million dollar idea? Are you a 糖心视频 faculty member, student or alumni? Then is here to help make your startup dreams a reality.

From social initiatives to billion dollar markets, our program will push you and your idea to the next level.

XLR8糖心视频 provides 糖心视频 faculty, staff, students, and alumni with a multi-phase education and investment program focused on commercializing 糖心视频 innovations.

We provide two funding tracks:

• Phase I startups are focused on developing their proof of concept—i.e. taking concept and/or IP, identifying the greatest market potential and converting that R&D into a minimum viable product.
• Phase II startups are more focused on commercialization—i.e. startups completing their proof of concept and refining their innovation having established the ever-important “product-market fit.”

Application deadline is coming up soon! Early decision deadline is January 20, with a final deadline of January 30 for applications.

or visit for more information.

糖心视频 News video: “XLR8糖心视频: Turning research into viable products and businesses”

Local venture capitalist and entrepreneur William K. (Bill) Richardson has been named as interim director of the University of Hawaiʻi (OTTED), effective December 1, 2014.

In his new role, Richardson will lead a department that will work closely with the recently launched proof-of-concept center to help program cohorts to fully exploit their 糖心视频-owned technologies commercially. OTTED is also responsible for the marketing, licensing and protection of 糖心视频 intellectual property and the creation of new opportunities for collaboration between 糖心视频 faculty and industry partners.

“It’s a very exciting time to be at the University of Hawaiʻi to help grow the commercialization area of its research arm,” said Richardson. “I look forward to sharing my passion, knowledge and experience in entrepreneurship to help 糖心视频 faculty to become successful entrepreneurs themselves.”

Richardson founded and built a series of venture funds that invested in 17 Hawaiʻi-based companies, including two that went public on the NASDAQ exchange. Prior to venture funding, Richardson worked as an attorney in Hawaiʻi specializing in commercial law and finance after a nine-year career at Wang Laboratories.

Since 2002, Richardson has served as an adjunct professor at the 糖心视频 Mānoa and as a lecturer in entrepreneurship at the . He is an advisory board member of the (PACE) at the Shidler College of Business, a University of Hawaiʻi Foundation trustee and is a founder and current board member of , a locally based virtual incubator. A double major in economics and sociology at , Richardson received his bachelor’s degree with honors in 1978 and was awarded his juris doctorate from the in 1981.

“We are extremely pleased to have someone like Bill Richardson on board to help lead OTTED in our efforts to create a more vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem through the aggressive commercialization of our IP,” said 糖心视频 Vice President for Research and Innovation Vassilis L. Syrmos. “With his impressive credentials, extensive industry contacts and a wealth of entrepreneurial experience and knowledge, we expect OTTED to be a major contributor to the success of the Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative.”

The latest successfully reached benchmark for the and a new program called , which helps 糖心视频 students, faculty and graduates turn ideas into successful businesses—are being featured on local television station in November and December.

It is the second round of public service announcements in a 12-month campaign given to 糖心视频 for free by KFVE. KFVE General Manager John Fink says the station is committed to the campaign, worth an estimated $50,000, because it gives the university an opportunity to share the great things happening at its 10 campuses.

XLR8糖心视频

The PSAs were done by the 糖心视频 System Media Production office, which has produced about 210 糖心视频 News web videos and about 160 video news releases since it was established in May 2012. See the latest videos on the , with new videos posted every week, or go to .

On October 21, the University of Mānoa (SOEST) began the final phase of an army-funded research effort to further investigate sea-disposed military munitions. This research will take place south of Pearl Harbor at an area designated by the (DoD) as the Hawaiʻi-05 (HI-05) site.

HI-05 is a deep-water site containing both conventional and chemical military munitions. Consistent with an internationally accepted practice at the time, DoD disposed excess, obsolete or unserviceable munitions, including chemical warfare material, in ocean waters off the U.S. prior to 1970, at which time DoD discontinued this practice. Congress effectively prohibited sea disposal of waste materials into the ocean in 1972. 糖心视频 Mānoa is undertaking this research in partnership with the U.S. Army, and , a local environmental consulting firm.

Assessing the ecological impact

This effort is a continuation of the (HUMMA) that used towed sidescan sonars, submersibles and remotely operated vehicles to locate and assess the effects of the ocean environment on sea-disposed munitions and sea-disposed munitions on the ocean environment and those who use it. Four previous field programs imaged thousands of conventional munitions and over a hundred suspected chemical munitions. Additionally, these efforts collected sediment, water and biological samples within two meters of conventional and chemical munitions.

Analyses of sediment samples collected less than two meters from suspected chemical munitions indicated the presence of mustard agent and its degradation products at levels of less than five parts per million. Shrimp scavenging nearby and sea stars living directly on top of suspected chemical munitions exhibited no adverse impact from munitions constituents. The upcoming program will focus on these munitions to determine if there have been any changes in biota, sediment and water chemistry.

Encouraging open dialogue

“The Army believes this research will close additional knowledge gaps about the potential impact of sea disposed munitions on the ocean environment and those people that use it,” said Hershell Wolfe, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Environment, Safety and Occupational Health. “The expected results will benefit not only the DoD, but the international community,”

“HUMMA has dramatically increased our understanding of what is happening at historical sea disposal sites,” stated Margo Edwards, 糖心视频 principal investigator. “We have been sharing the methods developed and results discovered by 糖心视频 at international meetings in support of an open dialogue for a global problem.”

In that spirit, the upcoming expedition will host observers from Australia who will gain direct experience with the approaches and tools used to investigate sea disposal in Hawaiian waters. These international partnerships support a primary goal of 糖心视频’s Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative (HII)—broadly transitioning our research and knowledge to enhance global understanding.

Read the for more.

Kapiʻolani Community College’s Director of the Robert Franco will be in Boston from October 1–3 to represent Chancellor Leon Richards at the . The summit will bring together more than 250 college and university leaders from across the United States to focus on ways to strengthen campus climate action and sustainability challenges in community, regional and national contexts. Most summit participants are signatories of the American College and University (ACUPCC).

Franco will be a lead presenter for a poster session entitled, “Educating for Civic and Moral Responsibility in the Energy-Climate Era,” focusing on the college’s national leadership of a sponsored project to develop faculty and student commitment to building diverse, equitable, healthy and sustainable communities.

The college currently has 28 courses that are designated with sustainability integrated curriculum and funds from the and are supporting undergraduate research on terrestrial and marine ecosystems. The Mālama i nā Ahupuaʻa service-learning project is now in its 20th year having engaged more than 2,000 students in caring for traditional Hawaiian watersheds on Oʻahu. The campus is also developing a new strategic plan metrics to reduce electricity, greenhouse gases, water and waste from 2015–2021.

More on the 2014 Presidential Summit on Climate

Convened by , the supporting organization for the ACUPCC, the summit reflects the centrality of higher education’s role in preparing new generations to meet the challenges of climate change.

The program focuses on ways to build on the success of climate action plans and sustainability initiatives on ACUPCC campuses and develop solutions to the most pressing environmental problems facing the community.

Read the for more.

The University of Hawaiʻi has launched XLR8糖心视频, a major commitment to transform the university’s world-class research and talent into viable products and businesses. XLR8糖心视频 is the name of the university’s first Proof of Concept Center. The focus is on investing in innovative ideas and providing a launch pad for commercialization.

