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.
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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