DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR TRDA'S IGNITING INNOVATION PROGRAM - APRIL SESSION 4 DAYS AWAY!

DEADLINE TO APPLY: Midnight APRIL 2, 2012 ! Are You a Florida Tech Company Looking to Raise Venture Capital? How Can the Igniting Innovation (i2) Capital Acceleration Program Help You Succeed? The Igniting Innovation (i2) Capital Acceleration Program, is offered by the Technological Research and Development Authority (TRDA) with support from Space Florida. It consists of three months of intense mentoring that kicks off with a one-day boot camp, and culminates with a day of presentations to a panel of investors that will provide honest feedback on your business. The i2 Mentor Network is a statewide network of "been there, done that" technology entrepreneurs that have founded and raised capital for their own companies. Our mentors have collectively raised over $300 million for their own companies, and will work with you to prepare your company (team, financial statements, business plan, sales/marketing strategy and much more) for the capital raising process. The i2 team has a network of angels, venture capitalists and pre-seed funding resources within our i2 Ventures Network to accelerate the connection of great companies to Florida's investment community. Two mentoring sessions will be held in 2012 -- one began in January and the next session begins in April 2012. The most promising companies from each i2 Accelerator session will be invited to participate in the annual Igniting Innovation Showcase, which will be held in September 2012. The i2 showcase attracts investors, mentors and industry partners from all over the country, and has a $100,000 grant award for the most promising presenting company. The winning company will be selected by attending venture capitalists based on revenue growth potential within five years and the ability to create a return for investors. What are the Benefits of Participating in the i2 Program? Fast Track selection opportunity for i2 Showcase and the $100,000 grant competition Immediate, honest feedback on your business plan, and its potential attractiveness to angels, venture capitalists or other sources of capital Accelerated path to the i2 Ventures Network (angels, venture capital firms, gap funding sources) Ongoing access to a deep, statewide network of experienced "been there, done that" mentors that have walked in your shoes and raised capital for their own companies Quick-drop education on best practices for business plan development, financial modeling, market strategies and closing your first customers Access to a statewide network of critical business service providers at reduced rates Usage of the TRDA Innovation Center for workspace, meetings and classrooms What are the Criteria to Participate in the i2 Program? Florida-based technology companies with the following criteria are eligible for the i2 Accelerator: Headquartered in Florida with at least 80% of employees also in Florida Potential for rapid revenue growth within five years Relevant technical expertise on team for product strategy In one of the following sectors -- Internet/Media/Mobile Apps, Cleantech, Biotech/Medical Devices, Gaming/Simulation, Defense/Aerospace, Software/IT and telecommunications. What is the Cost to Participate? There is no cost to apply to the i2 Accelerator program. If your company is selected to participate, there is a $750 fee to participate in the three month session (payable in monthly increments of $250). This fee includes the kickoff boot camp, all mentoring sessions, and access to the TRDA facilities for workspace and meetings, and participation in the final investor presentation day. We also will provide three months of limited post-session support (maximum of five hours/month) for i2 Accelerator graduate companies that have met stated growth milestones are are ready to actively pursue capital. There are no additional costs for post session investor introductions for companies that are ready to meet with investors, nor is there a fee to participate in the i2 Annual Showcase if your company is selected to present. How Do I Apply? Simply fill out the online application located at www.i2florida.com/how-to-apply. If you are selected for the April 2012 session, a mandatory one-day kickoff boot camp will be held at the TRDA Business Innovation Center in Melbourne, Florida on April 12, 2012. Applications for the April session are due by April 2nd, 2012 and selections will be announced no later than April 6, 2012. Questions? Contact Brenda McMillan at bmcmillan@trda.org or (321) 872-1050 ext. 103. [Insert social links here - se ect the logos from the toolbar on the left side.]

