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Five Florida universities rank in the top 35 public universities granted U.S. patents

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Five State University System institutions are ranked among the Top 35 public universities granted U.S. utility patents in 2017, according to a new report by the National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association.

Among all public universities in the United States, University of South Florida ranked fifth with 116 patents, University of Florida Research Foundation ranked sixth with 111 patents, Florida International University ranked 26th with 42 patents, University of Central Florida ranked 28th with 39 patents, and Florida State University ranked 34th with 34 patents. 

“Florida’s public universities continue to exemplify the incredible impact that research and innovation have on the state of Florida,” said Alan Levine, chair of the Board of Governors’ Academic and Research Excellence Committee. “I’m pleased to congratulate the universities on this prestigious list and to thank them for advancing so many important discoveries and inventions that benefit humankind and fuel our economy.” 

The report utilizes data acquired from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to highlight the important role patents play in university research and innovation. 

“The institutions on this list are doing incredible work promoting academic innovation and incubating groundbreaking technologies which exemplify the importance of technology transfer to institutional success,” said Paul R. Sanberg, president of the National Academy of Inventors. “We are proud to collaborate with the Intellectual Property Owners for the sixth consecutive year, and it is a privilege to showcase the vital contributions to society made by universities.”

The five universities are Member Institutions of the National Academy of Inventors, as are all 12 universities in the State University System of Florida.

The National Academy of Inventors is a member organization comprising U.S. and international universities, and governmental and non-profit research institutes, with over 4,000 individual inventor members and Fellows spanning more than 250 institutions. The headquarters are located in the University of South Florida Research Park in Tampa. The Intellectual Property Owners Association, established in 1972, is a trade association for owners of patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets.

“University patents help to ignite a culture of growth and innovation which in turn stimulates local, regional and global economies and generates funding for future research initiatives,” said Mark W. Lauroesch, the Intellectual Property Owners Association Executive Director. “The Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents is a report which demonstrates the critical role universities play in patents, licensing and commercialization.”

The National Academy of Inventors and Intellectual Property Owners have published the report annually since 2013. The rankings are compiled by calculating the number of utility patents granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that lists a university as the first assignee on the issued patent. For the purposes of the report, a university is defined as an institution that grants undergraduate-level degrees.

The full report of the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted Patents in 2017 can be found here.

Troy McDonald Endorses Toby Overdorf

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Today, the Toby Overdorf Campaign announced the endorsement of Stuart City Commissioner Troy McDonald. Overdorf, a Republican, is running for the District 83 seat in the Florida House of Representatives, currently held by Gayle Harrell, who faces term limits this year. McDonald’s endorsement comes on the heels of last week’s announcement that Port St. Lucie Councilwoman Stephanie Morgan is backing Overdorf. 

“There’s no question that Toby Overdorf is the right choice for District 83,” said McDonald. “He is a strong leader and has the conservative vision and values we need to keep Florida strong. I look forward to working with him.” 
[Read more…] about Troy McDonald Endorses Toby Overdorf

University of Florida selects contemporary choreographer and researcher to lead the College of the Arts

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Onye P. Ozuzu, dean of the School of Fine and Performing Arts at Columbia College Chicago, has been named dean of the University of Florida College of the Arts.

Effective August 1, Ozuzu will be responsible for formulating and articulating a shared vision for the College of the Arts, leading fundraising efforts and managing the college’s budget and personnel.

A dance administrator, performing artist, choreographer, educator and researcher, Ozuzu has served as dean of the School of Fine and Performing Arts at Columbia College Chicago since 2015 and was previously the chairperson of the department of dance.

During her tenure as dean, she oversaw the school’s $31 million budget, 524 faculty members, 110 staff members and 4,700 students. She provided direction to the nine department chairs of art and art history, business and entrepreneurship, creative arts therapies, dance, design, fashion studies, music, photography and theatre. Additionally, Ozuzu served as chair of a subcommittee on diversity, equity and inclusion.

“Ozuzu has an established record of effective, inclusive and collaborative leadership, an outstanding record of teaching and creative activity, and a demonstrated commitment to the arts,” said Joseph Glover, UF provost and senior vice president of academic affairs.

