2012 ERC Annual Meeting Presentations

2012 ERC Annual Meeting Presentations

National Science Foundation Engineering Research Centers

NSF ERC 2012 Annual Meeting

November 13-16, 2012

Hyatt Regency Bethesda

Note: All files are PDFs unless otherwise noted.

WEDNESDAY, November 13, 2012

E&O Directors’ Conclave (Organizers: Mary Poats, Carole Read, NSF)
Focus: Role of innovation in all ERCs; outlining the revised chapter on Education Best Practices with assignments; opportunity to network

Admin Directors Financial Subgroup meeting (Pre-meeting organizer: Barb Kenny, NSF. Chair, Tonia McCarley, CBiRC ERC )
Focus: Developing a standard spreadsheet format for ERC money reporting tables

ILOs’ Mini-Retreat (Organizer: Deborah Jackson, NSF; Co-chairs: Seth Crossno, FREEDM; and Bernadeta Wysocka, MIRTHE)
Focus: Entrepreneurship, centersustainability

 

“Perfect Pitch” Student Competition

Co-moderators: Deborah Jackson (NSF) and Portia Taylor (former QoLT SLC president and now Fellow, Social Security Administration)
Judges: Edward Clancy, Advanced Cooling Technology Applications; Ayman Fawaz, Siemens Luiz Da Silva, IntelaMetrix; Mike Mueller, Consultant; Marco Rubin, Exoventure; Mick Stadler, Cerion Energy;

Welcoming Remarks and Instructions – Deborah Jackson

Student pitches (17 @ 90 seconds + 4 min scoring)

 

New Center Orientation – New-ERC Directors/Deputy Directors

Co-moderators: Richard Luthy (ReNUWIt), Yilu Liu (CURENT)

Welcoming Remarks and Introductions –

Drs. Greg Carman, Roger Bonnecaze, and Veena Misra introduce their 3 new 2012 ERCs

Directors of four 2011 ERCs on experiences and lessons learned in the first year of starting up an ERC. Topics to include:
Leadership and team-building; Strategic planning; Operations; Integrating research into innovation and education

Discussion and Wrap-Up

 

New Center Orientation – New-ERC Administrative Directors/Financial Managers

Co-moderators: Lois Deve (RMB), Jill Weinberg (CSNE)

Welcoming Remarks and Introductions – Jill Weinberg

New ADs Introductions – Lois Dalton Deve

ADs from two ERCs recount experiences and lessons learned – Lois Deve and Jill Weinberg

NSF Perspective – Marshall Horner (NSF)

New Center Orientation – New-ERC Industrial Liaison Officers

Co-moderators: Bernadeta Wysocka (MIRTHE), Seth Crossno (FREEDM)

Welcoming Remarks and Introductions

What NSF expects of Gen-3 ERCs and ILOs – Erik Sander (former ERC ILO and Founding Director, U. of Florida Engineering Innovation Institute)

“Speed Dating” one-on-one Q&A – Panelists: Peter Keeling (CBiRC) Rad Roberts (CSNE), Joseph Montemarano (MIRTHE), Seth Crossno (FREEDM), Bernadeta Wysocka (MIRTHE), Erik Sander as resource

New Center Orientation – New-ERC University Education Program Directors

Co-moderators: Penny Jeffrey (FREEDM), Chien-fei Chen (CURENT)

Welcoming Remarks and Introductions – Penny Jeffrey and Chien-fei Chen

Overview of strategic planning for University Education programs (distribute notecards for best practices in strategic planning)  – Penny Jeffrey and Chien-fei Chen

Implementing the Center-specific Hypothesis (Design Paradigm) on Educating Creative and Innovative Engineers – Penny Jeffrey and Chien-fei Chen with Dr. Gigi Ragusa (BMES)

Discuss ideas from notecards   (All)   

Design strategic planning process map intended for distribution to all ERCs  (All)  – Dr. Dan Ding and Dr. Reid Simmons (QoLT)

Wrap-up – Penny Jeffrey and Chien-fei Chen

 

New Center Orientation – New-ERC Pre-college Education Program Directors

Co-moderators: Lisa Grable (FREEDM), Joe Cocozza (BMES)

Welcoming Remarks and Quick Introductions

Building Vibrant Pre-College Programs: What Works and What Doesn’t… 
Discussion and Questions from new Centers. Sharing of Precollege E&O survey results. 