“Traditionally, we worked hard to license our technology and what we are doing now is, this is a new approach,” explained 糖心视频 President David Lassner. “We’re actually going to take the great ideas from our students and faculty and help them determine whether or not we can bring these to market, create new businesses.”

“Is a program that takes technologies that they have been produced and created within the University of Hawaiʻi; whether this is by our students, our alumni, our faculty, our researchers; and try to accelerate it,” added Vassilis L. Syrmos, the 糖心视频 Vice President for Research and Innovation. His office is in charge of the program.

Students, faculty and alumni accepted to XLR8糖心视频 must successfully complete an entrepreneurial, commercialization program conducted in conjunction with PACE, the , part of the 糖心视频 Mānoa . PACE runs the popular and provides the necessary education, guidance and resources to empower 糖心视频 entrepreneurs with the skills, connections and expertise needed for startup success.

“We give them some additional funding, we help them to produce a business plan, development, product development and try to find funding,” said Syrmos.

“Perhaps gaining money through one of our partnerships or state partnerships, as we move along the way to identifying private capital that can turn some of these ideas into businesses,” said Lassner.

Among the first seven XLR8糖心视频 groups or cohorts is the company Diagenetix Inc., developing hand held instruments for agriculture to enable detection of everything from plant disease to the sex of a papaya.

“I think to have a business environment and have the university facilitate, having the mentorship and the business community back up these ventures, is really important in order to really develop these commercial products,” said Daniel Jenkins an XLR8糖心视频 cohort member from Diagenetix and 糖心视频 Mānoa associate professor in molecular biosciences and bioengineering.

XLR8糖心视频 is a major component of one of university’s key strategic directions, the Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative, a partnership with the .

“That’s the work of the university to diversify Hawaiʻi’s economy and create more great jobs here, in partnership with the business community, to really create a third leg of the economy alongside tourism and military spending,” said Lassner.

For more information, go to or .

The is now a leader in data visualization.

“Which is basically techniques for turning data, into imagery, to help people make sense of these large amounts of data,” said Jason Leigh, a 糖心视频 Mānoa professor.

糖心视频’s new prominence in the futuristic field is thanks to the successful recruitment of Leigh, the university’s second hire.

• 糖心视频 news story:

Leigh came from the where he was an internationally recognized leader in data visualization. He helped develop Cave Automatic Virtual Enviromment (CAVE) and CAVE 2: a 2-D and 3-D, 320-degree panoramic, virtual reality environment made up of 72 flat screen LCD panels, 20 Ambisonic speakers and 36 high-speed computers.

“You step into it and it is projected with three-dimensional computer graphics and objects appear, or data appears, as if they were real, floating in front of you,” said Leigh. “So the computer helps you make those picture, make those connections between all of the different pieces of data that you are trying to fuse.”

CAVE 2 is being used in medical research, chemistry, automobile design, to name just a few. Leigh has secured funding to build a smaller prototype of the next generation of the technology at 糖心视频 Mānoa. It will be called the Cyber-CANOE.

“It stands for collaborative, analytics, navigation and observation environment,” said Leigh, adding that 糖心视频 is perfect for the Cyber-CANOE because of its world renowned programs like oceanography and astronomy. For example, data visualization can be used to quickly and better analyze massive amounts of data being collected by 糖心视频 oceanographers.

“They can literally swim in this virtual ocean and observe their data as it is being collected,” said Leigh. “I mean, that is one of the voids on this campus, right? And so I am filling that crucial void right now.”

The ultimate goal is to build a Cyber-CANOE on each island, connected with high-speed networks that will enable faculty and students to share information, data and classes across the state and the world.

“The CANOE sort of works really well as a metaphor because these were the vessels of discovery for the Polynesians,” said Leigh. “And now these electronic CANOEs are the vessels of discovery for Hawaiʻi to explore the new data age.

For decades now, the has been at the forefront of microbial oceanography—the study of microscopic organisms, or microorganisms, in the sea.

Because of the cutting edge research done at the university’s and C-MORE, the , 糖心视频 Mānoa was awarded the largest one-time donation the University of Hawaiʻi has ever received, $40 million from the .

“The foundations don’t take lightly where they put their money,” said C-MORE Co-Director Edward DeLong. “They consider it an investment of hard earned funds and they want to see it make a difference. This is really a vote of confidence in the University of Hawaiʻi.”

The , aims to further humankind’s understanding of all ocean microorganisms.

“Microorganisms are the most important living beings on this planet,” said C-MORE Director David Karl. “They’re mostly invisible to the naked eye, but they’re responsible for the habitability of this planet.”

Microorganisms in the sea produce the oxygen we breathe and break down man-made pollutants, along with being the base of the food web for the world’s fisheries.

“This new program will really allow us to get into the details, the scientific details of how organisms in the ocean make their living, how they absorb and transform energy, how they cycle elements such as carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous,” said Karl. “These are the basics of life.”

The research took a big leap forward in 1988 with the start of the program; a one-of-a-kind, ongoing, on-site study of a six-mile section of the Pacific Ocean, a hundred kilometers north of the state.

“It is a 25-year, every month, detailed, survey of how that ecosystem works,” said DeLong. “It’s probably the best-understood piece of the ocean on the planet. And I think that is one reason that we were so successful because of the foundation that got laid here at the University of Hawaiʻi.”

“Now we want to build upon that information with new measurements of genomics, metabolism and molecular biology to really understand the blueprint of life in the open ocean setting,” said Karl.

“The freedom we get is to think big and take risks,” said DeLong.

SCOPE is also a collaboration with the ; ; the and the .

“No individual alone, or laboratory alone, can think of doing some of these things to get to the bigger picture, and to get to that bigger picture, we need to have these symbiosis, these collaborations and that’s what part of this bigger project is about,” said DeLong.

The project offers amazing opportunities for current and prospective 糖心视频 students. And it’s all the result of 糖心视频’s long running commitment to being a top tier research university.

“We are now benefiting from this 50-year investment that has been made by the state and by the university administration,” said Karl. “Today we begin a whole new phase of research here at the university. One that will continue some of the developments that we made at C-MORE and the Hawaiʻi Ocean Time Series program but will be fundamental different in many regards, new opportunities, new research directions, and we hope new discovery.”

糖心视频 President David Lassner said that this is an incredible launch of the (HI²). DeLong is the first scientist to be hired by the university under HI².

“A lot of people have wondered can we really be serious about building a billion dollar research industry in the state,” said Lassner. “I think this is an example of how we’ll do it. It isn’t just going to the federal government and cranking in more proposals. It’s captivating the interests of philanthropists and partners around the country and around the world to begin to build this investment in a research and innovation economy for Hawaiʻi that advances the frontiers of human knowledge.”

Biotech startup is licensing technology from the to develop new cardiovascular drugs aimed at treating and preventing heart failure. Alexander Stokes, an assistant professor of cell and molecular biology at the (JABSOM), developed the science for the drugs.

At JABSOM, Stokes worked on identifying a new target and set of effective therapeutic compounds for the treatment and prevention of cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure, and associated pathologies. Patent rights are pending. Makai Biotechnology LLC was recently formed by Stokes and David G. Watumull, who serves as senior advisor. Watumull is also the CEO of , a publicly held life sciences company.

Many types of diseases ultimately affect the heart by making it work harder. The heart muscle compensates by getting bigger (cardiac hypertrophy). The heart becomes stiffer and less functional, and eventually starts to fail.