UCF CECS Senior Design Day - Symposium & Showcase - April 13th

UCF College of Engineering & Computer Science

Senior Design Day

April 13, 2012 (8:00 AM – 3:00PM)

4th Annual Senior Design Symposium on Renewable

& Sustainable Energy

& the CECS Senior Design Showcase

Presentations in Eng. 2 – Lecture Hall 102 / Symposium & College-wide Projects Showcased in Eng. 2 - Atrium

Senior Day Registration - Symposium & Showcase
Parking & Directions will be provided.

3^rd Annual – 2011 Symposium: Video & Publication

Progress Energy and a bevy of other local, national and global companies have been teaming with UCF’s College of Engineering & Computer Science (CECS) on renewable and sustainable energy projects during the past four years. On April 13, 2012, the 4th Annual UCF CECS Senior Design Symposium on Renewable and Sustainable Energy will be held to showcase some of the best energy innovation by graduating seniors. The 4th Annual CECS Senior Design Symposium and the Engineering Leadership & Innovation Institute (eli2) are examples of strategic commitments by UCF and Progress Energy to forge innovative, socially conscious energy solutions and to develop the leadership attributes of our future engineers.

The keynote speaker is Dr. Dan Arvizu Director, U.S. Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory. After more than three decades of professional engagement in the clean energy field, Dr. Arvizu has become one of the world's leading experts on renewable energy and sustainable energy. He frequently engages with national leaders in Congress, the Administration, academia, non-governmental organizations, and industry

During their senior year, UCF Engineering students bridge the gap between academic and professional experience by participating in year-long design and build projects that involve different disciplines of the engineering profession and include multidisciplinary teams. Along with their faculty advisors, engineering students work to develop innovative and creative product proposals, conduct the design analysis, design and build a prototype, and prepare engineering reports. At the end of their senior year, the students present and demonstrate their renewable and sustainable energy projects at the 4^th Annual Senior Design Symposium as part of the College’s Senior Design Day that includes the Senior Design Showcase. All of the events are free and open to the campus community as well as to local industry.

Besides showcasing engineering innovation and talent development for the next wave of UCF engineers, the UCF CECS Senior Design Symposium on Renewable and Sustainable Energy provides invaluable experiences in project management, entrepreneurship, leadership, social responsibility and teamwork building. Applying classroom learning for the solution of real-world problems is something we do at UCF very well—and often. This year’s Senior Design Day Symposium and Showcase are great examples of innovation and experience-based learning at its best.

RSVP for How to Transform Your Body with the Limited Time you Have - 4/19/12

Seminar Today / 3.23.12 / 11-12pm / CREOL 102 / "Multi-contrast photoacoustic microscopy: listening to anatomy, function, metabolism, and biomarkers

Seminar: "Multi-contrast Photoacoustic Microscopy: Listening to Anatomy, Function, Metabolism, and Biomarkers in Vivo", Song Hu

CREOL Room 102

Friday, March 23, 2012 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Dr. Song Hu

Optical Imaging Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis

Abstract:
Photoacoustic microscopy (PAM), combining focused optical excitation and ultrasonic detection, enables in vivo multi-contrast characterization of biological tissues down to the cellular level. In PAM, light absorption by endogenous biomolecules or exogenous biomarkers thermoelastically induces a local pressure rise and launches an ultrasonic wave, which propagates through the tissue and is received by an acoustic detector to form an image. This talk will focus on anatomical, functional, metabolic, and molecular PAM at various in vivo sites, including the brain, skin, and eye. The broad applications of PAM in neurology, vascular biology, oncology, and dermatology will be highlighted.

IEEE Student Chapter Seminar / 4.5.12 / CREOL 102 / 2-3:30 / “GaN-based Nanocolumn Emitters and Related Technologies", Katsumi Kishino

IEEE Student Chapter Seminar: “GaN-based Nanocolumn Emitters

and Related Technologies”, Katsumi Kishino

CREOL 102

Thursday, April 5, 2012 / 2-3:30pm

Dr. Katsumi Kishino

Sophia University

Abstract:

The problem of multi-color emission of

the InGaN-based nanocolumn LEDs was solved by

selective area growth (SAG) technique. Imploying

the GaN nanocolumn arrays, green LED and

near-infrared (1.46µm) LED were demonstrated

The monolithic integration of green and orange

emissions nanocolumn LEDs on the same GaN

template was successfully obtained (Fig.l)

