Monthly news, events & updates |
Building a Rainforest in the Desert | May 2021 |
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2021 Virtual Innovation Awards Honors University of New Mexico Inventors |
UNM Rainforest Innovations’ annual Innovation Awards recognizes the accomplishments of UNM inventors who have received issued U.S. patents, trademarks, and registered copyrights within the past year. Between March 1, 2020 and February 28, 2021, 48 UNM inventors received issued U.S. patents for 50 technologies. Of those patents, 33 were for technologies developed on main campus and 17 were for technologies developed on the health sciences campus.
Additionally, the 2021 Rainforest Innovation Fellow Award was presented to Dr. Eric Prossnitz, and we acknowledged Dr. Larry Sklar for being elected as 2020 Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.
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National Academy of Sciences Elects New Member from the University of New Mexico |
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) announced their election of 120 new members, including Dr. C. Jeffrey Brinker, Distinguished and Regents’ Professor in the Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering at the University of New Mexico and Fellow at Sandia National Labs. The NAS is a private, non-profit society of distinguished scholars that was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress. Its main goal is to provide independent, objective advice to the nation on matters related to science and technology.
Dr. Brinker is widely recognized for the contributions he has made to processing, characterization, and understanding of porous and composite nanostructured materials, and has been a pioneer in developing sol-gel processing, a method for making inorganic materials molecule by molecule.
Congratulations, Dr. Brinker!
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UNM Rainforest Innovations Welcomes New Board Member |
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Ms. Kimberly Sanchez Rael |
Kim Sanchez Rael is a passionate business leader, a startup veteran and investor in innovation. She has extensive experience as an operating executive and as a venture capitalist, focusing on early-stage investments in technology companies. She is currently the President and CEO of SRE Wellness, Inc. (dba Azuca).
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Rainforest Virtual Pitch Competition Winners Announced |
Despite a lack of in-person courses and the “normal” level of social interaction, New Mexico college and university students showed up (virtually, of course) in force for the Spring 2021 Rainforest Pitch Competition. Once again, students were only given one chance to submit a 90-second pitch to be judged by industry leaders. The virtual competition doesn’t have more than one round like the in-person version, so that means no do-overs. The judges’ choices are in and 10 students were awarded their share of the $4750 prize pool.
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NM Rainforest University Center Works to Build Entrepreneurial Ecosystems In Rural New Mexico Through Partnerships With UNM Branch Campuses |
Upon the receipt of a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Association (EDA) in 2018, the NM Rainforest EDA University Center is working to bridge that economic gap. The University Center focuses on developing eCommerce based entrepreneurial training and uses The University of New Mexico (UNM) branch campuses to help spread eCommerce knowledge and training to the more rural parts of the state.
Participating UNM branch campuses include Los Alamos, Valencia, Taos, and Gallup and the EDA University Center has tailored its programming to uniquely work with and meet each campus’ individual needs with the ultimate goal of helping each community establish its own entrepreneurial ecosystem.
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NM Rainforest University Center Student Uses EDA Funded Program To Supplement Education and Jump-Start Entrepreneurial Pursuits |
In September, 2019 when the EDA NM Rainforest University Center hosted its first Network of Student Inventors (NSI) meeting, Tina, a freshman at the time, was one of the first people to show.
“When I first heard of Lobo Rainforest, I thought to myself ‘I have to go to their inventor meetings!’”
Tina, now a sophomore, has attended multiple NSI meetings and earned her Entrepreneurial Capabilities Certificate from the NM Rainforest University Center in the summer of 2020. Her initial participation with the University Center led to her participation in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Lobo Rainforest I-Corp Site Program where she was an entrepreneurial student lead for a university start-up, ShearIT. This role eventually resulted in Tina officially joining ShearIT’s company team where she works to help the startup with customer discovery regarding an innovative treatment for ischemic stroke.
In addition to her activity with the University Center and NSF I-Corps Program, she has participated & placed, on two separate occasions, in the Rainforest Student Pitch Competition for her 90-second pitches on two unique business ideas. More recently, Tina competed in the New Mexico 2021 Comcast Student Pitch Deck Competition and placed as a Top Five Finalist for the pitch she gave for ShearIT’s new ischemic stroke treatment, Lamiflo.
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Comcast Pitch Deck Competition A Success for Young Entrepreneurs |
During an inspiring virtual event, five student entrepreneur teams went head-to-head and pitched their big ideas to a virtual audience of investors, business leaders, entrepreneurs and enthusiastic supporters.
The Comcast Pitch Deck Competition was co-hosted by UNM Rainforest Innovations and the UNM Innovation Academy, the University of New Mexico’s technology-transfer and economic-development organization and entrepreneurial studies program. Sponsored by Comcast, the competition offered a platform for student entrepreneurs who want to start or are already operating an early-stage company to present and launch their innovations. Comcast provided a $20,000 prize pool for the five finalists who pitched their innovative ideas and early-stage companies to investor judges.