  • Partnerships: Practices that make strong partnerships with K-12 schools
  • Teacher Recruitment: To get teacher buy-in for your program.
  • High school students: To recruit students for your program.
  • Assessment: How to Make It More Effective Yet (Relatively) Painless
  • Reporting: The Must-Haves for Your Annual Report and Site Visit Presentation
    and much more to consider....

New ERCs: Reflection and planning
 Pre-2012 ERCs: Networking and break

New Centers report: What have you heard that you might use for your precollege program? What have you heard that you had not considered before?

 

New Center Orientation – New-ERC Research Thrust Leaders

Co-moderators: James Smith (MIRTHE), Robert Davis (CBiRC)

Welcoming Remarks and Introductions – James Smith

Overview and Lessons Learned – Review Best Practices chapter (led by James Smith)

Thrust Leader’s Role in Strategic Planning – Robert Davis

Testbeds and Systems Integration – James Smith

 

New Center Orientation – New-ERC Students

Co-moderators: Satish Singh (RMB), Gopi Krishna Vijaya (QESST)

Welcoming Remarks and Introductions – Co-moderators

What is the role of the SLC in a successful ERC? “The few, the proud, the SLC” (Matthew Fraser, QESST)
– includes 10 min Q&A

SLC Management 101 – SWOT Analysis, Budgets, Reports, etc. (Shivayogi Hiremath, QoLT)
– includes 10 min Q&A

Effectively Communicating ERC Activities and Accomplishments: SLC newsletters and websites (Da-Tren Chou, RMB)
– includes 10 min Q&A

 

Plenary Session I: NSF Session
Moderator: Lynn Preston, NSF

Welcome & Meeting Plan – Lynn Preston & Court Lewis

Welcome from the Division Director – Dr. Theresa Maldonado

NSF & ERC Program Update including Introduction of New Centers and Reflections on Graduating Centers – Lynn Preston

 

Speaker: Dr. Tina Seelig (Exec. Director, EPICenter) on “Innovation and
Creativity”
Introduction by Dr. Theresa Maldonado, NSF

 

Breakout Session I: Open Discussion Workshops on Selected Topics

Facilitators: Jack Whalen (BMES), Court Lewis (NSF)

Topic: Sustaining an ERC after graduation
Subtopics: 1) Timing and coordination of activities (when to start, roles in planning, etc.).
2) Reviewing programs critically to prioritize what to keep and what to drop in the transition to graduation.
3) Strategic planning to identify and commit post-graduation stakeholders (e.g. university admin, industry partners, faculty and staff, partner institutions, donors, etc.)

CD/DDs, ILOs, FTLs, E&Os, DIV, SLC

No speakers
But: Michael Silevitch (Director of the graduated Gordon-CenSSIS, Northeastern University) will phone in opening remarks

 

Main scribe: Brad Bohlmann (CCEFP)
Additional scribes: Harvey Borovetz (RMB), Joe Montemarano (MIRTHE)

Session Notes

Facilitators: Nasser Peyghambarian (CIAN), Doug Hausner (CSOPS)

Topic: Facilitating stronger student/industry engagement
Subtopics: (1) Activities internal within the ERC (e.g., student profile book for industry partners, SLC lecture series; (2) ERC–IAB direct interactions (e.g., student Industry mentorship program, IAB Education Working Group); (3) External activities and interactions with the professional community and the public (e.g., student participation at ERC trade show exhibits, professional society participation and networking)

ILOs, E&Os, CD/DDs, IND, SLC

No speakers

 

Main scribe: Wayne Book (CCEFP)
Additional scribes: Greg Carman (TANMS), Da-Tren Chou (RMB)

Session Notes

Facilitators: Lisa Wissbaum (CCEFP), Richard Luthy (ReNUWIt)

Topic: How to improve internal center communica-tion and data-sharing
Subtopics: (1) Center data collection/management options, including the "Project Center" (Dave Beck sits in); (2) Identify Center barriers to effective communications; (3) Brainstorm ERC organizational structure(s) in anticipation of sustainability; (4) Share best technologies for multi-institutional sharing (digital & communication technologies such as Google, Adobe, SharePoint, Web Teleconferencing, etc.)