Biography:

Katsumi Kishino is a professor in the Department

ofElectrical and Electronics Engineering, Sophia University,

Tokyo. He is conducting the research on nitride semiconductors

by rf-lv.IBE including GaNbased nanocolumn, nan-devices and

InN related materials, and on novel II-VI compounds on InP

substrates and related yellow-green emitters Dr. Kishino is a

fellow of the Japan Society of Applied Physics, a fellow of the

Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication

Engineers (IEICE) of Japan, and a senior member of IEEE

For More Information:

IEEE Photonics Society Student Chapter

Yifan Liu

liuyf423 @ knightsucf. edu

Chaptor Advisor:

Prof. Shin-Tson Wu

Free Webinar from GrowFL - How To Run Your Company Presented by Brent Britton

~ Free GrowFL Webinar Series ~ How To Run Your Company: "Put On Your Own Oxygen Mask Before Helping Those Around You (and Other Life Lessons I've Learned on Airplanes)" Learn how to run a company, using nifty aviation metaphors. Have your given yourself enought runway to launch? Do your customers feel like they are in your first class cabin? Who's really in control of your flight path? This amusing talk presents a few important lessons for life and business drawn from long experience as an airline passenger. You will leave with some tips and tricks for staying airborne in the commercial world. Presented by: Brent Britton Monday, April 9, 2012 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Brent Britton is firmwide chair of Emerging Business and Technology Law in the Tampa office of GrayRobinson, PA. Brent is the only graduate of the MIT Media Laboratory who is a lawyer, and he was recently described by 83 Degrees magazine as "arguably the most sought oafter one-man think tank for entreprenerus across Central Florida." Brent has been handling technoogy and IP related legal work for small and large companies around the world for more than 20 years. He is a lively and frequent speaker. He is admitted to practice law in California, New York, and Florida. He lives in South Tampa with his wife and two children. To attend this free webinar, please register: http://www.growfl.com/growflnews/events/growfl-webinar-apr-9 Hosted By: The Florida Economic Gardening Institute at the University of Central Florida was established in 2009. Initially funded by the Florida Legislature, the Institute has provided services via the State of Florida’s Economic Gardening Technical Assistance Pilot Program, known as GrowFL. With various partnerships throughout the state, the Institute collaborates with statewide partners to support the growth of second-stage businesses through localized entrepreneurial ecosystems. To view our program requirements and apply, click

TRDA's Igniting Innovation Capital Acceleration Program Assists Florida Tech Companies Raise Venture Capital

