Where Innovation
Meets
Education Something Ventured, Something Gained OSU entrepreneurship center turns dreams into dollars
Flying High The sky’s no limit for OSU’s aerospace engineering graduates
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Where Innovation Meets Education
Intellectual Capital
OSU’s innovative research and education programs lead to key discoveries
Antony Boshier
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Oklahoma State University
Photo Courtesy of phil shockley
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reativity thrives at Oklahoma State University, a venue on the cutting edge of research and innovation. OSU faculty and students are leaders in addressing the nation’s need to find alternative sources of energy, collab orating to capture information from biomedical signals and developing new technologies for aerospace engineering. “Oklahoma State University is proud of its heritage as a land-grant university and is more committed than ever to its mission of teaching, research and out reach,” says Burns Hargis, OSU president. “Today, we have a bold vision of creating a modern land-grant university that cuts across disciplines to form a truly new structure, one that better prepares students for a new world and expands outreach across our state and around the globe.” The university’s strategic vision of study, research and the free exchange of ideas has resulted in key discoveries by OSU alumni and faculty in the treatment of Alzheimer’s, new dental materials and agricultural biosecurity. “Pursuing this vision involves fostering a culture of creativity where all of our scholars, sci entists and students are free to explore creative ideas, to collaborate and to develop entrepreneurial programs that will involve many disciplines,” Hargis says. “I see OSU developing into a truly interactive venue of intellectual capital.” “Our faculty and students are solving problems and delivering solutions to the state and the nation as we continue to educate Oklahomans to be resourceful citizens,” says Kyle Wray, associate vice president of enrollment management and marketing. He says global challenges such as hunger, security, environmental sustainability and economic viability demand new answers and big solutions, a process in which OSU is fully engaged. Bricks and mortar also play a role in
Oklahoma State University’s myriad of innovative research programs and courses of study enrich the lives of Oklahomans while growing a stronger, more vital economy.
furthering the university’s cause. A fiveyear master plan currently under way includes more than $826 million in academic, athletic and student life pro jects, such as a new Interdisciplinary Science Research Building, which is set to open in fall 2010. The caliber of OSU’s faculty as well as the university’s quality of student life attract the best and brightest high school graduates, who expand their academic excellence in OSU’s strong learning environment and consistently win the nation’s elite Truman, Udall and Goldwater scholarships. Two OSU students were named 2009 Fulbright Scholars, bringing the total to six in the last three years. Three stu dents received national scholarships from SAS Global Forum in 2009 – out of just 20 awarded nationwide. The Innovative Solutions Team took top honors at the Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition, and five students received scholar www.okstate.edu
awards from the National Society of Black Engineers. “The creativity of students, faculty and staff is in abundant supply across the OSU campus and throughout our system,” Hargis says. “Creativity will not only set OSU apart, but it can elevate our community and our state to new levels of success and prosperity.” This special section is published for Oklahoma State University by Journal Communications Inc.
CU S TO M M AG A Z INE M ED I A
For more information, contact: Oklahoma State University 121 Cordell • Stillwater, OK 74078 Phone: (405) 744-5000 • Fax: (405) 744-8445 www.okstate.edu ©Copyright 2009 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved. No portion of this special advertising section may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent. On the cover: The OSU Spirit Rider by Jim L. Hamilton Photo by Jeff Adkins
Where Innovation Meets Education
Flying The sky’s No limit for OSU’s aerospace engineering graduates
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design and build scale-sized unmanned air vehicles for entry in the competition, sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Office of Naval Research and Cessna. “We have a short amount of time that we’re working on this project each year, and it is really a time-compressed, highstress environment,” Arena says. “But seeing how hard the students work, how much heart they are putting in and the number of hours they work, it is really fun to be around.” OSU students are unparalleled in the contest that features 60 teams from the world’s top engineering schools. They took the top two honors at the AIAA competition for the fourth time in 2009.
Photo Courtesy of phil shockley
hen it comes to airplanes, Andy Arena, Ph.D., is the pro verbial kid in a candy shop. “There are so many airplanes I like, and there is so much about each one that is special,” he says. “I don’t have a favorite.” As the Maciula Professor of Engineering at OSU’s School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Arena works to impart that same enthu siasm and respect to his students. OSU offers a premier degree program that gives hands-on training to develop the means to f ly, evidenced by the impressive record amassed over the past decade in the International Student Design/Build/Fly competition. Each year, seniors in Arena’s course
High Since 1999, the two teams OSU sends to the contest each year have won first place six times and second place seven times. In 2006 and 2007, OSU claimed three separate world records. Arena himself received the AIAA National Faculty Adviser Award in 2008. These world-class achievements reflect the program’s effectiveness, and Arena says consistently ranking at the top takes hard work and years of prep aration. “We’re not just studying about airplanes, but taking them apart, testing them, maintaining and servicing them and putting them back together,” Arena says. “Students see the whole design cycle, and they see there are consequences for the decisions they make. By the time they get to my class, they’re really well prepared, and we can turn them loose.” The rubber meets the tarmac after graduation, as the school’s reputation for qualified aerospace engineers results in competitive recruitment. “We are producing well-trained engineers who can go out and work in the field,” says Arena, who likens the process to athletic recruiting. “Companies come here, meet the students, take them out and offer them good positions that often include financial incentives. We are very proud of that fact.”
