Speakers

Before coming to NDSU, Dr. Chapman served as senior vice president and provost at Montana State University, Bozeman, where he also served as a professor of biology. Among his responsibilities were a wide array of statewide initiatives, including a system of academic and outreach programs at Montana’s two-year and four-year campuses. Prior to joining Montana State in 1996, he was dean of the College of Natural Resources at Utah State University. From 1969 to 1983, he worked at the University of Maryland, College Park, advancing to head the Appalachian Environmental Laboratory. He also was a wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from 1965 to 1967. Dr. Chapman earned his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and doctorate from Oregon State University, Corvallis.

He has also been a leader in efforts to ensure that rural areas have access to new, cutting edge communication technologies and to preserve the open and democratic character of the Internet (also known as net neutrality). Senator Dorgan conceived and created the Red River Valley Research Corridor, an effort to connect North Dakota’s world-class colleges and universities to federal high tech research and training efforts. The effort not only strengthens the nation, but also expands economic growth in North Dakota by bringing high tech federal research and training projects to North Dakota’s institutions of higher learning. A 2006 study found that, since its creation in 2002, the Red River Valley Research Corridor has generated $759 million in positive economic impact and added thousands of jobs to the regional economy. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of North Dakota and earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Denver.

Prior to his appointment at UD, Dr. Harker was the Dean of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the Reliance Professor of Management and Private Enterprise. Dr. Harker was appointed as Dean on February 8, 2000, after serving as both the Interim Dean and Deputy Dean of the school. Dr. Harker was also a Senior Fellow at the Wharton Financial Institutions Center and held a secondary appointment as a Professor of Electrical and Systems Engineering at Penn. Dr. Harker received his B.S.E. and M.S.E. in Civil Engineering in 1981, and an M.A. in Economics and a Ph.D. in Civil and Urban Engineering (Transportation Planning and Economics) from the University of Pennsylvania in 1983.

Several of Mr. Jaffe’s previous positions include Managing General Partner for Murex Investments, a group of investment funds providing capital to small businesses that are driving the economic future of the Mid-Atlantic Region. He was also Senior Vice President for the Small Enterprise Assistance Fund out of Zagreb, Croatia, an international fund manager providing risk capital to small and medium sized enterprises in underserved markets. In addition, he was President of Counterpart – Enviroventures out of Cebu, Philippines which is an innovative venture capital fund investing in environmentally sound businesses in the Philippines.

In October 2007, IA released a major report produced for the NSF entitled Technology Transfer and Commercialization Partnerships that provides valuable recommendations to help emerging academic institutions launch technology startups and transfer technologies. This report is a tour-de-force in the field and has already been endorsed by the former NSF Director and other national leaders. IA’s earlier report – Accelerating Economic Development through University Technology Transfer – presents best practices from the Top 10 in university technology transfer and commercialization. Ms. Palmintera provides strategic planning, evaluations, research, training and other consulting services on technology transfer, commercialization, industry-university partnerships, entrepreneurial development, SBIR, seed/venture capital, research parks, and economic conversion. Under multiple national and international contracts/grants, she has assessed best practices in technology-based economic development and innovation throughout the U.S. and more than 16 countries.

Dr. Wessner’s work addresses the linkages between science-based economic growth, entrepreneurship, new technology development, university-industry clusters, regional development, small firm finance and public-private partnerships. His program at the National Academies also addresses policy issues associated with international technology cooperation, investment, and trade in high-technology industries. Currently, he directs a series of studies centered on government measures to encourage entrepreneurship and support the development of new technologies. Foremost among these is a Congressionally mandated study of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, reviewing the operation and achievements of this $2 billion award program for small companies and start-ups. He is also directing a major study on best practice in global innovation programs, entitled Comparative Innovation Policy: Best Practice for the 21st Century. A complementary analysis entitled Competing in the 21st Century: Best Practice in State & Regional Innovation Initiatives is now in preparation.