“We have a way of protecting the heart with a completely new therapeutic approach,” said Stokes. “This new therapy will allow the heart to compensate for the extra work it needs to perform, without losing function and failing.”

The reports that heart failure is the fastest growing clinical cardiac disease in the United States, with 670,000 new cases of heart failure diagnosed each year, and accounts for 34 percent of all cardiovascular related deaths. Moreover, heart failure represents one to two percent of all health care expenditures in the U.S. or approximately $40 billion a year.

“Drugs used to treat cardiovascular diseases, especially those needed to treat heart failure, are urgently needed, and represent a very large market worldwide,” said Watumull.

Makai Biotechnology LLC is licensing intellectual property from the University of Hawaiʻi’s . 糖心视频 holds an interest in Makai Biotechnology LLC, and may receive future revenue derived from this intellectual property. Makai Biotechnology LLC plans to establish alliances with major pharmaceutical companies to develop and test compounds from pre-clinical through phase II human clinical trials.

The new treatment method focuses on the regulation of the ion channel TRPV1. This ion channel is best known for being activated by capsaicin, the hot component of chili peppers. Stokes’ lab at JABSOM recently published data that reveals that in pre-clinical trials, inhibition of TRPV1 with a small molecule compound can protect the heart from the pathological and functional changes associated with cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure and associated pathologies.

Stokes said, “The development of a clinical formulation, and phase II clinical trials, should be quite rapid, as many TRPV1 inhibitors have been already tested in multi phase clinical trials for alternative indications.”

Funding for the pre-clinical studies was provided through grants awarded by the and the , totaling approximately $1 million over 5 years, ending 2015. One of the National Institutes of Health grants was part of the Research Multidisciplinary and Translational Research Infrastructure Expansion program designed to aid translational research at JABSOM.

“Our basic science researchers dream of translating their work from the laboratory bench to the patient’s bedside,” said Dean of John A. Burns School of Medicine Jerris Hedges. “The research underway by Dr. Stokes exemplifies this opportunity and advances our most important goal—which is to provide results that will make life better for patients in Hawaiʻi.”

“It is a pleasure to partner with Dr. Stokes and Makai Biotechnology in developing and commercializing research that started at the University of Hawaiʻi and could ultimately end up saving many lives,” Vice President for Research and Innovation Vassilis Syrmos said. “It is also an example of the university’s commitment to building a research industry in our state in partnership with the community through the .”

About the Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative (HI²)

The University of Hawaiʻi is working in partnership with the private sector and government to build a thriving $1-billion research enterprise in Hawaiʻi that will develop a third major economic sector for the state, create thousands of high-quality living-wage jobs and address the challenges and opportunities that face our communities and the world to improve our quality of life.

The Hawaiʻi is helping protect Hawaiʻi’s environment and secure the state’s economic future.

The mission of EPSCoR is to assist the National Science Foundation in its statutory function “to strengthen research and education in science and engineering throughout the United States.”

EPSCoR is a part of the (HI²). The HI² strategy is to build a $1 billion research enterprise in partnership with community government and business groups.

The 135-foot rail launcher to be used in Hawaiʻi’s first space launch, known as ORS-4, was unveiled on October 28 at the (NTS) facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. NTS and Western Fabrication built the rail launcher. A full-sized model of the Super Strypi rocket that will be used in the Hawaiʻi launch was also unveiled.

The mission manager for the launch is the Air Force’s Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) Office. The open house event was hosted by ORS and project partners Sandia National Laboratories, the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) on Kauaʻi, Aerojet Rocketdyne Corp., and the University of Hawaiʻi’s (HSFL). The launch is currently planned for spring 2014.

The ORS-4 mission is sponsored by the ORS Office and is the first launch of the Super Strypi launch system. This mission will demonstrate a new, low-cost launch capability able to deliver 300 kilograms to low-earth orbit. This is the first orbital launch from the Pacific Missile Range Facility and will carry the University of Hawaiʻi’s hyperspectral imager as the primary payload, along with 12 cubesats in an integrated payload stack. This demonstration will enable low-cost launch alternatives and range processes for the future.

When the Super Strypi rocket takes flight from the U.S. Navy’s PMRF on Kauaʻi, it will be carrying a satellite designed and built by University of Hawaiʻi faculty and students. 糖心视频 will have also played a significant role in getting the satellite into space. With this mission, 糖心视频 has become one of the only universities in the world to have both satellite fabrication capabilities and direct access to orbital space.

Interim President David Lassner said, “The University of Hawaiʻi is pleased to support the state in becoming a low-cost gateway to space and to provide our students with real-world experience that will be invaluable as we train Hawaiʻi’s aerospace workforce.”

HSFL is responsible for payload development, and project management of the rail launcher and launch pad. The University of Hawaiʻi’s faculty and students are building the primary payload called HiakaSat. “Hiaka” means “to recite legends or fabulous stories” in Hawaiian. It is also an acronym for Hyperspectral Imaging, Aeronautical Kinematic Analysis. The 110-pound satellite is being designed to do a number of things including performing thermal hyperspectral imaging.

HSFL was established in 2007 within the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s and the . As a multidisciplinary research and education center, HSFL brings together individuals from diverse areas and other 糖心视频 campuses to work on the exploration and understanding of the space environment. will be the primary communications link for the satellite. is designing one of the satellite payloads and will operate a receiving station during the mission. and are also involved.

Lassner said, “The Hawaiʻi Space Flight Laboratory has brought in more than $35 million in government funding for this project and is partnering with top tier aerospace companies for our state’s first space launch. It is a great example of the critical role 糖心视频 plays in the to build the research sector and to create exciting jobs for future generations.”

HSFL Director Luke Flynn says the university would like to be able to launch small satellites on a regular basis, which will attract companies that are looking for affordable ways to test space technology. HSFL is looking for partners willing to invest in this endeavor.

The launch rail system will now be disassembled and moved to Kauaʻi, where it will be reassembled for the 2014 launch.

—

Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative (HI²)

The University of Hawaiʻi is working in partnership with the private sector and government to build a thriving $1-billion research enterprise in Hawaiʻi that will develop a third major economic sector for the state, create thousands of high-quality living-wage jobs and address the challenges and opportunities that face our communities and the world to improve our quality of life. 糖心视频 the for more information.

A new economic potential for the flowering plant Spanish needle (Bidens pilosa L.) is described by Windward Community College Professor Ingelia White in her recently published book titled Ethnopharmacognosy Series IV: Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Values of Spanish Needle–Plant-Based Products and Recipes.

White’s BOT 205 (ethnobotanical pharmacognosy) and BOT 299 (independent study) students have identified the medicinal and nutritional values of the Spanish needle plant. Medicinal products such as tooth cleaning powder, gargle, chewing gum, pills, lozenges, fruit bites, lollipops, teas and soaps are introduced in the pharmaceutical products section of the booklet, while BOT 105 (ethnobotany) students prepare delicious Spanish needle dishes as well as recipes that are shared in the food pharmacy section.

White is also the coordinator of the at Windward CC. The pharmaceutical and nutraceutical research was conducted by her agripharmatech-ethnopharmacognosy students at the natural sciences labs in Hale ʻImiloa and the at Windward CC from January 2011 to May 2013.

