UAlbany Hosts 2nd Annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week
ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 8, 2024) — Artificial Intelligence (AI), climate science, research excellence and fostering inventions are just some of the topics in store for the second annual Research and Entrepreneurship Week at the University at Albany. The four-day event will run from Oct. 21-24 at the state-of-the-art ETEC building on the state Harriman Campus.
The slate of activities begins on Monday, Oct. 21, with opening remarks from UAlbany Vice President for Research and Economic Development Thenkurussi (Kesh) Kesavadas, followed by a keynote address by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Germano Iannacchione.
“Research and Entrepreneurship Week embodies the University at Albany's commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration,” said Kesavadas. “This week highlights the groundbreaking work of our faculty, students and partners, driving progress and impact in our region and beyond. I invite everyone to join us in honoring the achievements and exploring the possibilities in both research and entrepreneurship.”
Oct. 21: State of Research and Innovation
The activities begin on Oct. 21 with a series of discussions on the state of research and innovation in the Capital Region and beyond, starting with Iannachione's keynote address.
The director for the Division of Materials Research (DMR) at NSF, Iannachione’s research focuses on phases and phase transitions in soft-condensed matter, specifically liquid crystals, polymers and biomolecules in pure and composite systems. He holds a PhD in Physics from Kent State University, and previously served as the program director in Condensed Matter Physics (2017-20 and Biomaterials (2018-19) for NSF.
SUNY Research Foundation Incoming CEO Benjamin Friedman will deliver a second keynote on the role of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in climate stewardship. Friedman previously served as deputy undersecretary for operations at NOAA for eight years, the longest span of any NOAA deputy undersecretary for operations.
This will be followed by a panel discussion with Kesavadas, Iannachione and Friedman moderated by Gary Ackerman, the associate dean for research at UAlbany’s College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC).
Other events throughout the first day include faculty’s outstanding accomplishments in research, scholarship, and innovation recognition as well as tabling on research resources and services.
Oct. 22: Capital Region Artificial Intelligence Day
On Tuesday, Oct. 22, the focus will shift to AI as the University hosts Capital Region Artificial Intelligence Day, a partnership between UAlbany’s AI+ Institute and RPI’s Future of Computing Institute. Day Two’s keynote address will be delivered by Pin-Yu Chen, principal research scientist at IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center. This will be followed by a panel discussion on sustainable AI and supercomputing.
In addition to serving as principal research scientist at the Watson Research Center, Chen is the chief scientist of the RPI-IBM AI Research Collaboration and principal investigator of the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab. His research focuses on adversarial machine learning of neural networks for robustness and safety. He received his PhD in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of Michigan.
Oct. 23: Innovation and Entrepreneurship Day
Day Three of R&E Week, Wednesday, Oct. 23, turns to innovation and entrepreneurship, beginning with an interview with Startup CEO Ted Eveleth, founder of AvantGuard.
AvantGuard is startup firm specializing in the development of innovation solutions to manage surfaces and provide long-term protection against viruses, bacteria, fungi and mold. As CEO, Eveleth is responsible for creating the vision for the company, aligning technology with market needs and executing a plan to realize the firm’s vision.
Following the interview, the University will host a “Matchmaking for Inventors” activity organized by the UAlbany Research and Innovators Startup Exchange (RISE), a new collaborative pilot program aimed at taking research from concept to commercialization.
In the afternoon, UAlbany will host a conversation on commercializing non-patentable intellectual property, featuring UAlbany Interim Dean of the Massry School of Business Kevin Williams and University at Albany Tech Transfer Director Peter Gonczlik . Starting with a sponsored research award in 2007, Williams and local startup Chequed.com laid the foundation for what would become a web-based reference checking system that was developed for use by employers for screening job candidates. Williams and Gonczlik will discuss how the technology licensed from UAlbany allowed chequed.com to realize more than $1 million in revenues and provide students with real-world experience that they could use to launch their careers.
In the late afternoon, the University will host the annual Blackstone Launchpad Business Competition, which features a top prize of $1,000. The event is designed to promote student innovation and develop skills such as growth mindset, creativity, critical thinking and leadership.
Oct. 24: Impact in the Public Interest
The final day of R&E Week, Thursday, Oct. 24, brings attention to the public interest impact of research and creative works, with a closing reception and art exhibit. Through two panels, 10 lightning talks and two moderated discussions, the program is designed to demonstrate the impact of UAlbany’s research on the world, to showcase research and economic potential, and to foster new partnerships.
The opening panel of RNA Institute Director Andrew Berglund, Assistant Professor of Music and Theatre Kyra Gaunt, Center for Women in Government and Civil Society Director Dina Refki and Atmospheric Sciences Research Center Director Christopher Thorncroft will highlight successes and strategies for increasing the impact of their work.
Next, a series of “lightning talks” — short-form presentations designed to spark new conversations across disciplines and communities — will hit on topics ranging from RNA sequencing to lithium as an alternative form of energy to promoting healthy cognitive functioning among older persons. The lightning talks offer insights into the wide-ranging research and innovation taking place across the UAlbany campus.
A Capstone Panel will engage leaders from the Capital Region for a discussion on building world-class, multi-sector partnerships that create social good and solve real-world problems in the Capital Region and beyond. Panelists include Assembly member Patricia Fahy, RPI Vice President of Research Richard Hull, Wadsworth Research Center Director Leonard Peruski, NY CREATES Vice President of Technology Strategy John Iacoponi.
Networking Reception and Art Exhibition
The closing reception on Thursday afternoon will feature an art exhibition and networking opportunity, along with closing remarks by Kesavadas. The art exhibition showcases works produced by students in the course "Art, Writing, and Security: A Museum-based Collaboration," taught by Professor of Studio Art and Chair of Art & Art History Daniel Goodwin, CEHC Dean Robert Griffin and Professor of English Edward Schwarzschild. They will share their insights about their interdisciplinary collaboration that produced the works featured at the exhibition.