In an unprecedented effort to promote cooperation between the United States and Lebanon, UMass and Holy Spirit University, Kaslik, Lebanon have joined in a Memorandum of Understanding to promote educational and academic cooperation between the two institutions. The MOU was signed in September by President Jack Wilson and Father Karam Rizk, Rector of Holy Spirit University. Exchange programs for faculty and students are expected to result from this international relationship, beginning in the areas of Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering.

"We're keen on transforming the spirit of the MOU into concrete steps of collaboration that will form a long-lasting, self-nurturing and mutually beneficial partnership," said Dr. Nagi Wakim, Holy Spirit University Vice President for Administrative Affairs. On a visit to UMass Amherst last year, Dr. Wakim and a colleague toured the campus and met with Vice Provost for Research, Paul Kostecki. "We enthusiastically endorse this effort to build bridges across our different cultures and educational systems," said Kostecki.

"Now that the formality phase is behind us," says Wakim, "our efforts are focused on establishing linkages at the faculty and student levels, where it matters." Plans are already underway to arrange for an ECE faculty member from Lebanon to spend the summer at UMass Amherst, and a visiting CS graduate student may arrive on campus as early as this fall. After an initial five-year term, the MOU will come up for renewal in 2009.

From 1990 to 2001, Springfield experienced the highest annual rate of change of new firm births in the nation. The region averaged 11.7% annual increase in new firm formation during the eleven-year period, according to a recently released study by the Small Business Administration. New firm formation was one of the metrics used to produce the Regional Entrepreneurship Index, a measure intended to standardize assessment of entrepreneurship within and across regions. The authors of the SBA Innovation-Entrepreneurship NEXUS study note that, "Whether they are building new firms or reinventing existing ones, entrepreneurs, through the application of new ideas to products and services, capture locally the economic benefits of innovation." Download the full report as a PDF. UMass Amherst is ramping up efforts to foster entrepreneurism in Springfield and the greater region through programs such as the Invention to Venture workshop held last month. Additionally, Isenberg SOM and Engineering faculty members are developing a systems-based approach to stimulate innovation through university-industry-government partnerships. Look for more news of UMass Amherst innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives in future issues of Research ACCESS.

The UMass Amherst Polymer Science Department will host the Sixth National Graduate Research Polymer Conference June 15-17. The conference will provide an opportunity for students to present results of their research and interact with their peers, faculty and industrial scientists. Polymer Science and Engineering Department Head, Professor Shaw Ling Hsu, and PSE Professor Greg Tew chair the three-day program. More information and registration available online.

The National Conference of the Association for Women in Science will be held June 23-24 at Smith College. Conference topics will be useful for corporate managers and academic administrators, STEM researchers, faculty, graduate students, and those interested in helping women scientists and engineers achieve full potential in their careers. Speakers will include Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Dr. Rita Colwell, former Director of the National Science Foundation. More information and registration available online.

The Environmental Analysis Laboratory (EAL), a unit of the UMass Amherst Environmental Institute, is pleased to announce that it is now certified in Massachusetts for calcium, sodium and chloride analyses. The Lab provides chemical, physical, and microbial analyses of water, soils, tissue, and other environmental media for University researchers, public agencies, and other publicly-supported clients, and has a particular strength in water-related analyses requiring substantial numbers of samples. High quality analytical services available for inorganic substances in water include nutrients, inorganic anions, and metals. More recently, the Lab has expanded its scope of services to include microbial analyses. University researchers with analysis needs or external clients should contact Laboratory Director Peter Kerr (545-2936). The EAL website provides an overview of EAL services.

The Third Annual Water Resources Conference, "Research to Practice: Science for Sustainable Water Resources" will be held October 21 at the UMass Amherst Campus Center. This year's conference will highlight emerging and continuing water resource issues in the Northeast. Deadline for abstracts is May 30. Visit the Water Resources Research Center website for more information. Download the conference poster (PDF).

The Pre-Award Research Administrator will be responsible for University proposal review, negotiation and submission; interpretation and implementing of Federal, State and University policies and regulations; education and training for sponsored activities; resource person for faculty and staff; and liaison with sponsoring agencies. Full position description available online.

NineSigma works with companies in search of innovative solutions from R&D institutions. New RFPs from NineSigma are now available in the following areas: automotive/transportation; biology/biotechnology; engineering/materials; chemistry; packaging and consumer products; and in a variety of new applications and markets including the use of nanoparticles in product development, cancer imaging and drug delivery. Up-to-date RFP announcements from Nine Sigma are posted on the ILED website. ILED provides support services for your Nine Sigma proposal. Contact Marla Michel or Karen Hayes (545-2706) for more information.

The products and services of Hidden-Tech companies will be on display Tuesday at Holyoke's Open Square. In attendance will be business, economic and political leaders from throughout the region and beyond, including the mayors of Holyoke and Northampton and regional economic development officials. HIDDEN-TECH is a rapidly growing group of 800-plus small, mainly home- based companies scattered throughout the Pioneer Valley who have come together to share resources, create alliances, and alert regional economic planners and technology service providers to their presence. Event information and registration available online.