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| MATR Newsletter - Tue Sep 1, 2009 |
"I believe everyone knows that the United States has slipped to the second tier of ranked countries and appears poised to fall into the third tier unless we take action." UM President George Dennison-- State of the University of Montana : "President Dennison says universities must lead the way out of economic downturn" http://matr.net/articl ... .html
Glacier Raft and Outdoor Center
Montana Matters - What you can do to help guide the future of Montana
- Glacier Outdoor Center Is Preping for winter
I know winter is still a couple of months off, but we are starting our prep for our ski trail system.
Idaho National Laboratory
- "Montana Matters" - Inaugural Benefit Concert With Shane Clouse, 9/18, Missoula
The Montana Matters campaign aims to preserve Montana’s rich and storied past, its vibrant history as the embodiment of the Wild West, while at the same time ensuring the state’s abundant wildlife and magnificent forests, fields, lakes and streams are preserved for generations to come.
The Burton K. Wheeler Center
- Idaho National Laboratory tunnel detector could help shut down smugglers' routes
As security along the border has tightened recently, smuggling and human trafficking have gone increasingly underground, making good tunnel-detection technology more and more necessary.
Come Home Montana
- Conference to discuss media in Montana
“Fair and effective public policy can be crafted only with the help of an informed public.”
Come Home Oregon
- Pat Williams recalls Teddy Kennedy in Montana
“Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for this next cowboy. He is the brother of presidential candidate John F. Kennedy. Here, out of chute number six, is Ted Kennedy on Skyrocket.”
- ‘The Art of Nothing' - Pony, Montana man hones survival skills with Stone Age techniques
Elpel and eight other people will exist for a month, limiting themselves to possessions that would have been available to Stone Age man. Each participant is bringing 10 pounds of food they dried themselves, earthen pots and buckskin clothing.
- Sidney, Montana Health Center to search for new primary care physician
“It’s never good to lose a doctor,” Haraldson said. But making sure the emergency room is staffed is vital for local health care. “That’s a big commitment we have as a health facility to the community.”
- Montana Career Opportunity - PTAC Sub Center Manager – Missoula, MT
The Montana Procurement Technical Assistance Program is looking for a qualified individual to administer and manage its hosted PTAC Sub Center in Missoula, MT.
Developing Tech Jobs in Rural Communities
- Portland's buzz with Gen Y - Greenlight Greater Portland
A group called Greenlight Greater Portland is working to capitalize on these strengths to grow a sustainable economic future here.
Warren Miller Freedom Foundation
- 150 Cheap Places To Live. Yes, you can live in a rural community and make a good living. & The 10 most overpriced places in the United States
Say you're a bright knowledge worker and have spent a decade or more in your industry, sharpening your skills, making the right contacts. You earn a decent salary on the metro coast, but those dollars just don't stretch like they used to. So you decide to shake off the costly coastal infrastructure and relocate to a cheaper rural region. But you maintain your ties to the larger metro area and pull down the same amount of money as you did when you were living in Profligate Corners. In other words, you still harvest your dollars from Silicon Valley, Washington and New York, but now you spend and invest them in Bend or Boise.
Leadership Montana
- Entrepreneurship classes on the rise, as university students strive to be their own boss
The trend has broad repercussions because entrepreneurship drives economic growth.
Montana Biotech
- 10 Ways to be a Great Follower
Even the most powerful leaders have to answer to someone; so at some point, we all have to be followers. And great leaders can’t be great unless they have great followers. Heck, a team of great followers can even make the most average of managers a great leader.
Montana Business
- Montana Department of Commerce to Provide $2.5 Million for Bio-Medical Research
"Cutting edge bio-medical research is happening every day here in Montana," said Governor Brian Schweitzer. "Our bio-medical research industry is advancing and new opportunities are on the horizon. Through these bio-medical research grants, the State of Montana is investing in the discoveries of tomorrow."
- McLaughlin plans to apply for Montana biomedical research money
"Encouraging growth in our already successful research industry is good for our college graduates, our job market and our economy," said Anthony Preite, Director of the Montana Department of Commerce, in a press release. "These funds will foster continued development in our growing technology sector and allow Montana to remain competitive in the world of bio-research."
