Media Advisory: Workshops and Expo Will Showcase UB's Vital Community Partnerships at UB Partners Day

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- An expo, workshops and awards luncheon at UB Partners Day on June 13 will highlight how the University at Buffalo is working with industry and community partners to improve the quality of life in Western New York.

Media can attend to learn how one local visual effects company is using UB's supercomputing resources to craft sophisticated animations, or how UB and a coalition of regional partners are helping manufacturers find a competitive edge through new products, new markets and streamlined operations.

The scheduled luncheon keynote speaker is Bruce Katz, vice president at the Brookings Institution and founding director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program. Katz, who is advising Gov. Andrew Cuomo on economic development in Buffalo and across the state, will speak on the topic, "What's happening with the $1 billion for Buffalo challenge?"

Partners Day will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 13, at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center at 153 Franklin St. in Buffalo.

An agenda, along with a list of workshop presenters and expo exhibits, are available at http://www.buffalo.edu/businessengagement/News/Events/index.php.

Partners Day highlights include:

Workshops

8:30-9:10 a.m. Learn how university partnerships have helped local company technology firm Applied Sciences Group (ASG) grow. ASG has developed UB inventions into commercial products, and the firm offers a compelling example of how small businesses can take advantage of UB resources.

9:30-10:10 a.m. Hear how local company IBC Digital, which creates animations for feature films, commercials and TV shows, has leveraged UB supercomputing resources to build a system for rapidly rendering computer animations. The presentation will include a showing of several animations resulting from the collaboration.

10:30-11:10 a.m. Discover the Western New York Renaissance Project, a new program that helps the region's manufacturers find a competitive edge in a global economy. Through the project, UB, Empire State Development, Erie County, the Erie County Industrial Development Agency and Buffalo Niagara Partnership provide innovative analysis to help companies identify new products, new markets and new ways to streamline operations.

Awards Luncheon

Noon to 1:30 p.m. This year's Partners Day luncheon will feature a keynote address by Brookings Institution Vice President Bruce Katz, as well as the presentation of the following awards:

-- Vital Partner Award to Kaleida Health: Kaleida Health and UB have partnered for many years to improve medical research and care in Western New York. In May, the two organizations opened a $291 million building downtown that houses the new Gates Vascular Institute and Clinical and Translational Research Center. Kaleida Health physicians and UB researchers will share the 10-story space with the Jacobs Institute and UB Biosciences Incubator, delivering clinical care, studying the causes and treatments of an array of diseases, and spurring new biotechnology companies.

-- University Community Partners Award to UB John and Frances Larkin Professor of Chemistry Joseph A. Gardella and Buffalo Public Schools: Gardella and the district head the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Partnership (ISEP), a $10 million program funded largely by the National Science Foundation to encourage hands-on laboratory and field work in science classes. ISEP provides about 60 teachers a year with interdisciplinary, research-based professional development opportunities, along with a network of supporters to staff activities in class and after school. Buffalo State College and the Buffalo Museum of Science are core ISEP partners.

-- Faculty Entrepreneur Award to Associate Professor of Chemistry David G. Hangauer: Hangauer is co-founder of Kinex Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of next-generation therapies for cancer and immunomodulatory diseases. Hangauer developed a combinatorial synthetic chemistry technology that is critical to computer-aided drug design. The synthetic chemistry process and compounds generated from this process are patented and licensed by SUNY Research Foundation to Kinex Pharmaceuticals.

-- Reaching Others Award to New York State Lieutenant Governor Robert (Bob) J. Duffy: Duffy chaired the Regional Economic Development Councils, designed to help develop regional strategic plans that would spur new job creation and investment. In a letter to Gov. Cuomo and Lt. Gov. Duffy, the regional chairs wrote that success came from the unprecedented public participation; the independent, community-based process for ideas; and the opportunity for each region to determine its own priorities.