As a dancer, Ozuzu’s work has focused on the body as technology and explored the intersectionality between many movement forms from tennis to ballet, West African dance to Hatha Yoga, and freestyle House to salsa among others. Her choreography has been performed both nationally and internationally in places such as Manhattan, New Orleans, Senegal and Cuba.

Her most recent work, Project Tool, has focused on the interrelationships between body, task and tool through the process of building wood-sprung dance floors. Project Tool is a 2018 Joyce Award and a 2016 Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist recipient as well as a National Performance Network Creation Fund Project.

“I have dedicated much of my work as a dance artist to cultivating space for diverse dance forms to exist in pluralist relationship to one another,” Ozuzu said. “This has fed into my administrative work where I have fostered balance of visionary and deliberate progress in the arenas of curricular, artistic and systemic diversity, cultural relativity, collaboration and interdisciplinarity. To put it more directly, choreography is composition, composition in collaboration with humans and their energy in time and space; it is systems thinking, as is leadership. I look forward to entering the COTA community of artists and educators as a member and to working together on a deepening impact of the arts at the University of Florida.” 

Prior to her Columbia appointment, she was associate chair and director of dance in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she was integral to a seven-year overhaul of the departmental mission and curriculum with particular attention to a deep and sustainable integration of diversity, interdisciplinary studies and technology.

Ozuzu earned her Master of Fine Arts in dance and choreography and Bachelor of Arts in English literature at Florida State University.

She succeeds Dean Lucinda Lavelli, who is retiring from a 12-year tenure of deanship, during which Lavelli grew the College of the Arts endowment over $2.5 million— a 37% increase— since 2007 and raised over $6.8 million in scholarships awarded to more than 5,000 students since 2008.

Lavelli has spearheaded multiple interdisciplinary initiatives across the campus and community, including the Creative B Summer Programming that brings together multiple UF departments to present a variety of live, cultural performances and a range of creative activities for students during the Summer B semester. She also served at the forefront of connecting the university with the city of Gainesville, leading the campus and community planning committee that resulted in the Aligning Strategic Initiatives through the Arts Report.

About the College of the Arts

The College of the Arts, previously known as the College of Fine Arts, is one the 16 colleges and more than 150 research centers and institutes at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. The College of the Arts offers baccalaureate, master’s and Ph.D. degree programs in its three fully-accredited schools — the School of Art and Art History, School of Music and School of Theatre and Dance. The college is home to the Center for Arts in Medicine, Center for World Arts, Digital Worlds Institute, University Galleries and the New World School of the Arts in Miami. More than 100 faculty members and more than 1,220 students work together daily to engage, inspire and create. The college hosts more than 300 performances, exhibitions and events each year. Faculty and students also exhibit and perform at other local, national and international venues. To learn more, visit arts.ufl.edu.

PSC Reduces Florida Power & Light Customer Bills

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The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) voted to reduce bills for Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) customers today, approving reductions to its 2018 capacity and environmental cost recovery rate components to comply with the 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act.

As a result of the Act, which lowered the corporate federal income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, some of FPL’s projected costs are now overstated. The PSC uses “mid-course corrections” to revise recovery rates when a deviation from expected costs warrants it. FPL’s capacity cost recovery component will be reduced by $0.23 per month, and its environmental cost recovery factor will decrease by $0.36 per month for a typical residential customer.

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API to Launch Explore Offshore: A New Coalition For U.S. Offshore Energy Exploration and Development

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Please join API for a press conference call to launch Explore Offshore, a new coalition made up of community organizations, associations, businesses and local leaders across the Southeast in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida who support increased access to U.S. offshore oil and natural gas resources.

Explore Offshore’s national co-chairs, Former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson and Former Secretary of the Navy and Virginia Senator Jim Webb, will be speaking, as well as the state chairs.

There will be a question and answer session for reporters.

What:  Press call to announce Explore Offshore, a new coalition in Support Of U.S. Offshore Energy Exploration and Development

Who: Explore Offshore National Co-Chairs: Former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson and Former Secretary of the Navy and Virginia Senator Jim Webb

Virginia Co-Chairs: Former Delegates Winsome Sears and Mike Watson

North Carolina Chair: Former Mayor of Fayetteville Nat Robertson

South Carolina Chair: South Carolina African American Chamber of Commerce Chairman Stephen Gilchrist

Florida Chairs: Former Puerto Rico State Senator Dr. Miriam Ramirez, Former Florida Lieutenant Governor Jeff Kottkamp, Former Director of the Crestview Area of Chamber of Commerce Wayne Harris

Georgia Chair: Georgia State Petroleum Council Director Hunter Hopkins

When: Wednesday June 6, 2018 at 10 a.m. EDT

Phone: (800) 374-2418
Conference ID: 9782108

 Please RSVP by replying to [email protected] or by calling API media relations at 202-682-8114.

