Washington University Becomes Member of Major Cancer Research Consortium
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has joined the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC), an organization of 13 leading U.S. academic centers designed to speed the development of new myeloma therapies. The Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine serves as a major center for multiple myeloma treatment and research in the St. Louis area. "As a member of the MMRC, we can provide our patients with access to novel medications that would not otherwise be available," says Ravi Vij, M.D., assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Oncology and a medical oncologist with the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. "The unfortunate truth about multiple myeloma is that so far it is incurable. Treatments can work for a while, but they all eventually stop working. That's when it becomes very important for patients to be able to enroll in clinical trials for new therapies."

Multiple myeloma is the second most common blood cancer. With improvements in therapy, patients are living longer, and the prevalence of the disease is growing. Approximately 50,000 people in the United States are living with multiple myeloma and an estimated 19,900 new cases of the disease are expected to be diagnosed in 2007. "Multiple myeloma treatment is rapidly undergoing a revolution," Vij says. "In the '80s, the median length of survival after diagnosis was about three years. Now with the use of stem cell transplantation and three very active drugs — thalidomide, Revlimid™ and Velcade™ — patients are often surviving more than six or seven years."

A number of emerging therapies — including novel proteosome inhibitors, immunomodulatory drugs, histone deacetylase inhibitors, heat shock protein inhibitors and many other classes of drugs in development — may offer hope when standard treatments fail. Founded in 2004 by Kathy Giusti, a myeloma patient and founder and chief executive officer of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, the MMRC has created many opportunities in myeloma research and drug development that did not exist just a few years ago. The MMRC facilitates collaborative research between biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and academic research institutions. This research is solely directed toward creating new and effective treatments and to ensure progress toward a cure for myeloma. "This is a unique endeavor, which has not yet been tried in other spheres of cancer research," Vij says.

MMRC researchers benefit from having a large patient base and a critical mass of tissue samples, making it easier to identify and validate molecular targets for myeloma as well drugs that are active against these targets. In addition, the MMRC will connect patients with early clinical trials evaluating promising new therapies, both alone and in combination with standard myeloma therapies, to ensure that new treatments are brought to market as quickly as possible. "The MMRC has a database of patients with myeloma, and they have unique tools for matching patients to clinical trials," Vij says.


Global Health Education Consortium
17 Years of Alliances and Leadership in Global Health Education. Charting the course of global health education alliances
To mark the 17th anniversary of the founding of GHEC, this symposium highlights the dramatic changes that have occurred over the last two decades in global health and global health education. The day-long event focuses on the profound role that GHEC's member universities and institutions have had in shaping global health education and training. The agenda includes retrospective and putative views of the global health education landscape and GHEC's role within it.

Agenda Overview for April 3, 2008:
• 7:30am Continental Breakfast
• 8:00am to 5:30pm General Sessions | Students & Residents Workshops
• Breakfast, Lunch, Breaks provided

Features Include:
• The latest surveys on global health needs assessments
• Perspectives on the global heath workforce crisis and response
• Reports on innovative collaborative projects and global health centers of excellence
• Perspectives from foundations and institutions highlighted by leaders in global health

Global Health Residency Workshop
A look at GHEC's global health residency project and its implications for further action. What are the needs and priorities for strengthening global health residencies?

Global Health Student Workshop
Lead by GHEC's Student Advisory Council and leaders from IFMSA-USA, AAMSA, SUNSIH, CFMS, this workshop focuses on student priorities for successful career tracks in global health.

Sponsored by: GHEC, Fogarty International, IFMSA-USA, CFHI, Omni-Med, Margaret Kendrick Blodgett Foundation

 

Higher Education Consortium Teams Up with 'Dollars for Scholars'
President John D. Welty recognized a new partnership between the university, the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) and California Dollars for Scholars.

California Dollars for Scholars is part of a national network of community-based, volunteer-led scholarship groups that helps manage, expand and maximize the benefits of a new or existing scholarship program. Fresno State joined about 500 postsecondary educational institutions, called Collegiate Partners, who have pledged to maximize the value of - or even match - Dollars for Scholars awards by providing matching funds.

