Roles and Responsibilities

The question of the role of research at universities and why it matters was addressed in a Forbes article which I found interesting that helps to convey the Auburn Research and Technology Foundation (ARTF) role within Auburn University. The article begins with the question of why universities are engaged in the conduct of research. Stating: Universities engage in research as part of their missions around learning and discovery. This, in turn, contributes directly and indirectly to their primary mission of teaching. It goes without saying that the advancement of knowledge (discovery, innovation, creation) is essential to any civilization. Our nation’s research universities represent some of the most concentrated communities of scholars, facilities, and collective expertise engaged in these activities. But more importantly, this is where higher education is delivered, where students develop breadth and depth of knowledge in foundational and advanced subjects, and where students are educated, trained, and otherwise prepared for successful careers.

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Real World Experience

Recently, the current cohort of aspiring entrepreneurs in the New Venture Accelerator had a chance to meet the real deal—Nashville’s Beth Chase. 

Chase is a serial entrepreneur, board member, and community leader. She was the founder and CEO of c3/consulting which she later merged with the Ankura Consulting group. She has collaborated with C-suite leaders in an array of industries that include private equity, healthcare, finance banking, insurance, distribution, logistics, publishing, business services, and technology. Chase is a director on the board of Ingram Industries, Tolko Industries, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. She is also the Board Chair at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center.

During a recent visit to campus, Chase met with the leaders of our innovation ecosystem, toured the New Venture Accelerator, and had a series of great discussions with the next generation of Auburn start-ups. Visits from successful strategists like Beth Chase offer invaluable opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs to gain the insight and experience they need to succeed.

Auburn showcases university-developed technologies at BIO Alabama conference

Auburn University recently participated in the BIO Alabama conference at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Mountain Brook, showcasing seven of its biotechnology research developments.

"As presenting sponsor for this year’s BIO Alabama conference, Auburn University had an important opportunity to showcase some of our latest technologies during a reverse-pitch session to industry,” said Bill Dean, executive director of the Auburn Research and Technology Foundation.

“Auburn’s participation in events like the BIO Alabama conference speaks to our role in growing the region’s bio-economy and demonstrates our commitment to the bio-sector in the form of industry collaboration and partnerships that will advance research and impact quality of life throughout the state.”

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BIO Alabama is the leading advocate for Alabama's bioeconomy. We represent the state on a national and international stage, promoting the intellectual and innovative capital that make our state a premier place to invest, start, and grow in bioscience. 

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Staff Spotlight: New Faces

Ayshia Green-Calloway

Ayshia Green-Calloway joined the New Venture Accelerator (NVA) in February of 2022 as program manager for the $1.3M grant from the US Economic Development Administration (EDA) as part of their Build to Scale Program.

Ayshia, thank you for your willingness to chat with CONVERGE. Recently, Auburn received a substantial grant through the EDA's Build to Scale initiative to support new and growing businesses. In a few words, could you tell us about the program supported by this grant, as well as who can participate?

Through this grant, we can expand the current NVA offerings to the Lee County community. These services include mentoring/coaching, educational workshops and material, and office space in our facility. One addition that will be particularly beneficial is the transference of some of our educational workshops to a virtual platform. Currently, in-person workshops are the only medium offered at the NVA.

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Alabama Upstarts Winner

Zakariya Veasy (Physics and Software Engineering student and current NVA resident) was the winner of the recent Alabama Upstarts Competition.Veasy's startup, OMNIS, is a crowdsourced banking platform where individuals earn money passively and actively through community and peer-to-peer, short-term micro-loans.

Auburn Research Magazine

Spring/Summer 2022

The Spring/Summer edition of the Auburn Research Magazine is available on line. In this issue: canine detection, advanced manufacturing, cancer drug development and more.

Check it out

Auburn alumnus Lamb named president of HudsonAlpha, continues Institute’s vision of translating power of genomics into real-world results

An Auburn alumnus, Lamb graduated from the College of Sciences and Mathematics, or COSAM, in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology and completed a doctorate in genetics and molecular biology from Emory University in 1997. As he begins his leadership role at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Lamb’s journey as a scientist can be traced back to a solid foundation at Auburn.

“While we have collaborations with multiple Auburn faculty, two work particularly closely with us. Xu Wang, assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Pathobiology, is a HudsonAlpha adjunct faculty investigator. Alex Harkess, holds a joint appointment as a HudsonAlpha faculty investigator and an assistant professor in the College of Agriculture’s Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences at Auburn University. Xu and Alex both make connections across the Auburn campus to the technologies and opportunities that are available at HudsonAlpha.”

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Above: Local favorites, Muse, perform on the terrace of the Research and Innovation Center at one of The Park's Food Truck Friday events

CONVERGE: News and Note from around The Park is a publication of Auburn Research Park.

CONVERGE aims to connect with members of The Park community and in turn, help them connect with one other and with university expertise.

Our goal is to highlight innovative activity in The Park and on campus, link you to resources that may be useful to your organization, as well as share opportunities for personal and professional networking right here in our own backyard--opportunities like the Food Truck Friday series this spring and summer.

Thanks to everyone who participated and thanks to each of you for your role in transforming The Park into the vibrant ecosystem initially envisioned more than ten years ago.

Leslie Chapman

[email protected]

334.844.6047

New Venture Accelerator

2021-2022 Impact Report

Everything the New Venture Accelerator does is focused on creating a positive impact on student and faculty entrepreneurs. Read about their activities in the new 2021-2022 Impact Report now available as a digital flip book here.

Be sure to check out their new website as well to learn more about the programs and people that make up this vibrant ecosystem:

nva.auburn.edu

Above: Jojo, the first child to participate in a clinical trial for a treatment of GM1 gangliosidosis that has origins at

Auburn University.

Progress in the fight against GM1: Auburn research providing hope for children with deadly disease

“Jojo was very ill when she was treated with gene therapy in 2019. She had great trouble swallowing and eating, and she wasn’t able to walk,” said Jojo’s mother, a family practice physician in Los Angeles. “Since treatment, Jojo eats normally and is at a normal weight for her age. She still has some challenges, but she’s made great improvements in many ways.”

The trial’s gene therapy treatment was created at Auburn’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where scientists for several decades have researched treatments to improve and extend the lives of cats affected by GM1 gangliosidosis.

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