 This event is open to credentialed media only.

Gov. Scott Appoints Three to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court

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Today, Governor Rick Scott announced three appointments to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court.

Judge Dawn V. Denaro, 51, of Miami, is a county judge for Miami-Dade County, and previously served as an Assistant State Attorney for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. She received her bachelor’s degree from Tulane University and her law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Denaro fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Jerald Bagley.

Judge Andrea Ricker Wolfson, 45, of Miami Beach, is a county judge for Miami-Dade County, and previously served as an Assistant State Attorney/Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame, her master’s degree from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and her law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law. Wolfson fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Antonio Marin.

Judge Renatha Francis, 40, of Miami, is a county judge for Miami-Dade County. She previously practiced with Shutts & Bowen, LLP, and served as an attorney for the First District Court of Appeal. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of the West Indies and her law degree from Florida Coastal Law School. Francis fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Sarah Zabel.

DSC names new student center for L. Gale Lemerand

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Daytona State College has named its 84,000-square-foot student center under construction on its main campus in honor of longtime benefactor and former trustee L. Gale Lemerand during a Thursday, May 31, ceremony, followed by tours of the three-story structure, expected to be completed next spring.

The naming marks a formal recognition of Lemerand’s longtime support of the college and its students, including a most recent gift of $2 million to the Daytona State College Foundation. The gift brings to more than $3 million donated to DSC by the prolific entrepreneur over the years in support of student scholarships and campus growth initiatives, becoming the college’s most generous living benefactor.

“Today, we come together to honor a man who has been a champion of higher education, not only at Daytona State College, but throughout the state of Florida,” said DSC President Tom LoBasso. “The entire college community is deeply proud and honored to name this new student center for Mr. Gale Lemerand, whose longtime support of Daytona State already is leaving a legacy that will live on for generations and continue to serve countless students. Gale, thank you for being a friend of Daytona State College and for making such a huge difference in the lives of so many of our students, yesterday, today and well into the future.”

The new facility will embody a design and function for modern-era higher education that will focus on student engagement. It will facilitate a paradigm shift in teaching and learning for the 21st century, noted District Board of Trustees Chair Forough Hosseini. “This will be a place where students can socialize and interact with their peers, faculty and college staff, and access the resources and guidance they need to stay on track,” she said. “We know that students who are engaged in college life are more likely to achieve academic success and complete their degrees. This facility is being built with this in mind.”

In addition to academic support services that include the library and writing center, the building will house a study commons, state-of-the-art classrooms, conference rooms and a large events center. Career Services, a one-stop resource center for career planning and job placement, also will relocate to the building.

The facility also will serve as a hub for the DSC student life experience, where students will gravitate to relax and socialize, with offices for student clubs, a game room, a cafeteria and coffee lounge, and an outdoor dining area.

Trustee Hosseini noted, “It is the generosity of people like Gale Lemerand that helps our lawmakers take notice when we make our funding requests. Knowing that our community’s leaders are serious about being partners in education, helping us achieve the kind of excellence in teaching and learning that our students expect goes a long way in Tallahassee.”

Gov. Scott Attends Roundtable with Puerto Rico Lt. Gov. Rivera-Marin to Offer Assistance and Guidance 

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Today, Governor Rick Scott attended a roundtable hosted by Puerto Rico Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State Luis Rivera-Marin, where he offered assistance and guidance on their ongoing recovery from Hurricane Maria. At the roundtable, Gov. Scott was joined by Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Wes Maul and Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Cissy Proctor, as well as Puerto Rico business leaders.

Governor Scott said, “Hurricane season begins this week, and while we are always working to make sure Florida is prepared, we are also working to help our neighbors in Puerto Rico. At Governor Ricardo Rosselló’s request, I am proud to be in Puerto Rico for the sixth time since Hurricane Maria’s devastating impact to continue working with him and Lieutenant Governor Luis Rivera-Marin to offer assistance and guidance on their ongoing recovery. We will keep fighting to help our friends in Puerto Rico rebuild, recover and be ready for this year’s hurricane season.” 