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, a nonprofit organization of 23 public and private institutions of higher education from Stockton to Bakersfield aimed at promoting programs, policies and performance designed to increase higher education attainment in the Valley, will work with Fresno State and community organizations in maximizing scholarship dollars. For more information: www.californiadollarsforscholars.org


Consortium for Higher Education Abroad
The Consortium for Higher Education Abroad is committed to promoting affordable and challenging higher education opportunities in Ireland and Scotland. The organization, different from other study-abroad organizations, is a genuine academic partnership, involving teaching faculty from member institutions and organized and run by respected scholars in Irish and Scottish Studies who are well networked abroad.

The Consortium sponsors short-term courses and internships and is dedicated to serving the intellectual and cultural interests of faculty and students. It is comprised of two institutes -- The Institute for Irish Studies and The Institute for Scottish Studies. Under the aegis of the Institutes, the Consortium provides a wide spectrum of excellent programs specifically geared to students' academic majors and interests. These programs, courses, and internships are among the most secure and the most sought after in study abroad.

Intersession Short Courses and Summer Courses
Participating host universities in Ireland and Scotland are approved and accredited. Instructors and supervisors are credentialed scholars, many with extensive publishing records, as well as an adjunct faculty of writers, artists, actors, and business and entrepreneurial leaders familiar with Institute programs and the courses on offer.
The Consortium for Higher Education not only insures highly qualified professionals/academics and a high standard of instruction, it provides excellent housing, meals, transportation, and essential supervision through instructors and on-site contact people. Accreditation is through the home college or university or the host institute or university. For More information: www.higheredabroad.com

 

Georgia Research Alliance Programs Earn National Excellence Awards
Two technology-based economic development programs are recognized by national technology institute for their contributions to the state. The Georgia Research Alliance announced today that its VentureLab and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholars® programs earned Excellence in Technology-Based Economic Development Awards from the State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI).  The awards are designed to celebrate exceptional achievement in technology-based economic development (TBED), which fosters a climate where innovative companies that develop and adopt technology will thrive.

According to SSTI, TBED programs tend to focus on several elements that have been found in successful technology-based economies, including: a research base that generates new knowledge, mechanisms for transferring knowledge into the marketplace, an entrepreneurial culture, sources of risk capital and a technically skilled workforce. VentureLab is a GRA strategy for enhancing and accelerating the process of spinning new technology-based enterprises out of university research. The program currently operates at five of GRA’s partner universities, seeking out university-based research innovations, assessing their commercial potential and providing resources to form new ventures.  VentureLab awards seed grants to universities and early-stage companies.

Since its launch in 2002, GRA investment in VentureLab grants through 2006 totaled $6.5 million, with 73 discoveries/technologies funded and 52 companies formed, including Asankya, Jacket Micro Devices, Orthonics and Vivonetics. “Working with technology incubators across Georgia, the VentureLab program unites the intellectual firepower of the state’s research universities with top-notch management and early stage capital funding,” said Dan Berglund, SSTI President and CEO.  “It has had a significant impact just in its short existence.”

A cornerstone of its effort to help build Georgia’s technology-rich economy, the Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholars program has lured many of the world’s finest scholars to the state’s six research universities to conduct work in state-of-the-art facilities and to convert research into high value enterprises. 

To date, the program has recruited 57 Eminent Scholars to GRA’s university partners.  These Eminent Scholars have attracted more than $350 million in federal, foundation and corporate research funding, fostered and led 20 centers of research excellence, and spun out more than 20 new technology start-up companies from their research and research centers. Biotechnology, advanced communications and computing start-ups have emerged from Eminent Scholar-led research. 

“Since its inception, the Eminent Scholars program has a proven track record of substantially improving the technology-based economy of Georgia,” commented Berglund.  “Georgia’s ability to attract some of the world’s brightest minds to its universities is so impressive that other states across the country have wisely modeled their initiatives on the Eminent Scholars.” Winners of the Excellence in TBED Awards were selected through a competitive process by committees of accomplished TBED practitioners and policymakers serving as judges.