Application Deadline: April 2, 2012 Are You a Florida Tech Company Looking to Raise Venture Capital? How Can the Igniting Innovation (i2) Capital Acceleration Program Help You Succeed? The Igniting Innovation (i2) Capital Acceleration Program, is offered by the Technological Research and Development Authority (TRDA) with support from Space Florida. It consists of three months of intense mentoring that kicks off with a one-day boot camp, and culminates with a day of presentations to a panel of investors that will provide honest feedback on your business. The i2 Mentor Network is a statewide network of "been there, done that" technology entrepreneurs that have founded and raised capital for their own companies. Our mentors have collectively raised over $300 million for their own companies, and will work with you to prepare your company (team, financial statements, business plan, sales/marketing strategy and much more) for the capital raising process. The i2 team has a network of angels, venture capitalists and pre-seed funding resources within our i2 Ventures Network to accelerate the connection of great companies to Florida's investment community. Two mentoring sessions will be held in 2012 -- one began in January and the next session begins in April 2012. The most promising companies from each i2 Accelerator session will be invited to participate in the annual Igniting Innovation Showcase, which will be held in September 2012. The i2 showcase attracts investors, mentors and industry partners from all over the country, and has a $100,000 grant award for the most promising presenting company. The winning company will be selected by attending venture capitalists based on revenue growth potential within five years and the ability to create a return for investors. What are the Benefits of Participating in the i2 Program? Fast Track selection opportunity for i2 Showcase and the $100,000 grant competition Immediate, honest feedback on your business plan, and its potential attractiveness to angels, venture capitalists or other sources of capital Accelerated path to the i2 Ventures Network (angels, venture capital firms, gap funding sources) Ongoing access to a deep, statewide network of experienced "been there, done that" mentors that have walked in your shoes and raised capital for their own companies Quick-drop education on best practices for business plan development, financial modeling, market strategies and closing your first customers Access to a statewide network of critical business service providers at reduced rates Usage of the TRDA Innovation Center for workspace, meetings and classrooms What are the Criteria to Participate in the i2 Program? Florida-based technology companies with the following criteria are eligible for the i2 Accelerator: Headquartered in Florida with at least 80% of employees also in Florida Potential for rapid revenue growth within five years Relevant technical expertise on team for product strategy In one of the following sectors -- Internet/Media/Mobile Apps, Cleantech, Biotech/Medical Devices, Gaming/Simulation, Defense/Aerospace, Software/IT and telecommunications. What is the Cost to Participate? There is no cost to apply to the i2 Accelerator program. If your company is selected to participate, there is a $750 fee to participate in the three month session (payable in monthly increments of $250). This fee includes the kickoff boot camp, all mentoring sessions, and access to the TRDA facilities for workspace and meetings, and participation in the final investor presentation day. We also will provide three months of limited post-session support (maximum of five hours/month) for i2 Accelerator graduate companies that have met stated growth milestones are are ready to actively pursue capital. There are no additional costs for post session investor introductions for companies that are ready to meet with investors, nor is there a fee to participate in the i2 Annual Showcase if your company is selected to present. How Do I Apply? Simply fill out the online application located at www.i2florida.com/how-to-apply. If you are selected for the April 2012 session, a mandatory one-day kickoff boot camp will be held at the TRDA Business Innovation Center in Melbourne, Florida on April 12, 2012. Applications for the April session are due by April 2nd, 2012 and selections will be announced no later than April 6, 2012. Questions? Contact Brenda McMillan at bmcmillan@trda.org or (321) 872-1050 ext. 103. [Insert social links here - se ect the logos from the toolbar on the left side.]

Invitation to Apopka Ribbon Cutting/Grand Opening

Social Media Marketing Strategy for Small Businesses by Constant Contact - April 4, 2012 - Kissimmee Incubator

Seminar: "Multi-contrast photoacoustic microscopy: listening to anatomy, function, metabolism, and biomarkers in vivo", Song Hu 3/23/12

Seminar: "Multi-contrast photoacoustic microscopy: listening to anatomy, function, metabolism, and biomarkers in vivo", Song Hu

Friday, March 23, 2012 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
CREOL Room 102

Title: Multi-contrast photoacoustic microscopy: listening to anatomy, function, metabolism, and biomarkers in vivo

Presenter: Dr. Song Hu, Optical Imaging Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis

Abstract:
Photoacoustic microscopy (PAM), combining focused optical excitation and ultrasonic detection, enables in vivo multi-contrast characterization of biological tissues down to the cellular level. In PAM, light absorption by endogenous biomolecules or exogenous biomarkers thermoelastically induces a local pressure rise and launches an ultrasonic wave, which propagates through the tissue and is received by an acoustic detector to form an image. This talk will focus on anatomical, functional, metabolic, and molecular PAM at various in vivo sites, including the brain, skin, and eye. The broad applications of PAM in neurology, vascular biology, oncology, and dermatology will be highlighted.

Biography:
Dr. Hu is a postdoctoral research associate in the Optical Imaging Laboratory at Washington University in St. Louis, where he received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering in 2010. Prior to that, he received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electronic Engineering from Tsinghua University in 2002 and 2005, respectively. His research interest is to combine optics and ultrasound for in vivo anatomical, functional, metabolic, and molecular imaging at multiple spatial and temporal scales. His current research focuses on the technical development of photoacoustic microscopy for in vivo multi-contrast analysis of physiology and pathophysiology at the microscopic level.