“The goals of the Agripharmatech Program is to provide knowledge and skills for students to transfer to higher degree institutions and to enter a workforce in plant biological science-related fields including medicinal botany, plant biotechnology, horticulture, biology, nutraceuticals—and to promote agribusiness/plant-based product entrepreneurships,” said White.

“Students learn why certain plants are valued medicinally in Hawaiian and other cultures and what basis there is for their use in such practices鈥panish needle has been traditionally used for ulcers, diabetes, skin disorders, colds and other ailments,” said Ardis Eschenberg, Windward CC vice chancellor for student affairs. “Investigating the potential basis for medicinal values of this plant, students found that Spanish needle inhibits three oral pathogens and reduces bacteria which causes peptic ulcers. As a result, students developed a chewing gum and tooth cleaning powder to control the pathogens orally. In this publication they provide the experimental protocol, associated data, medicinal products and healing food recipes for Spanish needle.”

The Ethnopharmacognosy Series IV booklet containing research protocols, laboratory exercises and recipes to be used in future botany classes, is also available to the public for $13 at the Windward CC . Proceeds from booklet sales will be used for student internship and travel to attend and present research at national and international scientific conferences.

The series is funded through the and sponsored by .

Spanish Needle recipe

Kabocha-Spanish Needle Soup with Banana Dumplings by Windward student Michael Denis

• 2 kabocha squash
• 2 cups Spanish needle leaves
• 3 cups water
• 1 onion. diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 green Bluefield or Chinese bananas
• 1 apple, unpeeled and sliced
• 1 can light coconut milk
• Salt, ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degree F.

One kabocha squash is used for the soup, cut in half, remove seeds, coat each halved squash with olive oil. Place them in shallow pan in half-inch of water and bake for 45 minutes.

Scoop cooked squash into a bowl.

Cook Spanish needle leaves in 3 cups of boiling water for 10 minutes. Strain, set aside the broth.

Saute onion, carrots and garlic in olive oil until tender and set aside.

Finely grate green bananas with food processor, add salt and pepper to taste. Form grated bananas into dumplings. Gently boil for 10 minutes, and set aside.

Combine prepared squash, sauteed onions, carrot and garlic mixture, apple and 1 cup Spanish needle broth into food processor and run it until creamy consistency.

Pour the mixture into a large pot, add the rest of the broth, coconut milk and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and simmer.

Add banana dumplings (be sure not to stir dumplings as they are fragile and could fall apart) and simmer for 45 minutes.

Hollow out the other uncooked kabocha for use as the container for the soup. Keep the top intact to use as lid.

Pour boiling water into cleaned kabocha, let sit for two minutes. Dump water out, and it is ready to use.

—

In a big boost to the (HI²), visualization expert Jason Leigh will be joining the at the in spring 2014.

Leigh is currently a professor of computer science and director of the and , where he also holds an appointment in the .

“We have identified big data visualization as a critical area in which we need to grow capacity to support the Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative and 糖心视频’s own research aspirations,” said 糖心视频 Interim President David Lassner. “Jason is one of the best anywhere, with a proven track record of successful innovation and deep collaboration with leading scientists within his institution and around the world.”

Leigh’s software is the de facto standard for driving ultra-high resolution display walls around the world, which are fast becoming the lenses through which insight and innovation from big data science and engineering collaborations are brought into focus.

His most recent invention, CAVE2, represents the next generation of the highly successful CAVE immersive virtual reality environment that was also developed at the Electronic Visualization Lab. CAVE2 combines the benefits of both scalable-resolution display walls and virtual-reality systems to create a seamless 2D/3D environment that supports both information-rich analysis as well as virtual-reality simulation exploration at a resolution matching human visual acuity.

The timing of a long-intended career move to Hawaiʻi became right with the focus of the new innovation initiative. Leigh has already been working with 糖心视频’s and its Director David Karl, and will be expanding on that collaboration once he arrives.

“I am looking forward to working with my new colleagues in the ICS department and throughout the 糖心视频 system to apply cyberinfrastructure and visualization technologies to improve research and scholarship in support of human insight and understanding,” Leigh said.

Larry Smarr, founding director of the and chair of the National Science Foundation’s Advisory Committee for Cyberinfrastructure applauded 糖心视频’s hiring of Leigh.

“Jason is a world-class innovator with a remarkable ability to collaborate with his colleagues in academia and industry alike,” Smarr said. “Jason has been extremely helpful to us in San Diego, so I know he will be indispensable to Hawaiʻi’s goal of developing an innovation economy.”

Leigh is a Fellow of the Institute for Health Research and Policy and he has held research appointments at and the . In addition to his research expertise in large-scale data visualization and virtual reality, his work encompasses high performance networking, human augmentics and video game design. He also enjoys personal interests in Kendo, ʻukulele and Samoan language and culture.

—

National media coverage of Jason Leigh

• , February 26, 2011
• NSF Science Now, December 20, 2012
• February 23, 2012
• , March 3, 2005

The University of Hawaiʻi on Maui and the on the island of Hawaiʻi are world renowned.

“The is extremely fortunate to be the steward of two of the best astronomical sites in the whole world because of the shape of our mountains and our islands,” said Mike Maberry, the assistant director of the 糖心视频 .

It’s why the (AMOS), the premiere space surveillance conference in the nation, has been held in Hawaiʻi every year since 2001. Space situational awareness is the focus—keeping track of manmade space junk and asteroids that could damage or destroy commercial and government satellites.

“Space has become so very, very busy,” said CEO Elliot Pulham. “It is full of debris. It’s full of flying spacecraft. It is just a very treacherous environment to operate in and the capability for understanding that and managing that resides right here in Maui. So it’s important for us to all get together and talk about that.”

“To be able to contribute to the world by providing these sites, sharing these sites, so we can monitor and catalog the objects we have in space as well as the heavens beyond is just extremely fortunate for the University of Hawaiʻi and for the state of Hawaiʻi,” said Maberry.

The conference attracts the top names in the aerospace industry and aerospace research. General William Shelton, the commander of the , addressed the 2013 event via teleconference.

The fact that this conference is held on Maui is just one example of Hawaiʻi’s importance in the space industry.

“People coming from all over the world, they think of AMOS conference, when they think of space, they think of Hawaiʻi,” said Maberry.

“The aerospace community and sector in Hawaiʻi is tremendously important,” said Jeanne Unemori Skog, the president and CEO of the . “It is one of our competitive advantages and we’ve got to take advantage of every single one we can.”

糖心视频 researchers and students are also building satellites, developing satellite launch capabilities and participating in long-duration space travel studies.

A 2011 study by 糖心视频 estimates that the aerospace industry will have brought in over $1.5 billion in 2012 to the state, employing thousands.

“The ability to bring high paying jobs that can stimulate the economy and reduce your reliance on tourism is something that space brings in spades,” said Pulham.

It all fits in with the university’s a partnership with the community to build a billion dollar annual research enterprise in Hawaiʻi that will create thousands of jobs and a diversified economy.

Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Vassilis Syrmos has been appointed to serve as the first 糖心视频 System vice president for research and innovation (VPRI). His appointment is effective on September 1, 2013 and is for two years.

As associate vice chancellor for research at 糖心视频 Mānoa, Syrmos has worked on a range of projects including developing major research facilities such as the , the state’s only laboratory to be rated LEED Platinum. Since 1991, he has been with 糖心视频 Mānoa’s department of , where he is a professor. He has also served as the associate dean of the .

