MATR Newsletter - Tue Sep 21, 2010 |
Our Country. Our Future. Education is the key to the success of our country, and yet we have allowed our students to fall behind. It's time to put education back at the top of the national agenda. It's time to reinvent America as an Education Nation. "Education Nation is a nationally broadcast, in-depth conversation about improving education in America" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Montana Department of Commerce
City Club Missoula
- Montana Means Energy, September 2010
Energy Promotion and Development Division, Montana Department of Commerce
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
- Forum discusses civility in Billings
“In this country there are some very strongly held views,” he said. “The question becomes, ‘When someone holds a strong view can they respect the views of others?’”
Visit Montana
- The Growing Threat of False Patent Marking Cases
Being proactive to ensure that you are properly marking your currently patented products can help your company avoid a lawsuit and defend yourself should you find your business accused of false patent marking.
Come Home Montana
- Fort Peck: Big water, big fish, big business in Montana
"We've had a lot more fishermen, in particular from North Dakota and Wyoming, and I would guess some of that is due to the rising water levels and good fishing," she said. "Fishermen talk and spread the word. We've had a good salmon season this year and people are talking."
Cleantech
- Montana Career Opportunity - Data Network Engineer - Blackfoot Telecommunications Group
Responsibilities include design, installation, maintenance and troubleshooting of Blackfoot's ISP, campus and customers' data networks. Additional daily tasks include network monitoring, Internet backbone, IP management as well as network support for QoS, DSL, special circuits and Level 3 support for Tier 2 Technicians.
- Montana Career Opportunity - IT Software Engineer - Montana State Fund
Montana State Fund http://www.montanastatefund.com is a progressive workers' compensation insurer that utilizes a multi-functional team structure to provide exceptional products and services to its customers.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Grant writer - Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
Requires excellent writing, grant research, planning, organizational and interpersonal skills. Must have quality, high-level experience in federal grant writing. Must be willing to relocate. No consultants please.
Montana Biotech
- Clean Energy Summit connects entrepreneurs with money to grow their companies
"We found that it's resulted in, on average, $300,000 to $1 million of funding" for the companies chosen to present to a panel of judges, Rabeaux said.
Montana Business
- Bozeman based LigoCyte Pharmaceuticals http://www.ligocyte.com/ Initiates First Clinical Trial For Bivalent Intramuscular Norovirus Vaccine
"Norovirus infections are recognized as a widespread problem that can have very serious consequences," said Donald P. Beeman, CEO of LigoCyte.
Montana Economic Development
- Montana's Monster Munchies to be profiled on PBS, 9/30, 7:30PM
Use the Promo Code "PBS" at http://www.mtmonstermunchies.com and save 10% on all items through 9/30/10.
- Pure Energy to expand - all the way to Montana - Pennsylvania firm takes big step in opening training center
"What we're hoping to do is draw people from the Rocky Mountain West," Senft said. "The push for this certification and this kind of training is going to explode."
Bill Payne
- Last word on Montana's Economic Development Summit - SeaCast
We'd like to thank Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., and his staff for organizing such a professional and productive experience. It was amazing to see such a distinguished an influential group of leaders assembled together for the end goal of job creation in Montana.
- Montana World Trade Center Named Community Delegate for U.S. Cleantech Trade and Investment Mission
This collaboration will catalyze the process of connecting U.S. companies and communities with opportunities to increase exports and attract foreign direct investment (FDI), with a particular emphasis on advancing the green economy and creating jobs in the U.S.
- Montana Energy Workforce Report Released
The report Opportunities for Energy Technology Program Graduates in Montana's Energy Industry has been released! It identifies six broad categories of job opportunities for graduates: (1) renewable installers, (2) wind farm developers/operators, (3) renewable component manufacturers/suppliers; (4) energy efficiency companies; (5) utilities/co-ops/power wholesalers, and (6) power plants/generators.
- Senator Baucus Announces Boost For Montana Energy Development and Jobs
“Montana is lucky to have so many energy resources that can drive economic growth in the state. Our coal reserves are one such resource – these funds will help expedite development of coal to liquids technology that can reduce our dependence on foreign oil and create jobs here at home.”
Funding and Building your Business
- How to Meet Angel Investors
The most effective way to get set up with people who will invest in your fledgling business is to actively and creatively seek them out.
Incubators and R&D
- Let's keep talking about venture funding for women
When an entrepreneur is seriously driven, he or she will do whatever it takes to get past the obstacles standing in the way of success. Man or woman. Doesn't matter.
Montana Education Excellence
- Water Blade To Disarm Bombs
Developed by the Sandia National Laboratories, thousands of units of this technology have already been shipped to Afghanistan to help diffuse the improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, that are so deadly to U.S. soldiers.
University TechTransfer
- The School Administrators Of Montana Launch The Montana Bullying Prevention Initiative
Bullying is a serious issue that affects students' health, the school climate, academic achievement, and school liability.
