CSU’s economic impact
A new report analyzes the impact of Colorado State University on the state’s economy, revealing that CSU and its 87,000-plus Colorado-based alumni account for more than $4.1 billion in household income – earnings that generate more than $130.8 million in state income tax revenue and $50.2 million in sales tax revenue. Recent CSU spin-offs have also created 550 new jobs in Colorado. The report was produced by CSU state economists Martin Shields and Harvey Cutler, with financial assistance from the Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation. Created to Serve: Colorado State University's Impact on the State's Economy documents the economic impact of spending by CSU students and employees, the economic contributions of CSU alumni statewide, the innovations from CSU spin-off businesses that add jobs and revenue to the state’s economy, and the impact on productivity for Colorado industries and businesses.
Star start-up
Business Week has named AVA Solar, a Colorado State University spinoff company, one of the nation’s most successful start-ups for 2008 and one of 25 "hot" companies. AVA Solar raised $104 million – the most venture capital for any Colorado firm and among the most nationally in 2008, according to the online magazine. AVA is expected to start production by the end of 2009 on pioneering solar-panel technology developed by W.S. Sampath, CSU mechanical engineering professor. The panels will dramatically reduce the cost of generating solar electricity and could power homes and businesses around the world with clean energy for roughly the same cost as traditionally generated electricity. A 200-megawatt factory in Longmont, Colo., will make the 2-foot by 4-foot panels, which are capable of powering large-scale utility solar power plants. Based on the average household usage, 200 megawatt panels will provide energy for 40,000 U.S. homes.
CSU Board of Governors
On Jan. 9, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter made two appointments to the Colorado State University Board of Governors. Alamosa businesswoman Marguerite Salazar was re-appointed to serve a complete term. Salazar was selected in 2007 to fill a vacated seat. Ritter also appointed Joe Zimlich, CEO of Fort Collins-based Bohemian Cos., to a complete term. Both will serve through Dec. 31, 2012.
Car-crash hazard
Media coverage of car crashes could harm public health, finds a new study by Colorado State University. Lorann Stallones, study author and director of the CSU-based Colorado Injury Control Research Center, found that accident coverage reported as human interest stories obscure the fact that motor-vehicle crashes are a leading cause of injury and death among Americans. "Coverage of Motor Vehicle Crashes with Injuries in U.S. Newspapers, 1999-2002" tracked accidents reported in 473 major U.S. newspapers and concluded that media coverage inaccurately portrays car crashes as random and unpreventable. Of the nearly 500 accident reports, only six included information about weather conditions or speed limits, only 11 included information about road conditions at the time of the accident, and fewer than 20 percent mentioned the estimated speed of vehicles. Drunk driving was noted in only 11.2 percent of the reports, and 80.3 percent did not mention drunk driving at all. Stallones recommends that public health professionals inform editors and reporters about the importance of presenting more factual, contextual information about crashes and accident risks, such as not wearing seat belts, excessive speed, alcohol and drug use, and distracted driving.
Detecting canine cancer
The Colorado State University Research Foundation and CSU-based NeoTREX have entered into an exclusive license agreement that has the potential to help millions of pet dogs in the United States. The agreement with the Irvine, Calif.-based Veterinary Diagnostics Institute, or VDxI, is for the development of a biomarker assay that detects canine hemangiosarcoma – a malignant, rapidly growing, and highly invasive cancer. Of the country’s 45 million canine pets, nearly half of those older than 10 will die of cancer. Hemangiosarcoma occurs most frequently in large-breed dogs older than eight, often resulting in internal hemorrhage leading to death. The technology, co-invented by faculty at the CSU’s Animal Cancer Center Cancer Supercluster, and investigators at VDxI, will detect levels of the enzyme thymidine kinase in dogs using a simple blood test. Other than ultrasound, no other diagnostic methods detect hemangiosarcoma in dogs. NeoTREX, launched in 2007, is the business arm dedicated to bringing research from CSU’s Cancer Supercluster to the global marketplace. The Cancer Supercluster, which was built on more than 35 years of excellence in cancer research and biomedicine, brings together a multi-disciplinary group of Colorado State University scientists to continue innovative, life-saving cancer research.
Legendary Peace Corps co-founder
The Colorado State University civil engineering professor emeritus who played a critical role in the creation of the Peace Corps died Jan. 12 at 90. Maurice L. Albertson served Colorado State as the first director of the Colorado State University Research Foundation, director of International Programs, and professor of civil engineering. One of Albertson's most recognized contributions was his critical role in the formation of the Peace Corps., which was created in 1961. "Professor Albertson will be remembered as one of the truly great figures in the history of Colorado State University," says Colorado State's Interim President Tony Frank. "He was an innovative teacher and scholar who dedicated his life to improving the living conditions of people around the world." Albertson also served as a consultant to the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the Agency for International Development, and UNESCO.
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