“The University of Hawaiʻi has an important role to play in the development of Hawaiʻi’s research and innovation sector,” said 糖心视频 Board of Regents Chair John Holzman. “We are pleased to have an experienced researcher and administrator in Dr. Syrmos to work with 糖心视频’s gifted faculty and the community to create jobs and build Hawaiʻi’s research industry.”

The Board of Regents also added the word “innovation” to the vice president’s title. One of the new vice president for research and innovation’s priorities will be to support significant growth in research through the University of . This initiative seeks to double the state’s research enterprise to $1 billion annually over the next decade. The VPRI is also charged with critical leadership and coordination of system-wide research and innovation efforts, including management and direction of 糖心视频’s research support, technology transfer, and many compliance functions.

“We would like to thank outgoing Vice President for Research James “Jim” Gaines, who is retiring at the end of this month, for 26 years of distinguished service to 糖心视频, the last 10 as vice president,” said University of Hawaiʻi President M.R.C. Greenwood. “The University of Hawaiʻi has brought in more than $4 billion in extramural funding during Dr. Gaines’ tenure as vice president for research. Under his watch, annual extramural funding hit an all time high of almost $500 million.”

“I am delighted to be able to recommend Dr. Syrmos to build on that progress and advance 糖心视频 research and innovation through the University of Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative.”

“I am very honored to have been selected for the position of vice president for research and innovation,” said Syrmos. “Dr. Gaines has done a tremendous job in developing and facilitating systemwide research initiatives, establishing policies and procedures, and managing research administration support services; and it will definitely be a large role to fill. I look forward to the new challenges and opportunities of the VPRI position, and am excited to be given this opportunity to empower our researchers and scholars throughout the University of Hawaiʻi System.”

“Over the years, Dr. Syrmos and I have worked well together on a number of projects,” said Interim President Designee David Lassner. “I look forward to collaborating more deeply with him, our faculty and the community to build a thriving and nimble 糖心视频 research enterprise that diversifies and strengthens our economy, creates great jobs for our graduates so they can stay home, and addresses the challenges faced by our island communities throughout the state.”

Read the for more about Syrmos.

Thomas Ernst, a professor and physicist from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa , has developed a revolutionary new system in magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI. A breakthrough so significant, it will probably be found in just about every hospital in the United States one day.

That’s the hope for a new local company called . that’s commercializing the technology. The biggest challenge with an MRI is patient motion.

“You got to lie still for 45 minutes in a tube essentially and those small or large motions can compromise the image,” said Jeffrey Yu, the president and CEO of KinetiCor. “It is very similar when you take a picture. You don’t want the camera or people moving because it blurs the shot.”

The blurry, unusable images from such an expensive procedure rack up healthcare cost in the hundreds of billions of dollars each year. Often times, patients, like small children, have to be sedated. Ernst and fellow researchers came up with a solution—prospective motion correction.

“The idea is really that we track the movement of the head in real time and then apply corrections to the scanner so that the images show no blurring basically,” said Ernst.

The key is a small marker that is applied to the forehead of the patient, which is then tracked by a camera in the imaging machine.

“The corrections are very fast and they are very highly accurate,” said Ernst. “You can actually see people breathe when they are in the scanner.”

Funding to commercialize the new technology came from the University of Hawaiʻi’s Upside Venture Fund, HMSA and the Queen’s Development Corporation, equity investors in KinetiCor.

It’s an example of how research can attract investment. Developing Hawaiʻi’s research industry, specifically research done by 糖心视频 and its partners like Queen’s Medical Center in this case, can play a significant role in Hawaiʻi’s economic future. That’s the mission of the University of Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative, or Hi Squared.

“If we could do that, then more researchers would be interested in coming here, the researchers who are here get to see their technology being applied and helping people,” said Yu. “Then the money that comes in for the commercialization effort can go to fund additional research work.”

Ernst is anxious to see his prospective motion correction technology become an every day reality.

“So that ultimately the patients and children, let’s say that are in the scanners and can’t hold still, that they are the ones that ultimately benefit from all of this,” said Ernst.

The project was funded by the over the past 6 years, at a total cost of approximately $3.5 million.

Read the University of Hawaiʻi’s HI² news release for more information.

This is one in a series of articles featured in a special tabloid produced for the by the .

In addition to creating thousands of jobs, the University of Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative (HI²) is also expected to develop the workers to fill many of the new positions, through 糖心视频’s seven community colleges.

The U.S. Department of Labor awarded a $24.6 million grant in 2011—the largest of its kind in the nation—to the .

The workforce development grant, known as , targets three key growth sectors that are aligned with important 糖心视频 research: agriculture, health and sustainable energy. The grant will help the community colleges to update the skills of workers. Several 糖心视频 community colleges received a $12.7 million grant as part of the second round of funding in 2012.

Read more about how the 糖心视频 Community Colleges are training Hawaiʻi’s workforce for future jobs that will be created by the 糖心视频 Innovation Initiative in the article by Kyle Galdeira.

This is one in a series of articles featured in a special tabloid produced for the by the .

Satellite launches and tracking, two new world-class telescopes, and a portable space habitat: Some of the most exciting projects in these islands are in areas of astronomy and space.

These projects bring hands-on learning opportunities and high-tech careers.

Read about how the University of Hawaiʻi is working to become the only university in the world with dedicated rocket-launch capability for its own satellites, the world’s largest solar and optical telescopes, and a project that focuses on new forms of food and food preparation for long-duration space missions in the article by Jolyn Okimoto Rosa.

This is one in a series of articles featured in “The Sky Is Not the Limit,” a special tabloid produced for the by the .

Asthmatics and others with breathing sensitivities have a tool to navigate the voggy weather that has plagued us of late. The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s runs the , part of which predicts the vog plume’s movement.

Co-principal investigators Steve Businger and Keith Horton head the vog project. Businger says, “Vog represents a tangible health hazard for those of us in Hawaiʻi who are sensitive to it. During vog episodes, every breath can cause distress. For folks who suffer from allergies, emphysema or asthma, having a vog model that forecasts the position of the plume helps them plan their activities to minimize their exposure.”

Good planning depends on good science. Sea-level rise is a longer-term example of this. Seas have been rising for more than 100 years among the Hawaiian Islands, which has caused widespread coastal erosion and worsened the impact of tsunami and flooding during heavy rains. SOEST Associate Dean Charles “Chip” Fletcher says climate change will probably cause an increase in sea-level rise that worsens existing problems and leads to new ones.

Read more about how the school’s research informs residents’ understanding of air quality and water safety in the article “Every breath you take” by Jolyn Okimoto Rosa.

This is the second in a series of articles featured in a special tabloid produced for the . The full tabloid can be viewed in its entirety on the .

Research as an industry: The economic contribution of HI²

The is an excellent university, and its research is an important part of its contribution to Hawaiʻi’s economy. The University of Hawaiʻi system includes 10 campuses and dozens of educational, training and research centers across the state.

is one of the top research universities in the world. The 2012 Academic Ranking of World Universities places 糖心视频 Mānoa among the top 54 to 67 schools in the United States, a category shared with the University of Virginia and ahead of Oregon State University, the University of Oregon and Notre Dame. 糖心视频 Mānoa has also been very successful at securing lucrative federal research grants. A National Science Foundation report ranked 糖心视频 Mānoa 51st among 689 public and private universities in federal R&D expenditures for fiscal year 2009. By comparison, the University of California Berkeley ranked 40th. This success comes from excellent faculty and staff at 糖心视频 conducting cutting-edge research, advancing the frontiers of knowledge and being entrepreneurial in their quest for research funding. To not only remain competitive, but also to surpass other top schools, 糖心视频 will need to continue to expand its research programs, and attract significantly more research funding.

The Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative (HI²) is an effort led by University of Hawaiʻi President M.R.C. Greenwood to more than double the 糖心视频 system’s extramural (outside) research funding from the current level of less than $500 million to an ambitious $1 billion per year by 2022. To meet the HI² goals, the university will need to identify its strengths in fields of study that are well funded—particularly by federal agencies—and to attract top faculty who are adept at securing extramural resources in these areas. To that end, the university plans to hire or develop 50 top scientists over the next decade.

Hawaiʻi should be encouraged by the success that other regions have experienced. In many ways similar to modern-day Hawaiʻi, San Diego in the 1960s was viewed as isolated, ill positioned for industry growth, and restricted by a narrow economy, composed primarily of real estate, tourism and the military. Using UC San Diego as a leverage point proved to be a sound strategy; today San Diego boasts a gross regional product of $175 billion and a population of 3 million people. Approximately 14 percent of San Diego’s economy is currently attributed to the research and technology industries, compared to only 3 percent in Hawaiʻi. The goal of HI² is to expand the research and technology portion of Hawaiʻi’s economic pie over the next decade by strengthening areas of proven excellence (astronomy and space sciences, ocean and earth sciences, health sciences), enhancing emerging strengths (clean energy, new agriculture, cancer research, pharmacology) and building up new areas (informatics and cyber infrastructure, diabetes and obesity research).

Building on Proven Areas of Excellence, Targeting Emerging Sectors

The University of Hawaiʻi system has already made significant strides nurturing world-class research, especially in the areas of astronomy and space sciences, ocean and earth sciences, and health sciences. To get an idea of what a world-class principal investigator (PI) means, consider the current research-funding situation. Eleven PIs across four fields account for 30 percent of the 糖心视频 system’s extramural funding. Over the past two years, four fields have generated $248 million in research funding—$65 million (six PIs in energy), $62 million (13 PIs in ocean sciences), $55 million (11 PIs in biomedical sciences), and $66 million (three PIs in cyber infrastructure). Recruiting additional research leaders can therefore have a disproportionately large effect on overall funding levels. If this is true for existing areas of strength, similar potential exists in emerging areas of federal funding.

Technology Transfer

Technology transfer is an important way in which university research spills over into the broader economy. 糖心视频 has struggled to effect high rates of technology transfer. An important goal of HI² is to advance the licensing and commercialization of 糖心视频 research. There are several examples of research initiatives ripe for commercialization. For example, 糖心视频 plans to be the first university in the world with dedicated rocket launch capability for satellites that are constructed and operated by its students and faculty. The , a research unit within 糖心视频 Mānoa, receives approximately $15 million a year and plans to launch these satellites from the island of Kauaʻi next fall. The Institute already partners with optics labs on instrumentation, data analysis and software development, creating tremendous potential here for related technology transfer. In the , corrosion research for the U.S. Navy and advanced tsunami research have the potential to be commercialized and patented through accelerated technology transfer. Within the highly productive , applied research currently accounts for only 10 percent of its $20-million to $30-million budget, and none of it is currently being commercialized.

Return on Investment: An Economic Analysis of HI²

While it is costly to recruit highly productive research scholars, the premise of HI² is that this investment will both pay for itself and produce increased economic activity in the form of extramural research expenditures, jobs, technology transfer and harder-to-quantify social benefits. The table here displays the net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR) for HI² under various assumptions about growth in extramural funds and the success of researchers. The baseline scenario assumes that each new PI costs $233,000/year plus a onetime startup cost of $1.2 million in laboratory equipment, research assistance and similar expenses. The incremental benefit from such hires is calculated as the difference between the total expected grant volume with and without HI², over and above the benefits accrued in past years. Based on the historical growth of federal R&D funds, we assume that the total existing grant volume will grow at a rate of 4 percent per year, and each new HI² PI will bring in an additional $1.5 million in annual extramural funds. These assumptions about PI costs and productivity are similar to some of 糖心视频 Mānoa’s recent high-profile recruits.

In the baseline scenario, the total grant volume grows to $737.6 million by FY2022, the NPV of HI² is $250.4 million, more than 13,000 jobs are attributed to the 糖心视频 system’s total research expenditures and the IRR for HI² is 96 percent. This is clearly an exceptional return on investment, and will result in more than 5,000 new jobs statewide.

Under our baseline assumptions, 糖心视频 will not reach the ambitious goal of $1 billion of research funding in the 10-year period we considered. Reaching that goal is largely dependent on how successful PIs are in conducting research and in attracting extramural funds. Over the past five fiscal years, the top five PIs in the 糖心视频 system have averaged almost $17 million per year in extramural funding. If 糖心视频 is able to recruit 10 top research faculty that achieve this level of success, while the remaining 40 faculty in the HI² plan meet our baseline assumptions, then the target of $1 billion in funding can be reached in just over 10 years. Obviously, the success of HI² PIs and the actual growth of research funds are highly uncertain. The table “Economic Return Scenarios for HI²” displays several more-conservative scenarios. These scenarios result in lower, but still impressive, rates of return on investment.

Beyond the large, positive expected return on investment—as high as 96 percent in the best-case scenario—other benefits include thousands of new jobs created in the state, new discoveries, and the development of new support businesses
and opportunities. These additional benefits generate a win-win outcome for both 糖心视频 and the state. Research activity requires support staff, equipment and materials, which, in turn, boost local businesses. Simultaneously, new businesses are nurtured by the Hawaiʻi research economy, and additional growth may result from technology transfer. In this way, the research industry amplifies investment into broader statewide benefits.

— This piece was contributed by the . 糖心视频ERO principal investigators: Inna Cintina (assistant specialist), Kimberly Burnett (associate specialist), and Carl Bonham (糖心视频ERO executive director and professor of economics. Research assistance by: Christopher Wada (post-doctoral researcher), James Jones (economic research specialist), Atsushi Shibata (graduate research assistant), Ben Trevino (database manager), and Natalie Schack (graphic design support).

News coverage featuring University of Hawaiʻi people, programs and activities for January 8–14, 2013 includes the following —

• January 14, 2013: – Hawaii News Now
• January 14, 2013: – KPUA
• January 13, 2013: (subscription required) – Honolulu Star-Advertiser
• January 13, 2013: (subscription required) – Honolulu Star-Advertiser
• January 13, 2013: (subscription required) – Honolulu Star-Advertiser
• January 13, 2013: – West Hawaii Today
• January 12, 2013: – Hawaii News Now
• January 12, 2013: – Hawaii Tribune-Herald
• January 12, 2013: (subscription required) – Honolulu Star-Advertiser
• January 12, 2013: – KHON 2
• January 11, 2013: – Astrobiology Magazine
• January 11, 2013: – Big Island Now
• January 11, 2013: – Hawaii News Now
• January 11, 2013: – Hawaii News Now
• January 11, 2013: (subscription required) – Honolulu Star-Advertiser
• January 11, 2013: – KHON 2
• January 11, 2013: – KHON 2
• January 10, 2013: – Big Island Now
• January 10, 2013: – Hawaii News Now
• January 10, 2013: – HONOLULU Magazine
• January 10, 2013: – Honolulu Star-Advertiser
• January 10, 2013: – The Maui News
• January 9, 2013: – The Garden Island
• January 9, 2013: – The Garden Island
• January 9, 2013: – Hawaii News Now
• January 9, 2013: – Hawaii Reporter
• January 9, 2013: – Honolulu Star-Advertiser
• January 9, 2013: – KITV 4
• January 8, 2013: – Civil Beat
• January 8, 2013: – Hawaii News Now
• January 8, 2013: – Honolulu Star-Advertiser
• January 8, 2013: – Honolulu Star-Advertiser
• January 8, 2013: (subscription required) – Honolulu Star-Advertiser
• January 8, 2013: – KITV 4

The University of Hawaiʻi’s outstanding research is the focus of a special tabloid insert in the January 11 issue of the .

highlights the or HI². This plan to develop Hawaiʻi’s research industry is important to the economic future of the state, generating significant investment, while supporting existing businesses and creating thousands of well paying jobs.