Montana Economic Development
- Vigilante Vodka - Montana's first microdistillery to market
At times over the past few years Mike Uda may have felt like his start-up was standing still, but now Uda's still is operational, and there's commercial liquor being produced in Helena.
- Tool time for turbines - Wind Turbine Tools of Lincoln, Montana
"Why does it matter where you call home? You might as well live in a pretty place." Damon Kegel, COO, Wind Turbine Tools
- Western Montana InBusiness September 2009 - Even amid downturn, Missoula is looking up
Celebrate the successes of Missoula's community every day. We're proud of what we see, as you should be, too!
- Diversified Plastics decides it's time to grow in Missoula
The timing is right when you clearly see the possibility and the opportunity to provide your customers with a product or service that is faster, cheaper and better than your competitors'.
Regional Economic Development
- 'Clusters' pave the way for economic vitality
For those living and working in areas with growing economies, it's important that such growth not be simply taken for granted - a lesson that becomes clear in times like these, when the economy is in the midst of a major slowdown.
Careers
- High Cost of Living Leaves Some States Uncompetitive
Cost of living estimates provide a valuable tool for making accurate comparisons of economic performance.
- The Flipside of Brain Drain - McCook, Nebraska Gives Brain Drain New Meaning
Read more about how youth in McCook, through their own efforts, are generating activities for young people, gaining the interest and support of the town establishment, and making plans to stay or return as adults.
Funding and Building your Business
- Tech interns get rock star treatment, real work
The summer of intern fun is not unusual at tech companies, which compete to hire top college graduates.
Incubators and R&D
- SBA Launches New Online Training Course: ‘How to Win Federal Contracts’ Online Course Part of Federal Government-wide Initiative
The U.S. Small Business Administration today launched a new online training course to help strengthen access to contracting opportunities for small businesses, including those owned by women, minorities, disadvantaged individuals and veterans.
Montana Education Excellence
- Utah researchers look to save energy, solve problem
Three new teams at USU, as part of the Utah Science Technology and Research initiative, are looking to put their studies to work for the general public.
University TechTransfer
- State of the University of Montana : President Dennison says universities must lead the way out of economic downturn
"I believe everyone knows that the United States has slipped to the second tier of ranked countries and appears poised to fall into the third tier unless we take action." UM President George Dennison
- Montana State University President Geoff Gamble - A hard act to follow
Since his arrival in 2000, Gamble’s message has been relentlessly optimistic, constantly bragging about the bright students, talented professors and great things they’re doing at Montana State University.
- Building opportunities at Flathead Valley Community College
Docking said he has introduced from 600 to 700 people to the joys of working with wood during his career, teaching first in California and then at FVCC.
- University of Montana Researchers Featered in National Geographic
“University of Montana researchers are working at the cutting edge of science,” said Daniel Dwyer, UM vice president for research and development. “It is great to see their work presented in such a well-read publication as National Geographic so that the general public can learn about the fantastic work they are doing.”
- Private schools thriving in Bozeman, Montana
Private schools in the Bozeman area are flourishing, despite the economic downturn that has put a squeeze on many parents’ wallets.
Idaho Business
- How to Build a Billion-Dollar Company (And Keep An Academic Day Job)
While Walt encouraged scientists to think about entrepreneurship, he warned them they have to be willing to accept the realities of business. “Decisions get made at a company for business. The goal is to make money, not to support your lab.”
Oregon Economic Development
- Pocatello pitches in to help struggling polysilicon maker, Holu Scientific
“Between Nordic and Hoku, and of course Petersen Inc., those are our big companies with the potential for growth,” Chase said. “It’s a critical cog. One of the main things we’re going to work on is alternate energy, and we’ll continue to help find funding from other sources.”
Education
- Swiss-based zinc-air battery maker, ReVolt Technology, picks Portland for U.S. operations
Oregon's success in landing the company, after a fast but rigorous selection process, bolsters the state's status as a clean-energy hub.
