Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

From the University of Alabama in Huntsville:

With the addition of the Flexible Array of Radars and Mesonets (FARM) team to its deployable weather research fleet, the Severe Weather Institute – Radar and Lightning Laboratories (SWIRLL) at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) will be the largest and most comprehensive mobile radar and observing facility in the U.S.

“The addition of the FARM facility to the existing MAPNet facility marks a monumental milestone for UAH, establishing it as the largest and most comprehensive mobile radar, profiler, and observing facility in the United States,” said Dr. Kevin Knupp, Principal Research Scientist in the UAH Earth System Science Center (ESSC). “This addition makes UAH a clear leader in meteorological field research.”

The UAH SWIRLL facility is an essential resource for educational initiatives, student research, and extensive weather projects. Its strategic location in the Southeast allows it to serve as a central hub for weather-related experiments, significantly enhancing data collection and research capabilities.

With the integration of the FARM systems, which will be based in Boulder, CO, SWIRLL’s operations are expanding regular operations into the Great Plains and Midwest. This expansion will further strengthen its role in advancing meteorological research across broader regions.

From the University of Wisconsin-Madison:

The University is positioning itself to strengthen entrepreneurial pathways, experiences, and outcomes, drawing on the findings and recommendations of a study commissioned by Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin.

The comprehensive plan outlined in the study aims to create a thriving entrepreneurial environment, leveraging the university’s existing strengths and capabilities along with its ongoing commitment to fostering entrepreneurship across campus.

Mnookin has made entrepreneurship a key priority for the University. In 2023, she charged the working group, comprised of entrepreneurial and innovation leaders from campus and industry, with reviewing current practices and making recommendations.

“UW already is a thriving hub of innovation and entrepreneurial excellence, and we have an opportunity to make it even stronger,” Mnookin says. “This report, and its recommendations, provide a roadmap not just to unify our existing programs, but to chart a new direction to further empower our entrepreneurial community to lead in ways that truly differentiate us on a national and global scale.”

Titled ‘Empowering the Wisconsin Idea: The Future of Entrepreneurship at the University of Wisconsin–Madison,’ the report delineates recommendations in four key areas:

• Commit to excellence in entrepreneurship.
• Establish campus leadership and structure to bolster entrepreneurship.
• Create a culture to promote and celebrate entrepreneurship.
• Expand access to capital.

The report can be found here.

From the University of Kansas:

The KU Innovation Park has launched the Oread Angel Investors network, a new initiative to support high-growth start-ups that are connected with the University of Kansas (KU). The membership-based network aims to connect alumni, faculty, and friends of the University with investment opportunities in KU-affiliated start-ups to improve access to capital.

“The launch of the Oread Angel Investors network is a significant new step in the Park’s mission to create, recruit, grow and retain technology and bioscience businesses in our region,” Adam Courtney, Chief Executive Officer of KU Innovation Park, said in this news release. “Our partners from across KU will help bring this initiative to life and provide vital support to boost our entrepreneurial efforts in the region.”

The network’s development was backed by a grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce. KU Innovation Park is partnering with the university, the alumni association, and the Digital Health Co/Lab at KU to expand the network’s reach.

“Angels do not commit to a fund but instead make individual investment decisions. Angels are usually among the first to invest in a new business, offering not just capital but expertise, mentorship and industry connections,” according to the release. “The KU Innovation Park team will provide company sourcing, screening, and due diligence, member recruitment, event management, and communications to members.”

From Florida State University:

The U.S. Department of State has awarded Florida State University’s (FSU) Learning Systems Institute (LSI) and the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship a grant to enhance entrepreneurship education in Armenia. In partnership with the Armenian State University of Economics (ASUE), the project is underway and will run through September 2026.

U.S. faculty will train ASUE faculty and administrators on entrepreneurship education, support the creation of a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Social Innovators Incubator at ASUE, and partner with Armenian peers to develop four FSU/ASUE courses on social entrepreneurship. They will also incorporate a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project through the new courses and implement an FSU/ASUE certificate in social entrepreneurship.

From Rice University:

In a dazzling celebration of five decades of innovation and achievement, the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University held a gala late last month that brought together board members, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners. The event celebrated 50 years of growth and looked ahead to the future, including plans for a new 112,000-square-foot building to accommodate significant population and program expansion over the past decade.

The school has increased faculty by 41 percent to support its new programs and growing student enrollment from a new undergraduate business major, an increased cohort to the full-time MBA program as well as the MBA@Rice and Hybrid MBA, both of which have multiple on-campus residentials each year.

“This school has come a long way since it opened,” said Rice President Reginald DesRoches in his remarks. “The graduate program continues to garner great recognition and is an increasingly important program for numerous industries in the Houston community. It also now produces more MBAs than any other program in Texas. The undergraduate business degree, launched just a few years ago, is rapidly becoming one of the most widely sought-after majors on campus.”

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