North Dakota Centers of Excellence Summit in Fargo, North Dakota on May 27 -- Mark Nisbet

YOU ARE INVITED!



May 27, 2010



9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Summit – includes lunch



NDSU Downtown

Richard H. Barry Hall

811 2nd Ave. N., Fargo



North Dakota Centers of Excellence will continue to help us build our future with innovation and productive partnerships between our university system and the private sector.



Join Governor John Hoeven, state legislators, and university and business leaders as we celebrate the successes the Centers have already brought to North Dakota, and strategize about how our university system and businesses can build on those successes going forward.



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Featured speakers:

G. Michael Alder

Chairman, National Centers of Excellence

G. Michael Alder is Director of the Office Technology Transfer, for Brigham Young University and the Chairman of National Centers of Excellence. In the last nine years he co-founded nine technology based businesses and overall has more than 35 years of experience in leading technology based start up companies. Mr. Alder came to North Dakota early in 2006 to share best practices from successful Centers across the country. He will return to the state for this Summit to provide recommendations on how we can propel our Centers to new levels of success.



Nathaniel Ambler and Ken Harmon

Virginia Tech University

Ken Harmon currently serves as the Director of graduate and research programs in Systems Engineering, Technology Management and Industrial Engineering at Virginia Tech. Nate Ambler currently serves as spacecraft systems engineer for the U.S. Government in the Washington D.C. area and previously served as the director of the Science Operations Center, at the University of North Dakota directing the project formerly known as AgCam with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Mr. Ambler and Mr. Harmon have researched how local, national, and international competition drives the need for innovation and entrepreneurship. They believe North Dakota has the ability to develop a strategy that will maximize the state’s natural resources while developing its knowledge-based economy, ultimately helping the nation turn the current increasing trade deficits back to firm trade surpluses.



Dr. Phillip Singerman

Senior Vice President, B&D Consulting

Dr. Phillip Singerman is the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development and member of the Board of the State Science and Technology Institute. Dr. Singerman is a recognized national innovator whose 30-year career includes positions in the public — local, state, and federal levels — and private sectors. Dr. Singerman will provide information about how the Pennsylvania Ben Franklin Partnership, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, the Georgia Research Alliance, and the Kansas Bioscience Authority are models of sustainable, accountable, and effective programs.



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There is no cost for any of the day’s events, but please register so we can plan for your attendance.



Free parking will be available at the Fargo Civic Center Lot located on 2nd Street just north of 1st Avenue North. Shuttle service to Barry Hall will be provided from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and again following the event.



Please RSVP to Susan Gernhardt:

susan.c.gernhardt@xcelenergy.com │ 701-241-8604







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