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UNM Inventor Christina Salas Receives Huerta Sí Se Puede Award For Community Work |
Last spring, Dr. Christina Salas and flight nurse Laura Shaffer launched a mask-printing project to help hospital workers in Gallup. Since then, Dr. Salas and her students have created thousands of face masks and face shields to protect against SARS-CoV-2. They delivered many masks, including food, water and hand sanitizer to the Navajo Nation and immigrants along the state’s southern border.
For this impactful work, the Recuerda a César Chávez Committee has selected Dr. Salas as recipient of the Dolores Huerta Sí Se Puede Award. The committee presents two awards annually to individuals who have exemplified the ideals of César E. Chávez and Dolores Huerta by making meaningful contributions to our communities through leadership, service, and education.
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In the Spotlight - Featured UNM Inventor |
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Ying-Bing Jiang, Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor
Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences
Member, Center for Micro-Engineered Materials
The University of New Mexico
Dr. Ying-Bing Jiang’s research areas include: studying material’s characterization by transmission electron microscopes (TEM); atomic layer deposition (ALD) techniques, which precisely builds up nanostructures one atomic layer by one atomic layer; applying ALD techniques to precisely construct ultra-thin membranes as well as other functional nanostructures for energy, environment and sustainability, including biomimetic nanopores mimicking aquaporin for water desalination, enzymatic liquid membrane for CO2 capture and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications, as well as nano core-shelled particles for lithium ion batteries.
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Creativity Techniques for Your Small Business
NM Rainforest Webinar
May 18, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (MDT)
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Presented by Stacy Sacco, this virtual seminar will show participants various creative techniques that they can use to create and grow their businesses from the ideation phase to second stage growth.
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Create.Sell.Bank! Community Online Course - Start or Expand your Business
Open to anyone in the community and available completely online!
The University of New Mexico's Innovation Academy and UNM Rainforest Innovations (formerly known as STC.UNM) are offering a special course to help New Mexico businesses at this critical time for our state's economic recovery. This is made possible through a grant from the Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration called the NM EDA Rainforest University Center.
- Course runs from June 07 - July 30, 2021
- Open to anyone in the community and available completely online
- Cost to enroll is $17
- Flexible - content is completed on your own time; no set course time
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User Research 101: Focus on Product Users
NM Rainforest Webinar
May 26, 12:00- 12:30 p.m. (MDT)
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Getting your product right is as important as getting the business right. In this session we will dive into User Research (UX): understanding what you need to know, drawing out assumptions and gaps, prioritizing your learning, methodologies for collecting data, and making sense of it all.
Presented by Charley Wilhite who has 18 years of experience as a User Experience Researcher, generating conceptual frameworks for understanding the intersection of high tech and human values/behaviors.
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Advanced Economic Development Leadership Program - Fall 2021 Cohort
Register early. Space is limited!
The Advanced Economic Development Leadership (AEDL) executive education program is one-of-a-kind, with applicants needing five years professional economic development experience and completion of a basic certificate. The program is online and will provide an engaging and immersive experience. Apply now to reserve your spot for the next two-week learning experience that is becoming the standard for advanced EcD training. All economic developers who successfully complete the program earn an Economic Development Master Practitioner diploma from the four partner universities.
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Week One
November 8-11, 2021
Kauffman Conference Center
Kansas City, MO
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Week Two
May 2022
The University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Park Campus
Long Beach, MS
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Attend Upcoming Virtual Open Office Hours Providing Mentoring for Your Startup/Idea
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Mr. Stacy Sacco teaches entrepreneurial studies at the Anderson School of Management, serves as the Director of the UNM Small Business Institute and is President of Sacco Connections, a management consulting firm.
Mr. Sacco will be available for one-on-one mentoring where he will give guidance, coaching and perspective to enhance entrepreneurship and provide connections to resources at UNM and in the community. There are many resources available to those who have ideas that they may want to turn into a business!
Upcoming Rainforest Mentoring Office Hours:
May 21, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (MDT)
These are virtual office hours, click Sign Up below to select the time frame you plan to attend and a Zoom link will be emailed to you.
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Kara Q. Smith is the executive director of Gallup MainStreet Arts & Cultural District in Gallup, NM, where she focuses on small business support, creative economic development strategies, and community engagement.
Sign up for virtual 1:1 office hours with Kara Smith, where she will provide guidance, coaching and perspective regarding your entrepreneurial pursuits.
Virtual Mentoring for Entrepreneurs:
May 28, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (MDT)
Click Sign Up below to select the appointment time frame for a 30-minute virtual appointment and a Zoom link for your meeting will be emailed to you.
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UNM Rainforest Innovations | Website
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