“We are very proud to be recognized by an organization as highly respected as SSTI,” said GRA President C. Michael Cassidy.  “Both VentureLab and the GRA Eminent Scholars program are great examples of the success Georgia has had in creating and nurturing a technology-rich economy.  We are fortunate to have the encouragement and strong support of leaders in government, the universities and business sector that are crucial in sustaining this long-term growth strategy.” The SSTI TBED Awards are handed out at the organization’s annual conference being held Oct. 18-19 in Baltimore.

About SSTI: Since its inception in 1996, the State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI – www.ssti.org) has developed a nationwide network of practitioners and policymakers dedicated to improving the economy through science and technology.  This network has resulted in unique access to information.  SSTI uses this access to assist states and communities as they build tech-based economies, conduct research on best practices and trends in tech-based economic development, and encourage cooperation among and between state and federal programs.

About GRA: A model public-private partnership between Georgia universities, business and state government, the Georgia Research Alliance helps build Georgia’s technology-rich economy in three major ways: through attracting Eminent Scholars to Georgia’s research universities; through helping create centers of research excellence and  through converting research into products, services and jobs that drive the economy.  To learn more about GRA, visit www.gra.org.


Wales International Consortium Visits to Dubai
The Wales International Consortium recently held an exhibition to inform students about the universities there. The consortium is a union of sorts, of all the universities in Wales. In attendance was Virginia West, director of the Wales International Consortium in addition to representatives from six of the universities in the Consortium.

The universities represented were: Bangor University, University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, University of Glamgoran, University of Wales Newport, Swansea Institute of Higher Education and Swansea University. Notes pottered along to get the inside scoop for those who did not attend. All the above mentioned universities, follow the standard United Kingdom guidelines for the first year Bachelor programme (secondary to individual performance), with A levels, International Baccalaureate and the Indian CBSE qualifications. 

They all follow the standard United Kingdom admissions process, i.e. applications have to be made through the Universities and Colleges Admission Services (UCAS), for undergraduate courses. Those applying to foundation or postgraduate courses can apply directly to the universities. However, most universities expressed their understanding of the difficulties faced by international students, such as meeting the UK deadline for UCAS, and the time consuming procedure it can be.

"If an international student has decided that he or she wishes to study at one particular university and does not wish to apply to any others, they can apply to the university directly, and the university will transfer their application into the UCAS format," said West, the director of the Wales International Consortium. For More Information: www.walesinternationalconsortium.com

 

Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
New Green Building: Cape Cod Community College (CCCC) has shown leadership and innovation in developing sustainable campus operations. In Spring of 2006, the new $7M, 19,000 SF Lyndon P. Lorusso Applied Technology Building opened as a "Green Building," made possible in part through a $20,000 grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.

The purpose of the grant was to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification from the U.S. Building Council for the new building. Through this initiative, CCCC is positioned to have the first LEED-certified state facility in Massachusetts.

The building conserves energy through alternative energy sources including passive solar systems, "smart" lighting, cooling and air-quality sensors, a 27KW photovoltaic system, a grey water recovery/reuse system, waterless urinals, permeable paving, recycled construction materials, and day-lighting and light shelves.

The new Lorusso building serves as both a model green building and as an exemplary environmental education teaching and learning tool for future technology-related facilities on college campuses across the country. Campus planning teams from around the country have visited, seeking ideas for their own building projects. The building's visibility is heightened by the College's status as a role model for other public higher education facilities, its reputation as a provider of environmental education and training, and its public environmental education services to the Cape and Islands and Southeastern Massachusetts.


The International Process Research Consortium (IPRC)
Published a new book titled A Process Research Framework, now available via SEI Customer Relations.

The IPRC brings together 27 leaders from academia and industry to study the implications of both plausible future scenarios and existing process research. The result is a research framework that addresses the question of how the communities represented by the IPRC membership should invest in process research during the next decade. By providing systematically organized research themes and targeted question, the framework serves as a focusing tool for industry, researchers, and funding agencies in determining the most fruitful questions to address in their own research programs.

Click here to read more about the framework. The book is available until April 30 for an initial special price of US$32.99. Beginning May 1 2007, the book will cost $49.99. SEI Customer Relations can be contacted at +1 412-268-5800 or via e-mail.