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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 17, 2003)
INVENTIONS continued from page 1 for social change instead of a goal for more licensing dollars. "Inventors and researchers will not be creating products to bring in more revenue for the University," he said. ‘The tail doesn't wag the dog." As required by federal law, the University reinvested $1.6 million of all licensing revenue generated for 2003 into funds for inventors and contributing research labs. The remainder of the revenue went to the office of technology transfer to help build its portfolio of licenses and patents. Vice President of Research Rich Linton said the recycling of funds is part of "an innovation cycle," which completes itself every time faculty driven applied research causes direct societal benefits. The University's basic mission has n't changed," Linton said. "We're not trying to become a business. We are supporting our faculty in creating new knowledge and making a greater im part on society." Making products and solving problems At the University in 2003, bioprod ucts brought in $490,000, sofWare and multimedia brought in $1.08 million and education technology brought in $250,000. "It isn't that these inventions are profitable," Gerhart said. "They are an expression of the University's mission to disseminate the fruits of new knowledge into the world." An example of a biosrience tool is the invention of monoclonal anti bodies, which are engineered organ isms designed to detect specific sub stances and support cancer research. A computer bridge player and the At las of Oregon book and CD versions are among this year's software inven tions. One electronic multimedia in vention is a special magnet used dur ing functional magnetic resonance imaging studies that helps take pic tures of the brain. One of the key education technol ogy successes is the University's School Wide Intervention System, which provides intervention strate gies to address violence and destruc tive behavior through school pro grams and social service agencies. Led by invention leader and educa tion Professor Rob Horner, the sys tem is designed to ensure school safety and the healthy social devel opment of K-12 students. "Through the freedom to explore different research possibilities, we can solve real social problems," Horner said. As a Web-based software applica tion, the School Wide Intervention System uses office discipline referrals to build more student-behavior sup port. The system has the potential to positively impact schools and create revenue for further University re search using the new data. Horner said the program has spread to 1,000 schools in 30 states and three differ ent countries. The School Wide Intervention Sys tem accounted for most of the leap in revenue this year through new and ex isting licensing programs, and the University didn't get a penny of profit from it. "The University gets nothing for the licensing we do,' Homer said. "All the revenue we get goes back to making the cost as cheap as possible for the program participants." One program, called Oregon Ca reer Information Systems, accounted for 55 percent of the University's li censing revenue for 2003. Currently licensed in 13 states, the program helps students and job-seekers do ca reer searches through a set of databas es and handy computer tools. Other inventions brought in $837,000 in 2003, which more than doubled the $335,000 earned in 2000. Keeping up with the elites Although the $78 million the Uni versity garnered in federally funded grants is "modest" compared to larg er institutions, Gerhart said, the school's performance in 2003 has in creased licensing income per research dollar and the number of inventions per $ 1 million of research. "The University is now likely per forming at or above the median rates for the elite group of research universities that reports to AlITM," Gerhart said. AUTM — the Association of Uni versity Technology Managers — does licensing surveys every four years based on information gath ered from 117 of the most research intensive institutions in the United States. According to an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education, the University's licensing income per dollar of research spending has jumped from $0,004 to $0,022, while the national median of AUTM-reporting universities was $0.01 from 1996 to 2000. For inventions, the University's 2003 rate was approximately at 0.46 inventions per $ 1 million of research, while the national median of AUTM reporting universities was equal to 0.4 from 1996 to 2000. To put this information into con text, CalTech brought in 0.04 licens ing dollars per research dollar while MIT brought in 0.03 licensing dol lars per research dollar, from 1996 to 2000. "The University will be watching with great interest as comparison val ues for these technology transfer measures are published in the coming months and years," Gerhart said. Although Oregon State University established a technology transfer of fice 12 years before the University, about $300,000 more revenue was earned in Eugene for 2003. "This year's numbers really reflect a maturation of technology transfer at the University," Gerhart said. Spurring growth Linton said this year's accom plishments are significant because the state of Oregon does not provide any funds for University research, at least not yet. "The University is an engine for economic growth at local and statewide levels," Linton said. 