News release prepared by: Tresa Landis, 785-532-3917, tlandis@k-state.edu
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
K-STATE SPOTLIGHT ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LUNCHEON SET FOR APRIL 4
MANHATTAN -- The Kansas State University Research Foundation, the Kansas State University Foundation, the K-State Alumni Association and the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce are sponsors of an annual event to recognize K-State inventors, patent holders and other creators of intellectual property.
The fifth annual Spotlight on Intellectual Property will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, April 4, in the K-State Alumni Center Ballroom. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m.
Keynote speaker for the 2008 luncheon is Bruce W. Ferguson, a co-founder of two startup companies and an investor in several other small companies. He is now chairman, president and chief executive officer of Edenspace Systems Corporation, Junction City. Edenspace is a plant biotechnology company that is developing innovative crops for energy and environmental applications, including enhanced corn for low-cost production of cellulosic ethanol.
Ferguson will present "When to Stop Innovating: 10 Lessons From the Edge."
In 1982, Ferguson and two fellow Harvard Business School students co-founded Orbital Sciences Corporation after the trio had worked together on a NASA-sponsored study of commercial space applications. During his 15-year career with the company, he served as chief operating officer, executive vice president and general manager, chief financial officer, general counsel, and as a member of the board of directors. As the industry leader in small space and rocket systems, Orbital has pioneered new classes of launch vehicles, satellites and other space technologies. The company celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2007.
Ferguson has served as chairman, president, and CEO of Edenspace Systems Corporation since co-founding it in 1998. The company currently is building a new, advanced laboratory and headquarters facility in Junction City, with interim headquarters in Manhattan.
Ferguson received a master's in business administration from the Harvard Business School and a Juris Doctorate from the Harvard Law School in 1981, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. He received a master's in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in government from the Harvard College in 1976.
Also at the Spotlight on Intellectual Property, six teams of K-State researchers who were issued U.S. patents in 2007 will be honored. The researchers include:
* Daryl Real, Michael D. Tokach, Steve S. Dritz, Jim L. Nelssen, Robert D. Goodband, Jason Woodworth and Kevin Q. Owen, who received a patent for diet supplementation of sows during periods of gestation, lactation and breeding by feeding L-carnitine and chromium.
* Sanjay Kapil and Kumar Shanmukhappa, who were issued a patent for a noninvasive method of screening swine for susceptibility to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, thereby improving breeding programs.
* Hongxing Jiang, Tom Oder and Jingyu Lin, who were issued a patent for microlenses and microlens arrays made from group III-nitride material.
* Scott C. Todd and Paul W. Baures, who were issued a patent directed toward the diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C virus infection and the screening of potential therapeutic compounds using novel small molecules.
* Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad, Savka Stoeva, Kenneth J. Klabunde and Christopher Sorensen, who were issued a patent for a new class of siloxanes that have discrete, observable nanoscale structures, as well as for the new methods for preparing the siloxanes in good yield and moderate reaction conditions.
* Ronaldo Maghirang and Kenneth J. Klabunde, who worked with NanoScale Corporation researchers and were issued a patent for methods of removing smoke and toxic compounds produced from fires, for general fire suppression and flame retardance.
Tickets for the luncheon are $15 for students and $20 for all others. To make luncheon reservations please call 785-532-5720 or email tech.transfer@k-state.edu before the March 31 deadline.