ADs, CD/DDs, FTLs

No speakers

 

Main scribe: Tonia McCarley (CBiRC)
Additional scribes: Alan Kost (CIAN), Ray Hughes (CURENT), Eric Chudler (CSNE)

Session Notes

Facilitators: Mary Goldberg (QoLT), Carole Read (NSF)

Topic: The ERC Education Roadmap
Subtopics: by type of program: (1) RET, (2) REU, (3) Young Scholars, (4) University education. For each, (a) relate your education/outreach program to your guiding hypothesis (or if the ERC is Gen-2, how to make it integrated with the research and mission of the center); and (b) strategies to set up the program for sustainability

E&Os, FTLs, DIV, CD/DDs, SLC

No speakers

 

Main scribe: Alyssa Burger (CCEFP)
Additional scribes: Ken Connor (Smart Lighting), Adah Leshem (CBiRC), Mary Goldberg (QoLT)

Facilitators: Peter Keeling (CBiRC), Deborah Jackson (NSF)

Topic: Nurturing the Innovation Ecosystem: Commercialization Pathways
Subtopics: (1) Opportunity Recognition (discuss and agree on proposals to help faculty and students identify opportunities for commercialization); (2) Embracing Risk (discuss and agree on proposals to address risk in the context of commercialization and industry members; (3) Finding Funding (discuss and agree on proposals to address early stage funding to support commercialization)

ILOs, CD/DDs, FTLs, E&Os, SLCs

No speakers

 

Main scribe: Apoorva Bajaj (CASA)
Additional scribes: Eric Knapp (CASA), Rory Cooper (QoLT)

Session Notes

 

Plenary Session II: “ERCs: Maximum Impact” (#1 of 2 sessions)
Moderator: Carole Read, NSF

Brief, high-impact “Who We Are and What We Do” presentations from the 10 ERCs in the Energy, Sustainability & Infrastructure and Manufacturing clusters: 1 new NERC (7 min) and 9 existing ERCs (3 min each)
Order: NASCENT, Smart Lighting, ReNUWIt, QESST, FREEDM, CURENT, CCEFP, CBiRC, SynBERC, CSOPS

Informal networking with 10 presenting centers (Open House” tables) and their posters (presented by students)

 

THURSDAY, November 15, 2012

 

Plenary Session III: Improving ERC Diversity
Moderator: Theresa Maldonado, EEC Division Director, NSF

Plan for the Day – Court Lewis

Report on an ERC Diversity Study – Theresa Maldonado& Brooke Coley (AAAS Fellow, NSF/ENG)

Panel: Toward Greater Diversity in ERCs
Panelists: Mr. Enrique Ainsworth (Director, UCLA Center for Excellence for Engineering Diversity); Ms. Diane Matt (Exec. Director, WEPAN); Dr. Amir Mirmiran (Dean, College of Engineering and Computing, Florida International University)

 

Student Retreat
Organizers: Eric Shiue and Aditya Kunjapur, SynBERC SLC (Kate Spohr, E&O Director))

Morning Session (NSF PDs are invited to attend the entire Retreat)

SLC Introductions and Welcome

Welcome & remarks by Lynn Preston, NSF ERC Program Leader

Continuing new-ERC SLC orientation: Panel Q&A [panel TBD]

Break

Draft revisions to Student Leadership Council Best Practices Chapter

Working Lunch – Designing the Student Lounge on the New ERC Association Website – Court Lewis (NSF communications consultant)

Innovation and Entrepreneurship –Albert Mach, PhD, Biomedical Engineering, UCLA, winner of the 2011 Collegiate Inventors Competition; and Marco Rubin (Managing Partner, Exoventure, Inc.)

 

Center Directors’ & Deputy Directors’ Closed Meeting

Co-moderators:  Fernando Muzzio (CSOPS), Jim Osborn (QoLT)

Welcoming remarks and introductions, agenda overview

Discussion of topics to be addressed with NSF

Plan to Update the ERC Leadership Best Practices chapter — Mr. Jim Williams (Consultant, SciTech Communications)

Time with Lynn Preston and Theresa Maldonado

Working lunch – A method for carrying out systems integration in an ERC – Alex Huang (Director, FREEDM Systems Center) & Mr. Steve Pullins (CEO, Horizon Energy)

Break

Discussion: avoiding burnout of leadership,
faculty, students, staff – Fernando Muzzio

Discussion: strategies and planning for self-sufficiency – Jim Osborn

 

Administrative Directors’ Closed Meeting

Co-moderators: Tonia McCarley (CBiRC), Diane Veros (Smart Lighting)

Welcoming remarks and introductions, agenda overview

Possible topics: REU program administration; ERC data template; residuals and reporting