To view the video, CLICK HERE.

Actions taken by Governor Scott following Hurricane Maria:

·        On September 28th, at the request of Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló, Governor Scott traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico to help coordinate response and recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria.

·        On October 5th, the Governor entered into a host-state agreement with FEMA – Florida is the only state willing to enter into this type of agreement to help families displaced by Hurricane Maria.

·        On October 11th, Governor Scott met with Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture Congressman Mike Conaway, Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security Congressman Michael McCaul, and Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón.

·        On October 30th, the Governor’s office sent a letter to the Office of Management and Budget. See the letter HERE.

·        On November 3rd, Governor Scott led a delegation of Florida utility providers to Puerto Rico at the invitation of Governor Ricardo Rosselló.

·        On November 9th, the Governor activated the State Emergency Response Team to assist families displaced by Hurricane Maria. See the Governor’s press release HERE.

·        On November 15th, the Governor sent a letter to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan urging them to support Florida’s efforts to support those displaced from Puerto Rico by Hurricane Maria. See the Governor’s letter HERE.

·        On December 21st, Governor Scott spoke with Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón regarding Puerto Rico’s recovery from Hurricane Maria.

·        On December 22nd, Governor Scott spoke with U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen regarding recovery efforts for Florida and Puerto Rico.

·        On January 3rd, Governor Scott sent a letter to the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations urging the Senate to immediately pass a significant Hurricane Irma and Maria disaster relief package. See the Governor’s letter HERE.

·        On January 11th, Governor Scott spoke with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Brock Long regarding the FEMA Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program and the importance of continued communication between federal, state and local partners as families continue to recover from Hurricane Maria.

·        On January 12th, Governor Scott met with Governor Ricardo Rosselló and joined him for a Puerto Rico recovery town hall meeting to discuss ongoing relief efforts.

·        On January 24th, Governor Scott, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, California Governor Jerry Brown and Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló issued a joint letter urging the U.S. Senate to improve and expeditiously pass supplemental disaster funding, and for Congress to send the bill to the President. See the letter HERE.

·        On February 5th, Governor Scott visited Puerto Rico with Governor Ricardo Rosselló to assist with ongoing Hurricane Maria recovery efforts.

·        On February 7th, Governor Scott spoke with FEMA Administrator Brock Long regarding Governor Scott’s recent trip to Puerto Rico.

·        On February 7th, Governor Scott announced a new partnership to connect families displaced by Hurricane Maria with jobs in Florida. See the announcement HERE.

·        On March 5th, Governor Scott traveled to Puerto Rico to meet with Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón and attend the Puerto Rico State of the State Address.

·        On April 18th, Governor Scott met with Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón in Washington D.C. to discuss how Florida is working to help Puerto Rican evacuees in the state.

·        On April 18th, Governor Scott also spoke with FEMA Administrator Brock Long to discuss the FEMA Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program and the importance of keeping the FEMA case managers the Governor previously requested on the ground across the state.

·        On May 18th, Governor Scott announced that Florida Department of Education Commissioner Pam Stewart would travel to Puerto Rico on May 20th to meet with Puerto Rico Department of Education Secretary Dr. Julie Keleher and offer continued guidance and support. See the Governor’s announcement HERE.

Enrollment Day, College Funding Workshop make it easy, June 9

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With the summer and fall semesters just around the corner, it’s time for students returning and new to college to lock in their schedule at Daytona State College. DSC offers an easy-access, no-cost session next month to make registration a simple one-stop process.

Enrollment Day on Saturday, June 9, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the college’s Daytona Beach Campus provides an opportunity for students to complete everything from admission to registration.Stop by the 103.3FM booth for a live radio remote featuring DJ Tremble, plus games, giveaways and other prize drawings. Our friends at TheVibe are offering to pick-up the cost of text books for a student starting this fall; enter Your Books Are On Us Sweepstakes today!

Students can take advantage of the one-stop event to complete everything from admission to registration to financial aid and have a chance to win a $350 scholarship from the Daytona State Foundation.