Aerospace engineering students build unmanned air vehicles for competition.
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Oklahoma State University
Sweet
Returns
Sorghum research generates income potential as OSU’s ag biosciences expands
Photo Courtesy of todd johnson
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igger is not always better, as OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (DASNR) has determined through an award-winning decentralized approach to renewable energy processing. “It is going to benefit Oklahoma’s rural communities to have small, decentralized projects in harvesting and processing biomass,” says Danielle Bellmer, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering depart ment and the Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Research Center. Bellmer works with the OSU Biofuels Team, whose decentralized processing study was named a National Grand Challenge winner in Washington, D.C.’s BioEnergy Awareness Days. “We wanted to demonstrate that if we can take some of the processing to rural sectors and make it smaller in size, then the econ omies in the agricultural and rural areas of the state can benefit,” she says. The team has been working on a new process for in-field ethanol production, where sorghum juice and other biomass products can be collected, fermented and distilled in the field, ending the need for a centralized processing plant. “This allows for optimum technology selection, matching a region to the appro priate resources and generating local solutions for the fulfillment of energy needs without negatively affecting food and fiber production,” Bellmer says. Sweet sorghum can be used as an additive for petroleum-based fuels because it is
Biosystems engineer and associate professor Danielle Bellmer, far right, showcases OSU’s sorghum-related biofuels research to producers and agribusiness operators.
exempt from the complex heat processing required to convert starch to simple sugars, which are directly juiced from the stalks but have to be fermented immediately. This makes in-field processing an attractive option for small farmers – and saves the costs of centralized processing plant construc tion and the transportation to get raw goods to that plant. Enhancing OSU’s research will be the new 33,000-square-foot Institute for Agricultural Biosciences located near Ardmore in south-central Oklahoma. Built with assistance from the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, the institute is expected to come online in 2011. www.okstate.edu
Simply stated, OSU’s renewable energy research – which has been under way for decades – is about helping people and communities across the state and the region to prosper. “In many ways, Oklahoma is the intersection between agriculture and energy,” says Robert E. Whitson, Ph.D., DASNR dean and director and OSU vice president of agricultural programs. “We have long believed and promoted that an interdisciplinary outlook is the best way to develop solutions to the challenges facing society, and addressing real-world issues is a vital part of the land-grant mission and the reason why OSU exists. It’s who we are at our core.”
Where Innovation Meets Education
No
Dummies Here Institute for Protective Apparel Research and Technology develops cutting-edge “smart” suits
post-doc researcher, a lab manager and 10 undergraduate and graduate students, as well as mechanical engineering, com puter science and entomology faculty and students. “IPART has grown from a small group of dedicated pro fessionals to a high-profile center within the university, enjoying significant federal and private support,” says Stephen McKeever, Ph.D., OSU’s vice president for research and tech nology transfer. “Laser scanning technology, environmental test chambers and knowledge of materials and their uses and limitations come together to enable the design of the very best protective apparel.”
“Walter” serves as a test subject for IPART researchers.
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article and Photo Courtesy of oklahoma state university
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n a big metal chamber at OSU’s Institute for Protective Apparel Research and Technology stands what could be a member of the Blue Man Group surrounded by blinking lights, wires and electronics. Except OSU’s “Walter” doesn’t spray his audience of researchers with paint or confetti. He’s a life-size, blue-fabric-covered mannequin designed to mimic several characteristics of the human body, such as circulation, body heat, temperature tolerance, sweating and walking. Walter, says IPART Director Donna Branson, aids in the development of advanced garment systems and textiles. The only one of his kind in the nation, the mannequin is part of an array of high-tech tools used to develop products such as body armor for U.S. Marines and “smart” clothing for firefighters. Housed at OSU’s Oklahoma Technology & Research Park, IPART is the only lab in the region where most stages of design research, production and evaluation can take place on site. Part of the College of Human Environmental Sciences Department of Design, Housing and Merchandising, IPART has yielded successes such as cooling vests for first responders and award-winning body armor, QuadGard™, for the Marines. Developed with FSTechnology, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, the armor protects soldiers’ limbs without hindering movement. “Before we put a soldier or a firefighter in an environment that’s difficult to control and monitor,” Branson says, “we can simulate multiple environments in the laboratory and better predict human response without endangering test subjects.” Other technology includes a motion capture system to study interaction between the clothed body, muscle exertion and mobility, and a full body scanner to quickly and accurately measure body dimensions that also doubles as a design tool. A grant from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science & Technology funds research for the firefighters’ smart clothing, which uses sensors to monitor the envi ronment and physiological condition of its wearers. Assistant Professor Semra Peksoz says the system could be in pro duction in five years thanks in part to help from industry partner Fire-Dex. IPART has expanded to include five faculty members, a
Oklahoma State University
Hanging
Tough W