Tentative: Continue organizing Best Practices Ch. 6 revision via Wiki

Working lunch: The ERC Project Center: A new approach to ERC data collection and management – Dave Beck, Beck Creative

Time with Lynn Preston, Theresa Maldonado, Shalika Walton, Marshall Horner, Gwen Hardenbergh, and Kim Bub & Maria Valerio (DGA)

 

Industrial Liaison Officers’ Closed Meeting

Co-moderators: John Mitchell (QESST), Robert Bower (EUV), Brad Bohlmann (CCEFP)

Self-introductions, agenda overview

Quick review of questions for NSF and preparation for visit

Time with Lynn Preston, Theresa Maldonado, and Deborah Jackson

Working lunch – Speaker: Speaker and Presentation on Leveraging External Funding (Susan Ward, President of ITECS Innovative Consulting)

Speaker:  Utilizing the SBIR/STTR program to recruit small businesses into ERCs (Sharon Ballard, President/CEO,
EnableVentures, Inc.

 

Diversity and Education/Outreach Program Directors’ Closed Meeting

Co-moderators: Delia Saenz (QESST), Brooke Coley (AAAS Fellow)

Welcoming remarks and introductions, agenda overview

ERC Diversity Panel – Frances Williams (CIAN), Devdas Pai (RMB) & Paula Sturdevant-Rees (CASA)

Working lunch – Results of diversity SWOT survey and overall analysis (Brooke Coley)

Time with Theresa Maldonado, Lynn Preston, Deborah Jackson, Carole Read, Mary Poats, Esther Bolding & Bruce Kramer, and Keith Roper, NSF

Work on Diversity Best Practices chapter – led by Brooke Coley

 

Research Thrust Leaders’ Closed Meeting

Co-moderators: Thomas Little (Smart Lighting), Maria Tamargo (MIRTHE)

Welcoming remarks and introductions, agenda overview

Brainstorming/prioritization/SWOT or equivalent

Breakouts on identified challenges

Working lunch – reporting on breakouts

Time with Dominique Dagenais, Keith Roper, Leon Esterowitz & Carole Read (NSF PDs)

 

Breakout Session II: Cross-function Discussion Sections

Co-moderators: Claire Gmachl (MIRTHE), Kaarin Goncz (EUV)

Topic: Sustaining education (especially precollege) programs after graduation

CD/DDs, E&Os, DPDs, FTLs, SLCs, NSF PD
(DPD=Diversity Program Director)

Speakers: Claire Duggan (K-12 Outreach Director, Gordon-CenSSIS ERC), Claire Gmachl, Kaarin Goncz

Scribe: Kate Spohr (SynBERC)

Session Notes

 

Co-moderators: Kevin Tomsovic (CURENT), Tom Daniel (CSNE)

Topic: Fostering Social Acceptance of Technology

CD/DDs, FTLs, NSF PD

Introductory remarks: Dr. Sara Goering (Medical Ethics and Philosophy, U. Washington), Kevin Tomsovic and Tom Daniel

Panel: Richard Luthy (ReNUWIt), Rich Schulz (QoLT), Brenda Philips (CASA), Jay Keasling (SynBERC-MIT)

Scribe: Kevin Costa (SynBERC)

Co-moderators: Peter Seoane (RMB), Tim Day (Daylight Solutions–MIRTHE]

Topic: IAB Involvement in ERCs: Assessing and Strengthening the Role (is the role of the IAB still effective? is the SWOT still effective? industry’s role in education for innovation; metrics for their involvement; improving communication with industrial partners to facilitate collaboration)

ILOs, IND, CD/DDs, FTLs, NSF PD

Speakers: [IAB chairs from 13 ERCs will be in attendance]

Overview of strengths and successes in IAB collaboration identified by ERCs in survey

 

Scribes: Sylvia Mioc (Smart Lighting) and Jorge Rocca (EUV)

Session Notes






Co-moderators: Rogelio Sullivan (FREEDM), Delia Saenz (QESST)

Topic: Barriers to improving diversity at ERCs and ways to overcome them; raising the visibility of this issue in the ERC

DPDs, CD/DDs, E&Os, ADs, FTLs, SLCs, NSF PD

Speakers: Brooke Coley (NSF)–Impacts of NSF’s Graduate Research Diversity Supplements; Tracey E. Ray, PhD (Executive Director of STEM Advancement, North Carolina State University); Daphne Rainey-Wittich, PhD (Executive Director of STEM Advancement, North Carolina A&T); Anthony Johnson, PhD (Director, Center for Advanced Photonics, Univ. of Maryland-Baltimore County)