LPTH Press Release - LightPath Technologies Announces $1.1M Development Contract with Raytheon Vision Systems

LightPath Technologies Announces $1.1M Development Contract with Raytheon Vision Systems Orlando, FL: March 15, 2012: LightPath Technologies (NASDAQ: LPTH) announces today that it has entered into a $1.1 million research & development contract with Raytheon Vision Systems (NYSE: RTN). The contract is for development of low cost manufacturing processes for infrared optics and is in support of Raytheon Vision Systems’ $13.4 million Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Low Cost Thermal Imaging Manufacturing (LCTI-M) program. The goal of LCTI-M is to develop a wafer scale manufacturing process that will result in a camera on a chip, making thermal imagers affordable, accessible, and ubiquitous to every warfighter. "Applications of infrared and thermal imaging technology have grown explosively over the last ten years into various markets including industrial inspection, automotive vision and security. Cost is now a major barrier to further expansion into mission-critical defense and high-volume commercial applications. The lower-cost infrared optics that should result from our work on the LCTI project may not only enhance our warfighter’s capabilities, but could open significant new market and application opportunities in thermal imaging for LightPath," said Jim Gaynor, President and CEO of LightPath. "This contract allows us to continue our work to develop even lower cost materials and processes for infrared optics which we believe will enable critical defense capabilities, and expanded commercial applications as well. With this technology, we are currently targeting multiple high growth markets and applications such as infrared countermeasures, thermography, gas sensing and com mercial night vision systems and we are proud to partner with a global technology leader like Raytheon to develop new capabilities for these markets." Related to the overall objective of the LCTI-M program, Charlie Cartwright, vice president of Raytheon Network Centric Systems' Advanced Programs, which includes Raytheon Vision Systems, adds "Making high-performance thermal imagers available to every vehicle, surveillance device and dismounted soldier will give them greater situational awareness in low light, adverse weather and obscured environments." LightPath Technologies has more than 25 years of experience molding visible and infrared aspherical optics. In addition to its ongoing commercial activities, LightPath was previously awarded and completed a Phase II Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant from the Naval Air Warfare Center to develop molding technologies for infrared optical components. The LCTI-M contract will provide an opportunity to further develop LightPath's molding technology and provide enhanced capabilities for thermal imaging lenses in the mid- and long-wavelength infrared spectrum. About LightPath Technologies LightPath manufactures optical products including precision molded aspheric optics, GRADIUM® glass products, proprietary collimator assemblies, laser components utilizing proprietary automation technology, higher-level assemblies and packing solutions. LightPath has a strong patent portfolio that has been granted or licensed to us in these fields. LightPath common stock trades on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the stock symbol LPTH. For more information visit www.lightpath.com Contacts: Ray Pini, Director of Infrared Programs LightPath Technologies, Inc. Phone: +1-407-382-4003 x354 Email: rpini@lightpath.com Internet: www.lightpath.com

The Power of Positive Confrontations

The ABC'S of Exporting Seminar - UCF Kissimmee Incubator - RSVP to mgue 2 @ osceola. org

UCF CECS Senior Design Day - Symposium & Showcase - April 13th

UCF College of Engineering & Computer Science – Senior Design Day

April 13, 2012 (8:00 AM – 3:00PM)

4th Annual Senior Design Symposium on Renewable & Sustainable Energy
& the CECS Senior Design Showcase

Presentations in Eng. 2 – Lecture Hall 102 / College-wide Projects Showcased in Eng. 2 - Atrium & Harris Eng. Center

Senior Day Registration - Symposium & Showcase
Parking & Directions will be provided.

3^rd Annual – 2011 Symposium: Video & Publication

Progress Energy and a bevy of other local, national and global companies have been teaming with UCF’s College of Engineering & Computer Science (CECS) on renewable and sustainable energy projects during the past four years. On April 13, 2012, the 4th Annual UCF CECS Senior Design Symposium on Renewable and Sustainable Energy will be held to showcase some of the best energy innovation by graduating seniors. The 4th Annual CECS Senior Design Symposium and the Engineering Leadership & Innovation Institute (eli2) are examples of strategic commitments by UCF and Progress Energy to forge innovative, socially conscious energy solutions and to develop the leadership attributes of our future engineers.

