FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | January 09, 2012

American Chemical Society hosts Capitol Hill briefing on Seeding Innovation and Jobs on Jan. 27

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2012 — The American Chemical Society (ACS) Science & the Congress Project invites news media to attend a luncheon briefing on “Engineering Research Centers: Seeding Innovation and Jobs.” It will be held Friday, Jan. 27, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Senate Russell Office Building, SR-253. Please RSVP to http://tinyurl.com/ACSSciCongr-ERCs.

This briefing is hosted by the ACS Science & the Congress Project and the ACS Committee on Corporation Associates, with honorary co-hosts Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) and Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA).

This briefing will explore how the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Engineering Research Centers (ERCs) are opening doors to help the United States stay competitive in the global marketplace of technological innovation. ERCs promote synergistic collaboration between U.S. industry, universities and government. Now in their third generation, ERCs advance pioneering, cross-sector research in the fields of biotechnology, healthcare, information technology, energy and sustainable infrastructure. ERC projects keep American industry at the vanguard of innovation, generating new jobs while introducing the next generation of engineers to a dynamic, commercially oriented environment. The briefing will feature the following panelists and an open discussion:

Moderator: Anthony Boccanfuso, Ph.D., National Academies’ University-Industry Demonstration Partnership (UIDP)

Panelists:

  • Lynn Preston, ERC Program Leader, NSF
  • Rao Tummala, Ph.D., Director, Packaging Research Center, Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Fernando Muzzio, Ph.D., Director, Center for Structured Organic Particulate Systems, Rutgers University
  • James “Oz” Osborn, Executive Director, Quality of Life Technology Center, Carnegie Mellon University

The Science & the Congress Project was established in 1995 to provide a neutral and credible source of scientific information targeted to policymakers on Capitol Hill. Expert speakers are chosen to provide a balanced presentation about the topic under discussion, and their comments are independent of any position that may be held by the ACS, the sponsors of Science & the Congress, or its co-hosts. For more information, visit www.acs.org/science_congress.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society contact newsroom@acs.org.

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