Scribe: Roxanne Zellin (MIRTHE)

Session Notes

 

Plenary Session IV: “ERCs: Maximum Impact” (#2 of 2 sessions)
Moderator: Deborah Jackson, NSF

Brief, high-impact “Who We Are and What We Do” presentations from the 10 ERCs in the Bioengineering & Health Care and Micro/Optoelectronics clusters: 2 new NERCs (7 min each) and 8 existing ERCs (3 min each)
Order: ASSIST, QoLT, CSNE, RMB, BMES, TANMS, CIAN, EUV, MIRTHE, CASA

Informal networking with 10 presenting centers (Open House” tables) and their posters (presented by students)

 
FRIDAY, November 16, 2012
 

Breakout Session III:

Co-moderators: Christiana Honsberg (QESST) & Lynn Preston (NSF)
Topics: critical issues in testbed management:
- Leveraging the testbeds as a interface with industry
- Funding structure for testbeds
- Promoting safety in the testbeds
- Integration of technical staff supporting testbeds into Center community and university personnel structure
- How does the applied research demonstration of a testbed fit into student education and degree programs?

Energy, Sustainability & Infrastructure
(all staff of 5 centers: FREEDM, Smart Lighting, QESST, CURENT, ReNUWIt)

Speakers: Each ERC presents testbed quad chart

Robert Karlicek (SLERC)

Scribe: Mariesa Crow (FREEDM)

Session Notes

Co-moderators: Brent Shanks (CBiRC) & Carole Read (NSF)

Topic: Center’s role in the manufacturing value chain, esp. vis-a-vis member firms

Manufacturing
(all staff of 5 centers: CCEFP, SynBERC, CSOPS, CBiRC, NASCENT)

Speaker: Brent Shanks (CBiRC example)

Scribe: Raj Dave (CSOPS)

Session Notes

 

Co-moderators: Jag Sankar (RMB) & Keith Roper (NSF)

Topic: Connecting with the wider world in a bigger way (media, education, the community, etc.); International collaboration; FDA standards-setting; biomedical data privacy issues

Biotechnology and Health Care cluster (all staff of 5 centers: QoLT, RMB, BMES, CSNE, ASSIST)

Speakers: Keith Roper (intro); Kristen Sabol (QoLT’s successful media strategy); Jag Sankar (overview of ERC-RMB’s international research and education partnerships); CSNE (security of confidential bioinformation)

Scribe: William Wagner (RMB)

Co-moderators: David McLaughlin (CASA) & Deborah Jackson (NSF)

Topic: Integrating more fully with industrial partners to advance commercialization

Microelectronics, Sensing, and Information Technology (all staff of 5 centers: CIAN, EUV, CASA, MIRTHE, TANMS)

Speakers: David McLaughlin (CASA-DFW collaboration); Claire Gmachl (MIRTHE/Daylight Systems Collaboration); Lloyd LaCombe (CIAN-Gigoptix Collaboration); Henry Kapteyn(EUV-KMLabs Collaboration)

Scribe: Carmen Menoni (EUV)

Session Notes

 

 

Plenary Session V: Spotlight on Students
Moderator: Carole Read, NSF

ERC Students: The Heart of a CenterLynn Preston

Student Retreat Reporting-out – Eric Shiue, SynBERC SLC

Student System-level Testbed #1 – Light and health circadian rhythm testbed at the Smart Lighting ERC (Jiaxiang Zhang, Ph.D. student, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)

Student System-level Testbed #2 – Off-the-grid radar student-run CASA testbed (Jorge Trabal, PhD candidate, U. Mass-Amherst and Jose Ortiz, M.S. student, UPRM)

Student System-level Testbed #3 – Biodegradability testbed for revolutionizing metallic biomaterials at the RMB ERC (Leon White, Ph.D. Student, NCAT) and Hector Carmona (REU, Cal State-LA)

Farewell Remarks – Dr. Tom Peterson, ENG AD, NSF

“Perfect Pitch” prize winner presentation & awards announced by Tom Peterson

Perfect Pitch 1st prize winner presents his/her Pitch

Photo opportunity for winners

 
Plenary Session VI: Wrap-up

Meeting Feedback & Action Items – Lynn Preston and Court Lewis