糖心视频 News will feature stories from the tabloid, and the tabloid can be viewed in its entirety on the .

Following is the cover story from the tabloid, “The Sky Is Not the Limit: The University of Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative Reaches for the Stars,” by David K. Choo.

Cover story

Last fall, Peter Arnade went to Kaimukī for a haircut and came home with a new perspective. Arnade, a history professor who had taught in California for the previous 20 years, had recently joined the as its new dean of the . He was having a pleasant conversation with his hairdresser when she offhandedly mentioned that, in a couple of weeks, she would be moving to Las Vegas, and she wasn’t happy about it.

“She told me that she was born and raised in Hawaiʻi but couldn’t afford to live here anymore,” says Arnade. “When I mentioned to her that I had recently relocated to the Islands to work at the university, she said: ‘Sure, you got one of those high-paying jobs that always goes to outsiders.’”

Arnade tried to explain that schools like 糖心视频 are global institutions, and they recruit nationally and internationally, but they serve their local communities. He wanted to tell her that the university’s impacts are far-reaching but often unseen, then decided to listen and learn more about his new home.

“I”d never had a conversation like that in any of the places I’ve studied or taught,” says Arnade. “She was polite but she was frustrated. It was a learning experience.”

Kick-Starting a New Economic Engine

A recent study shows that Hawaiʻi’s economy is dominated by sectors that offer limited potential for long-term improvements in the quality of life. The state’s traditional economic engines, tourism (19 percent of total employment) and the military/federal government (12 percent), contribute modest productivity growth. Over the past 20 years, military downsizing and shocks to the tourism industry have hit Hawaiʻi hard. While a record number of tourists visited the Islands in 2012, real visitor spending had been declining an average of 1 percent per year from 1989 to 2011. Overall, over the past 40 years, Hawaiʻi’s real gross domestic product per capita has grown by less than half that of the U.S. as a whole, a disappointing 0.7 percent average annual expansion. Such weak economic growth is indicative of an economy absent dynamic and high-performing industries, which means fewer higher-paying jobs.

Peter Quigley doesn’t like to hear stories about people leaving the Islands because of a lack of opportunity. He’s very familiar with the state’s lackluster economic performance, but he’s buoyed by other statistics that point to an alternative economic path: Over the past 10 years, extramural (outside) funding at the University of Hawaiʻi has increased more than 50 percent. In 2009, the National Science Foundation ranked 糖心视频 Mānoa 51st out of 689 public and private universities in research expenditures. The ranking puts it only 11 spots behind research heavyweight University of California Berkeley, and ahead of other revered institutions such as University of Oregon, Oregon State and Notre Dame. In addition, extramural funding for the University of Hawaiʻi hit a high of $489 million in 2011, during challenging economic times.

“People understand what UCLA is and what it stands for and what Cal is, but I don’t think they realize that their university—糖心视频—is in that same class,” says Quigley, a 糖心视频 assistant vice president. “The sky’s the limit in terms of what those research opportunities mean for jobs and the local economy.”

The university’s high ranking and big funding numbers took many by surprise, including people in the local business communities. However, they reflect the success the university has achieved in moving its research forward. What would happen with even more strategic attention?

Over the next several years, the university and the rest of the state will find the answer to that question. Quigley is executive director of the (HI²), a 10-year effort led by 糖心视频 President M.R.C. Greenwood to double the 糖心视频 system’s outside funding from $500 million to $1 billion per annum to build the state’s research industry.

Expanding the system’s research capabilities begins with people, and not just any people. HI² plans to hire and develop 50 world-class researchers over the next decade. Many of these scientists, also referred to as “principal investigators” (PIs), will contribute to 糖心视频’s areas of strength and/or opportunity, such as: astronomy and space sciences, clean energy, ocean and climate sciences, biomedical research, and informatics.

“There are only a few of these kinds of people in the world,” says Quigley. “A lot of them are currently at leading institutions in the world, so we have to convince them that moving to Hawaiʻi is good for their research and their academic careers.”

Last year, the initiative signed up the first of its 50 distinguished researchers, when Edward DeLong, a globally renowned microbial oceanographer from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and member of the National Academy of Sciences, agreed to relocate to Hawaiʻi. (See “Big Man on Campus” on page 14 of tabloid.) DeLong, who studies microbes and their many natural processes, will be setting up shop at 糖心视频 Mānoa in 2014.

“We can attract someone of the caliber of DeLong because he sees the great strength we have in his area and he sees tremendous opportunity,” says 糖心视频 Mānoa Chancellor Tom Apple.

It’s an opportunity that promises economic development and diversification. “The University of Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative is an effort we hope the community will support, because it could determine the future of the state,” says 糖心视频 President M.R.C. Greenwood.

Systemwide, Statewide

Much of the new research will likely be led by 糖心视频 Mānoa. The flagship campus is one of only 32 institutions in the nation with the distinction of being a land-, sea- and space-grant research institution. However, the effort will involve all 10 糖心视频 campuses and research assets statewide. A couple of PIs will likely be based at , which boasts the system’s only , among other areas of strength. The new labs at Mānoa, Hilo and elsewhere will need lab workers and other staff; the initiative is working with all campuses to build the human infrastructure that will be necessary to support a long-term, sustained effort. (See 鈥淲orkers
Wanted鈥� on page 39 of tabloid.)

According to 糖心视频 vice president for community colleges John Morton, the 糖心视频 system’s seven community colleges will be active players in HI². Over the past two years, the community colleges have received two workforce development grants from the U.S. Department of Labor, totaling more than $37 million. They are beefing up their STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs, so that they can help provide such a workforce. “We know what kind of skills will be necessary, and we’ll prepare them accordingly,” says Morton.

糖心视频 Mānoa’s Apple adds that the direct economic benefits from HI² will be significant, but the potential impact on the larger community can be multifaceted. “With much of the work involving Island issues and challenges, the results could change the way we live,” he says.

The university cannot carry out the initiative by itself. For instance, providing the necessary support of the resulting technologies will require the cooperation of the public and private sectors statewide. For this, the Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative is using San Diego and its economic development organization, CONNECT, as its models. CONNECT, developed in the 1980s, started with the University of California at San Diego and linked inventors and entrepreneurs with resources to develop ideas and innovations into viable businesses. In three decades, the organization has helped start more than 3,000 companies. As a result, San Diego, which, like Hawaiʻi, was dependent largely on tourism and the military for its economic growth, now has a booming research sector.