- Gaines Hall: MSU transforms most-used classroom building from ‘dungeon’ to showplace
MSU President Waded Cruzado thanked the citizens of Montana and state lawmakers for providing the money to make it possible. Cruzado called Gaines Hall "one of the most important buildings" at MSU.
Developing an Angel Network in Montana
- Idaho State University ramps up business creation efforts
The university's College of Business is also trying to bolster and promote a new program called Bengal Solutions that offers market research to startups and makes MBA students and faculty available for a wide range of services.
Oregon Business
- Angel Investors, What, Why & How: Part 1
What is an angel investor, and is their money right for my business?
- Just Manic Enough: Seeking Perfect Entrepreneurs
“It’s about degrees,” says John D. Gartner, a psychologist and author of “The Hypomanic Edge.” “If you’re manic, you think you’re Jesus. If you’re hypomanic, you think you are God’s gift to technology investing.”
- How Angels’ Growing Influence Affects Venture Capital
Angels – venture capitalists can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em.
Washington State Business
- In reverse of offshore trend, Oregon manufacturing thrives when high-tech, high-quality products are needed
"There are certain manufactured products that will need to stay here," Hauge says. "If it's engineering intensive, if it's low-volume, if it's controlled by the government or if it's a new product where you need to get the bugs out before mass production."
2011 Montana Legislature
- Spokane’s higher-ed grades improving
Spokane is not at the forefront of higher education. Lack of a major research institution has consistently been called a weakness as community officials assemble a 21st-century information-based economic curriculum.
Education
- Go online to learn about candidates for state offices
An increasing number of handy tools are available on the Internet for voters to learn more about congressional candidates, where they stand on issues and who supports them financially.
Other Economies
- President Obama launches tech contest for 5th through 8th grade students
The National STEM Video Game Challenge allows students grades five through eight to compete for a cash prizes, plus tech gear from AMD and Microsoft. They must design an original video game to win.
- Does the Digital Classroom Enfeeble the Mind?
There are two ways to use computers in the classroom. You can have them measure and represent the students and the teachers, or you can have the class build a virtual spaceship. Right now the first way is ubiquitous, but the virtual spaceships are being built only by tenacious oddballs in unusual circumstances. More spaceships, please.
- Learning by Playing: Video Games in the Classroom
What if teachers gave up the vestiges of their educational past, threw away the worksheets, burned the canon and reconfigured the foundation upon which a century of learning has been built?
- Waiting for "Superman" The Book: How We Can Save America's Failing Public Schools
The American public school system is in crisis, failing millions of students, producing as many drop-outs as graduates, and threatening our economic future. By 2020, the United States will have 123 million high-skill jobs to fill—and fewer than 50 million Americans qualified to fill them.
- "Waiting for Superman" The Movie: In theaters Sept. 24
For each ticket purchased, receive a $15 gift code to give to a classroom of your choice on http://www.donorschoose.org
- New York Times Magazine - The Education-Technology Issue
Full edition dedicated to stories on education. Excellent
- Kids show up for online classes at high school
In this free alternative public school, students are entrusted to learn on their own, each at his or her own pace, and almost entirely online.
- The National Money Night Talk
Join parents across the country and help prepare your family for financial independence by pledging to have the money talk.
- The Future of Humankind Depends on Quality Science Education
One might wonder why a cancer research institution like the Hutchinson Center should concern itself with K-12 education.
- Rural Washington state school provides iPads for all of its students
"Kids today are immersed in technology," said Jon Tienhaara, the high school's vice principal and the district business manager. "We want to tap into their enthusiasm and teach them at the same time."
- College bound in Montana - Trio programs host 40 students on 3-day campus tour
The students are part of federal Trio programs Talent Search and Upward Bound, managed though the Department of Education and Montana Tech. The programs are designed to indentify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- American Heart: Tennessee Students' Letters Attract the Attention of CEOs
Fifth-grade students at an elementary school in Memphis, Tenn., are proving that words really can make a big difference.
- Top 25 graduate, undergrad colleges for entrepreneurs named
All great businesses start with a bright idea.
- 'I Hate School' Extreme Edition - What 'School Refusal' Means and How to Fix It
School-refusal behavior isn't just a U.S. phenomenon: Researchers from France to Finland have studied it, and it has garnered particular attention in Japan, a country known for academically rigorous schooling.
Energy and Climate Change
- Germany seizes on big business in China
Americans fret over high unemployment and the prospect of another recession, an economic renaissance is putting Germans back to work and propelling the economy at a pace not seen since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
- I.B.M.: Africa Is the Next Growth Frontier
The company’s presence in Africa dates back 50 years, but in the last five years I.B.M. has invested $300 million in the region to build data centers, add country offices and foster technology training programs — and it plans to expand aggressively in the region.
Miscellaneous Ramblings
- Idaho Power wins approval to buy solar power from large Calif. provider
PURPA requires electric utilities such as Idaho Power to offer to buy power produced by qualifying small-power producers.
- Aren’t We Clever?
“There is really no debate about climate change in China. China’s leaders are mostly engineers and scientists, so they don’t waste time questioning scientific data.”
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