How it works: Students start by completing a Daytona State application, then meet with an Admissions Advisor and Financial Aid Counselor, take an assessment test (if applicable), meet with an Academic Advisor, and then lock in their schedule.

Enrollment Saturday event schedule:

Saturday, June 9, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Daytona Beach Campus

Wetherell Center (Bldg. 100)

1200 W. International Speedway Blvd.

 

In addition, find out how to get some free money by attending the FAFSA College Funding Saturday Workshop that’s scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in room 205. Hosted by Daytona State’s Financial Aid Office the workshop will explain college education financing and help with completing the financial aid applications (FAFSA).

Academic Advisors will also be available to talk about unique academic programs such as Honors College and Learning Communities which includes Linked Classes and Daytona State’s award-winning QUANTA program.

Daytona State offers programs that link to today’s jobs and careers in the region and the state. Featuring numerouscertificates leading to two-year associate of science degrees, and associated bachelor’s degree in industries such as business, education, engineering technology, information technology and healthcare; many using instructional methods that include in-class, online and a combination of both.

  • The Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management (BAS) degree is designed for students who already have an associate degree, many of whom are working in their field and looking for advancement. Students in the BAS program will learn the essential components of supervision and management, including the skills needed to assume more responsibility in their career. Salaries range from approximately $46,000 to $100,000 (U.S. Dept. of Labor). Concentrations in: Accounnting/Finance, Entrepreneurship, NEW – Hospitality, Legal, Management, Marketing/Sales, Project Management, as well as Television Studio Production.
  • The Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology (BSET) degree is available as a standalone degree or with a concentration in Electrical Engineering. This degree is designed for students who already have an associate degree. Graduates are prepared to practice engineering in the areas of product improvement, manufacturing and engineering operational functions. Salaries range from approximately $51,000 to $78,000 (U.S. Dept. of Labor).
  • The Bachelor of Science in Education (BSED) degree is designed for students who already have an Associate of Arts degree and want to teach in the K-12 system. Daytona State offers bachelor’s degrees in seven education fields: Elementary Education, Exceptional Student Education, Secondary Biology Education, Secondary Mathematics Education, Secondary Earth/Space Science Education, Secondary Chemistry Education and Secondary Physics Education. Salaries range from approximately $34,000 to $53,000 (U.S. Dept. of Labor).
  •  The Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) degree is designed for students who already have an Associate degree. Degrees in Computer Information Technology, Computer Programming and Analysis (Software Engineering Technology), Internet Services Technology or Network Systems Technology provide a seamless transition into this new program, offered online and at Daytona State’s Advanced Technology College. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates IT-related job growth to expand by more than 50 percent through 2018, with salaries for experienced BS graduates averaging in the $70,000 range.
  • The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree offers a traditional face-to-face method requiring 48 credit hours, building upon the 72 credit hours which were already earned in the associate degree in Nursing program. By choosing the Daytona State BSN program, students save over 30 percent on the cost of tuition compared to the most price-competitive area BSN programs.

Students unable to attend Enrollment Day can take advantage of DSC’s extended registration hours for summer and fall classes, through Aug. 3:

  • Daytona Beach Campus – 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday
  • DeLand Campus – 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., Tuesday & Thursday
  • Deltona Campus – 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., Monday & Wednesday
  • Flagler/Palm Coast Campus – 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., Tuesday & Thursday
  • New Smyrna Beach-Edgewater Campus – 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., Monday & Tuesday

Note: All other days, the campuses are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Friday, 8 a.m. until noon through Aug. 3; regular hours resume Aug. 6. 

For more information about the Enrollment Saturday events, e-mail [email protected] or call (386) 506-4471.

Florida Association for Behavior Analysis Responds to Recent Moratorium on Enrollment of New Providers in Miami and Broward

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Florida Association for Behavior Analysis’ Response

The Florida Association for Behavior Analysis (FABA) today commended the state Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) for issuing a temporary moratorium on the enrollment of new behavior analysis providers in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The issue of Medicaid fraud and abuse is something that board-certified behavior analysts take very seriously, and FABA is grateful that AHCA is aggressively investigating and prosecuting fraudulent providers. [Read more…] about Florida Association for Behavior Analysis Responds to Recent Moratorium on Enrollment of New Providers in Miami and Broward