The keynote speaker is Dr. Dan Arvizu Director, U.S. Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory. After more than three decades of professional engagement in the clean energy field, Dr. Arvizu has become one of the world's leading experts on renewable energy and sustainable energy. He frequently engages with national leaders in Congress, the Administration, academia, non-governmental organizations, and industry

During their senior year, UCF Engineering students bridge the gap between academic and professional experience by participating in year-long design and build projects that involve different disciplines of the engineering profession and include multidisciplinary teams. Along with their faculty advisors, engineering students work to develop innovative and creative product proposals, conduct the design analysis, design and build a prototype, and prepare engineering reports. At the end of their senior year, the students present and demonstrate their renewable and sustainable energy projects at the 4^th Annual Senior Design Symposium as part of the College’s Senior Design Day that includes the Senior Design Showcase. All of the events are free and open to the campus community as well as to local industry.

Besides showcasing engineering innovation and talent development for the next wave of UCF engineers, the UCF CECS Senior Design Symposium on Renewable and Sustainable Energy provides invaluable experiences in project management, entrepreneurship, leadership, social responsibility and teamwork building. Applying classroom learning for the solution of real-world problems is something we do at UCF very well—and often. This year’s Senior Design Day Symposium and Showcase are great examples of innovation and experience-based learning at its best.

Managing Transition and Change

TODAY: Seminar: 3.9.12 / CREOL 102 / 11-12pm / “Five Easy Pieces, Lost in Translation”, Kamran Badizadegan

Seminar: “Five Easy Pieces, Lost in Translation”, Kamran Badizadegan

CREOL 102

Friday, March 9, 2012 / 11-12pm

Kamran Badizadegan, MD

Nemours Children's Hospital

Abstract:

There has been a phenomenal growth in basic science and engineering over the past two decades, and the news media and funding agencies are regularly inundated with promises of cure and transformation in healthcare. However, the translational chasm between the bench and the bedside appears wider than ever, and except for incremental (albeit significant) improvements in existing biomedical technologies, there has been little tangible impact from promising new technologies on day-to-day delivery of medical care. This presentation focuses on the author’s personal experience as a physician-scientist working at the interface of science, technology and medicine, trying to close the translational gap between technological innovations, biomedical sciences and diagnostic medicine. Through a set of scientific and clinical vignettes primarily drawn from the work conducted at the MIT Spectroscopy Laboratory and ranging from diagnostic spectroscopy quantitative microscopy, the author reflects on the lessons of the past to provide a framework for future translational research in biomedical optics.

Biography:

Kamran Badizadegan graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a degr­ee in Chemical Engineering. He completed his medical education at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST), and trained in anatomic pathology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital Boston. He joined the faculty of HMS in 1997 as an attending pathologist at Children’s Hospital Boston, where he also conducted research in epithelial cell biology at the Harvard Digestive Diseases Center. A the same time, he began a small research collaboration with the MIT Spectroscopy Laboratory which over the subsequent decade evolved into a multidisciplinary research partnership in diagnostic spectroscopy and biomedical optics. At the time of his departure from the group in 2009, Kamran was associate director of the Spectroscopy Lab and a core investigator of the MIT Laser Biomedical Research Center. Kamran’s clinical activities shifted from Children’s Hospital to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in 2003, where he served as the head of pediatric pathology and an associate in gastrointestinal pathology. As an HST faculty and member of the Academy at HMS, Kamran played a key role in education of medical and graduate students working at the interface of medicine, science and technology. In 2011, Kamran left Harvard and MGH to help Nemours build an academic pathology department at the brand new facilities of the Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando, where he serves as the Chair of Pathology and Director of Nemours Pathology Network.

For More Information:

Bahaa E. A. Saleh

Dean, College of Optics and Photonics

besaleh@creol.ucf.edu