Government
- Eli Broad - 'We're In the Venture Philanthrophy Business' for k-12 education reform"
The Broad Foundation funds charter schools, including KIPP academies and the Green Dot network, as well as Teach for America. It trains reform-minded school administrators. And it offers financial rewards to urban school districts that improve performance through initiatives like merit pay for teachers.
- Students Get New Assignment: Pick Books You Like
An experimental approach to teaching literature — allowing students to choose their own books — is gaining ground across the country.
- An interview with MIT Sloan's Richard Locke
Richard Locke, deputy dean of the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has been a consistent voice for integrating social and economic concerns into curriculum and research.
- Learning Isn't For Nine Months; It's Forever
The work, not the season, should be the focus. Creating something useful to other people should be part of school. Everything should not ride on a letter grade in June.
- Keeping college kids on track: Signals - Stoplights for Student Success
In order to increase student success in the classroom, Purdue University’s Signals project detects early warning signs and provides intervention to students who may not be performing to the best of their abilities before they reach a critical point.
Community
- Montana Association of Counties August Newsletter
Time is running out to register for MACo’s historical 100th Annual Conference in Helena next month.
Connectivity & Communications
- Rails to Trails of Northwest Montana
Built on the former Great Northern Railroad bed, the trail winds its way through mostly undeveloped pristine Montana. Paved sections, with slight upgrades, provides for an easy walk, run or bike ride for any ability.
Energy and Climate Change
- Twitter? That's so, like, for adults
Twitter's unparalleled explosion in popularity has been driven by a decidedly older group.
- Wikipedia to Color Code Untrustworthy Text
Starting this fall, you’ll have a new reason to trust the information you find on Wikipedia: An optional feature called “WikiTrust” will color code every word of the encyclopedia based on the reliability of its author and the length of time it has persisted on the page.
- As Internet turns 40, barriers threaten its growth
Call it a mid-life crisis.
- Hotels' charges for Internet irk some
Frequent business traveler Randall Blinn refuses to stay at hotels that charge for Internet access.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- Leaders from 15 states to attend Wyoming energy symposium, Oct. 25-27 in Jackson Hole
"It's just great that we're going to have good participation from 15 states," Simpson said Friday. "Which is what our objective was: to have this regional discussion, regional symposium."
- Eco-Angst
Call it “eco-angst,” the sickly sense that comes as a cost of learning the actual environmental, health and social consequences of all the stuff we buy and use every day.
- Energy-Efficient Sewage Plants
In a cost-benefit-study Dr. Kempter-Regel has shown that it also pays small sewage plants to transfer to more energy-efficient processes – even if they have to invest in a sludge digestion unit.
Government Technology
- Look Ma, No Pen! Electrical Impulses Can Reproduce Handwriting
Someday, instead of typing your text message on a cramped iPhone keyboard, neuroscientist Michael Linderman says you’ll be scrawling your thoughts in the air.
- The race for the perfect battery
Cheap electric cars are almost here—if these claims are true
The Creative and Cultural Economy
- How to Engage Citizens on a Municipal Website...
So how Open is your city? And if not, do they have $2,000 lying around to change that?
Hydrogen News
- Sculpting legend: From Thailand to Bigfork, ‘Amazing One’ creates lifelike replicas
In Thailand, he's now known as "The Amazing One." In Bigfork, Montana, he's still called Sunti. But that could change.
- Montana Arts Council Awards Federal Economic Stimulus Funding
Thirteen arts organizations from across Montana have been awarded American Recovery and Reinvestment in the Arts (ARRA) funding from the Montana Arts Council (MAC), made possible through the National Endowment for the Arts’ federal economic stimulus funding.
VIRUS ALERTS
- Strategic planning expert suggests hydrogen production for Montana/Dakota region
“We have this resource sitting in our backyard being ignored waiting for populations to grow. We could put a small fraction of it to work making hydrogen,” he said. The possibility of producing hydrogen for energy could bring in as much as $24 million in the annual retail value.
- 15 most dangerous celebrity searches
While searching the Web for the latest celebrity news and photos may be your favorite Internet pastime, it can also potentially lead to some unintended pain.
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