“The local business community has long recognized that research and innovation need to be a part of Hawaiʻi’s future,” says Gary Kai, executive director of the Hawaiʻi Business Roundtable. “We are very encouraged by the Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative, because, not only does it have a model that is wholly appropriate for Hawaiʻi, but it is also led by President Greenwood, a researcher herself, who has seen the impacts that great ideas and innovations have had in other communities.”

“Hawaiʻi needs a strong research university to fully realize the potential of our knowledge-based industries,” says Jeanne Unemori Skog, president and CEO of the Maui Economic Development Board and chair of the Economic Development Alliance of Hawaiʻi. “Investment in University of Hawaiʻi’s research could lead to a cure for skin cancer, unravel the mysteries of the sun or help feed a hungry world through breakthroughs in aquaculture. The possibilities
are endless, but we’ll never know unless we explore them,” she says.

Greenwood and Quigley have given presentations to groups across the state and are heartened by the responses they have received, especially from 糖心视频 graduates, who are surprised and proud of their school’s prominence in the research world. However, Quigley is really looking forward to reaching out to those outside the university community—people like the Kaimukī hairdresser.

“I’d like to tell people like her that the school down the street, the one that you drive by all the time, is one of those places where knowledge is not only taught but created,” says Quigley. “I’d like to tell her that, at 糖心视频, she and her kids don’t have to move away to study with some of the smartest people in the world. More importantly, they don’t have to move away to become some of the smartest people in the world.

The University of Hawaiʻi presents 糖心视频 News on OCSports. Narrated by 糖心视频 students, the four-and-a-half minute segments air on the OCSports channel during 糖心视频 sporting events.

November stories

• (narrated by 糖心视频 Mānoa student Mark Rulona)
• (narrated by 糖心视频 Mānoa student Leon Sheen)
• (narrated by 糖心视频 Mānoa student Emilie Howlett)
• (narrated by 糖心视频 Mānoa student Keliʻi Alapai)

糖心视频 News on OCSports highlights University of Hawaiʻi programs systemwide.

To view more segments go to the .

糖心视频’s Innovation Initiative is talking real money

—Managing Editor’s Notebook by Jim George published in the September 21, 2012 issue of

“A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking real money.”

That famous quote, attributed to the late U.S. Sen. Everett McKinley Dirksen, may well be an urban legend. The Dirksen Congressional Center says there’s no record of the Republican senator from Illinois ever coining that phrase to express his disdain for federal spending.

But it’s a good one. And, despite the implied sarcasm, a billion dollars is still real money if it’s in the right place for the right reasons.

Peter Quigley knows this. As executive director of the , he has his sights set on one billion dollars. That’s the amount of money he wants 糖心视频 to attract in federal research grants within the next eight to 10 years.

糖心视频 already is about halfway to that goal. During a two-year period — fiscal years 2010 and 2011 — 86 糖心视频 researchers, known as principal investigators, each received awards of at least $1 million for an approximate total of $456 million. Eleven researchers accounted for about 30 percent of that total.

In a 2009 report, 糖心视频 ranked 51st out of 689 public and private universities in research expenditures. That sounds good, but Quigley thinks 糖心视频 can do much better.

His goal is to build a research culture at 糖心视频 and a research industry in Hawaii. To do that he needs to attract world-class principal investigators who can generate $5 million to $20 million apiece in federal grants by building teams of researchers that can execute those grants. He believes that, despite possible cuts in federal spending, the money is out there, as are the researchers. Some are already here and Quigley hints that others may be on the way next year.

Quigley talks about “front-loading the talent” — attracting the researchers to Hawaiʻi before all the infrastructure is in place. Facilities such as the new Cancer Research Center and the Mauna Kea telescopes certainly help, but researchers will follow a winner, especially if Hawaiʻi’s lifestyle is part of the mix.

Quigley’s business model is San Diego Connect, a program that began at the University of California San Diego in the mid-1980s that it says has assisted in the formation and development of more than 3,000 companies. The key to its success, according to its website, has been the “unique culture of collaboration between industry, capital sources, professional service providers and research organizations.”

Research means jobs. One estimate suggests that a $20 million federal research grant can create 400 well-paying jobs. 糖心视频 President M.R.C. Greenwood has asked the 糖心视频 Economic Research Organization to develop a more precise formula, and 糖心视频ERO Executive Director Carl Bonham says he’ll have one by year’s end.

Quigley is not alone in his quest for a billion dollars. Greenwood has a rich history of scientific research and funding and has been pushing the concept of 糖心视频 as a predominant research university since she arrived three years ago. She, Quigley and others have been on the speaking circuit, showing how the San Diego model could lead to a Hawaii Connect. The Hawaii Business Roundtable, a group of top executives at Hawaiʻi’s largest businesses, was a recent audience.

The Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative is worth noting as a state Senate committee prepares to hold hearings next week on what has been dubbed the “Wonder Blunder” — an ill-fated attempt by the 糖心视频 Athletics Department to hold a Stevie Wonder fundraising concert and the disappearance of $200,000 that even the FBI can’t find. Whether the hearings are political posturing or a sincere attempt at uncovering some answers is not the point.

The point is that we’re spending a lot of time and energy focusing on a missing $200,000. That time and energy would be better invested in finding ways to build a billion-dollar research and innovation industry for Hawaiʻi.

Then we would be talking real money.

—Reprinted with permission from Pacific Business News

Each year, the pumps about half a billion dollars in outside money, mostly for research, into the state economy.

“I would say we are in the top quartile of public research universities in this country and for a state with a population of only 1.5 million it is a remarkable accomplishment,” said University of Hawaiʻi President M.R.C. Greenwood. However, she and the university are far from satisfied. The school has just embarked on an effort to double that amount to a billion dollars a year. It’s called the or HI squared.

“We can show that when we are successful at bringing the research industry into Hawaiʻi we create not only knowledge and opportunities for our students and faculty, but we actually create jobs and we improve the economics of the state,” said Greenwood.

The plan is to use public and private money to hire 50 internationally known, successful researchers over the next five years. Greenwood says as the researchers generate more knowledge and information and their ideas are proven to be useful, it could create new business opportunities in Hawaiʻi.

The Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative is modeled after a highly successful program at the University of California San Diego and is targeting researchers in three strategic areas.

“We will strengthen and work to build the areas we know we are good at but know we could be great—new agriculture, health sciences, diabetes and obesity,” said Greenwood.

“Then looking at gap areas, where we need people in areas we don’t currently have,” said Greenwood. She cited informatics or the science of processing data as an example of a gap area.

The third area is where the University of Hawaiʻi is already an international leader like ocean and earth sciences and astronomy. Greenwood strongly believes the initiative will have a lasting impact on the entire state.

“Because it’s going to create jobs, it’s going to create a future for our children and because it will hopefully place us as leaders in areas where we need research for the future, like energy, sustainability, certain health areas and a dominant position in some of the physical sciences,” said Greenwood.

糖心视频 leadership is currently meeting with community groups and organizations along with business and political leaders to explain and lobby for the initiative. For Greenwood, the bottom line is clear.

“This is an effort you can support, you should support, because it could determine the future of the state,” said Greenwood.

糖心视频 hopes to start bringing in the first of the new, world class researchers in 2013.