'Hopefully, we can get the state to reinvest in our efforts to improve job creation. " Looking forward to the productive and lucrative research years ahead, Linton said University research is shifting to biological, information and material sciences, or combina tions of chemistry and physics. Gerhart said he eagerly anticipates the new innovations. "I've been very impressed by the quality of research performed by the faculty thus far," Gerhart said. "I ex pect more good things to come." In order to remain competitive among reputable research universi ties, Gerhart said he expects the tech nology transfer office to grow to ac commodate for each new University invention. "Hopefully," he said, "we will be able to remain as a portal for research results and studies to move into the world outside of academia." Contact the business/science/technology reporter at caronalarab@dailyemerald.com. POWWOW continued from page 1 participated in NASU powwows for the past four years. She said support for Native American culture has grown during her five-year stay in Eu gene. "There are a lot of students that are really active," she said. "NASU is do ing a good job of recruiting and re taining people." NASU co-Director Natalie Ball said the group hosts a small pow wow in the fall and a large powwow in the spring to make Native Ameri can students feel at home at the University. "Students sometimes feel a lack of support," she said. "Academia is total ly different than where people come from, and it takes adjusting." She added that there are numer ous small powwows held in Eugene every month, and there are several powwows held throughout the na tion that last for several days, such as the Gathering of Nations in Albu querque, New Mexico, in April. Members from more than 12 tribes gathered at Saturday's event, and all nine tribes from Oregon were repre sented, Natalie Ball said. "People come from all over the na tion for the spring powwow," she said. "For some people it's a way to share who they are." She added that powwows are a way for her to share Native American cus toms with her young daughter. "It takes on a different meaning for me," she said. Along with traditional Native American sights and sounds, the powwow also included the tastes and smells of a free dinner of fry bread and salmon — food that Na talie Ball described as traditionally Native American. Since the two and-a-half hour event was free to the public, it included a 'blanket dance,' where a blanket was passed around to collect donations to pay the drummers. "The powwow is to share our cul ture so everything is not so foreign," Natalie Ball said. "We get an under standing for each other." Jennifer Sudick is a freelance reporter for the Emerald. RIVER continued from page 1 Group worked together on the restora tion, said Molly Campbell, program coordinator of the Lane chapter of OSPIRG. Besides the restoration project, both the Lane and University chap ters have done river walks to pick up garbage along the Willamette. The University chapter held its clean-up at the beginning of the year, and Lane had its own three weeks ago. Volunteers collected about 300 pounds of trash, Lane OSPIRG chap ter member Sam Fowles said. OSPIRG volunteer David Kurushi ma said the restoration also helps "bring more awareness to the river." Six miles of the Willamette River have been designated as a Superfund site because of industrial pollutants in the river. Part of OSPIRG's mission is "applying pressure to the new gover nor" to make sure the river is cleaned up as promised, Kurushima said. Lane OSPIRG chapter member Mollie Parris said she hopes the proj ect will help build a relationship with the Eugene Stream Team and "show them that we are responsible." Chris Potter is a freelance reporter for the Emerald. You're always close to campus. . .— > www.dailyemerald.com GOT A STORY IDEA? KSiS CAMPUS BUZZ Tuesday Art exhibit, 10a.m.-5 p.m., LaVeme Krause Gallery (Lawrence Hall). Mas ter of Fine Arts painting by Susan Klein, Marshall Roeman, Victoria Falk and Jeanette Little. Concert, 8 p.m., Beall Concert Hall. New music will be performed by Uni versity graduate student composers. On Call W/ 3-6 Hr. Shifts Must Be 18 & Abl# Tn Lift 70 Lbs Must Meet Appearance Standard Must Be Available Thru Dec. 24