hen the going gets tough, the tough get tougher – and when it comes to a tough economy, OSU’s Center for Innovation and Economic Development is there for companies, providing them with hands-on tools to help them succeed in today’s business climate. “Our economy is shifting, so we are now helping companies stabilize. That’s the first order of success, and then we can grow,” says Dr. Joe Alexander, CIED president. “In our region, we’ve had a rough year. Manufacturing jobs are declining. However, especially in the sensor technology arena, we have been able to hold our own, and we’re looking at that sector as a critical part of our overall future success.” The “sensor arena” to which Alexander refers is the bur geoning Sensor Corridor, a 40-mile stretch along U.S. Route 177 between Stillwater and Ponca City dotted with sensorrelated companies. These high-tech businesses are growing thanks to a regional approach to economic development that offers tailored assistance through low-interest loans, workforce training and business-to-business and businessto-government relationships. “A lot of progress has been made in the past year,” says Glenn Freedman, Ph.D., CIED vice president for research and programs. “Laboratories have been equipped, and more research is being conducted. New companies have come online, and new contracts have come in.” He notes that Stephen McKeever, Ph.D., vice president for research and technology transfer, spearheaded the sensor technology initiatives. Another emerging focal point revolves around unmanned aerial vehicles and their potential applications, Freedman says. “We now have additional testing capabilities that can be used by the private sector and the government, both military and
Jeff Adkins
OSU center gives business the tools for innovation
civilian. In the case of UAVs, Oklahoma State’s talented faculty and students are research leaders.” The likelihood of high-tech companies settling in rural Oklahoma is fueling the drive behind CIED’s Revolving Loan Fund, which launched in 2007 through a $750,000 USDA Rural Development grant. The $470,000 loaned through May 2009 has been leveraged to create $2.5 million in additional investment, with about 70 jobs created or retained, according to program director Max Kunisch. Kunisch cites Food ProTech as one example of success. “They started in Meridian Technology Center’s local incubator and then needed to expand,” Kunisch says. “We provided a $150,000 loan, which helped them get additional funds from the bank. Next, they purchased and reworked a larger building, creating more jobs and resulting in a greater economic impact.” Today, this food-testing company features a highly skilled workforce serving a global market, and they train food industry companies to improve the safety and integrity of their products. A committee of bankers, financial experts and OSU team members reviews and advises CIED during the loan process. “These are interesting times,” Freedman says. “Everybody’s feeling their way through the recession. For example, when a company lays off its workers, we don’t want our state to lose that talent. It’s important for us to get new companies up and started. It’s our mission.”
From left: VP for Research and Technology Transfer Stephen McKeever, CIED VP for Research and Programs Glenn Freedman and Communications Coordinator Kelly Green discuss business at the OSU Center for Innovation and Economic Development.
www.okstate.edu
Where Innovation Meets Education
Something
Ventured,
Something Gained OSU expands programs, outreach for entrepreneurship
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urning dreams into dollars is the goal of OSU’s new Riata Center for Entrepreneurship and new Department of Entrepreneurship. Funded through the second-largest academic gift in OSU’s history, the center realizes a dream of benefactors and entre preneurs Malone and Amy Mitchell. The Mitchells, OSU graduates who founded Riata Energy in 1984 with a $500 loan, say their vision is for OSU to be the nation’s leading institution for entrepreneurship education, research and community engagement. They want students exposed to best practices in how to recognize and capitalize on entre preneurial opportunities. The Riata Center offers a diverse port folio of experiential programs to immerse students in entrepreneurship as well as outreach programs for small-business owners and aspiring enterprisers. “This incredible expression of gener osity will have an enormous impact on OSU academics,” OSU President Burns Hargis says. “The program we will create with this gift supports our vision of a new land-grant university that culti vates greater creativity and collaboration among students and faculty.” Launched in the fall 2009 semester, the academic program is housed in the Spears School of Business and offers degrees in entrepreneurship with MBA and Ph.D. concentrations available. The Riata Center is headed by Nola Miyasaki, while the new Department of Entrepreneurship is led by Michael Morris, Ph.D. Together, the two units pro vide academic and outreach programs
where students can learn by doing through initiatives such as the campuswide Riata Business Plan Competition, the Entrepreneurial Internship Program, the Riata Student Incubator, the Native American Entrepreneurship Initiatives, the OSU Entrepreneurs Bootcamp and Women Igniting the Spirit of Entre preneurship. The center also offers the Veterans with Disabilities Entrepreneurship Program, an entrepreneurial training program that provides the business support and resources necessary for dis abled soldiers returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom. The program aims to develop viable approaches for turning veterans’ business ideas into workable business models and helping them create their
own sustainable companies. “We are excited about building the premier entrepreneurship program in the country at OSU,” Morris says. “Our hope is to reach every student on campus with our message of dreaming and doing. We’ll do this not only with state-of-theart curriculum, but with high-impact outreach, experiential learning and com munity engagement.” Morris hopes that within three years the program will enroll 1,000 students a year in entrepreneurship courses. The program is well on the way to building a world-class faculty and staff team. Kyle Wray, associate vice president of enrollment management and marketing, adds that the program will build upon the significant impact OSU has on the Stillwater community.
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