Second Annual Meeting a Huge Success!

Our Second Annual Meeting went off without a hitch on Saturday, April 17, 2010 at the Museum of Science, Boston! Our attendees were able to enjoy a fascinating presentation by the noted Massachusetts science educator, Mr. "Science Bob" Pflugfelder, spend some time taking in the wonderful MoS exhibits, and visit with our wonderful exclusive demonstrators in the Washburn Pavilion - Science Club for Girls, Ms. Kate Doyle of the UMass Natural History Collection, TERC, Heather Richardson with "The Brain Show" from the UMass Amherst Neuroscience Department, Beyond Benign, Ms. Skye Long of the Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Department at UMass Amherst, Science Bob, and the MAS 2010 Interns.

Attendees were also able to enjoy an Omni film entitled, "Dinosaurs Alive!" and wrapped up their day with us with Mr. Carl Zimmer, who delivered a keynote address entitled, "Spangled Feathered Dinosaurs: Putting the History of Life Into Technicolor." All in all, a wonderful day at the Museum of Science!

Please stay tuned for pictures of the event, as well as Intern blog posts detailing the highlights!

Visit our Facebook page to view photos and become a fan! More photos coming soon!

All the Details

iRobot Co-Founder Greiner Launches Stealth Robotics Company, The Droid Works

Massachusetts’ growing robotics cluster just got bigger. For the second time in less than six months, an iRobot co-founder has launched a robotics startup. Helen Greiner told me in an e-mail yesterday that she has formed a stealth company called The Droid Works. “Our first project is in the UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] space, and a team of people from around the country are working on this project today,” her short note said. Visit their Web site to learn more.

NASA Announces Massachusetts Aeronautics Research Award

NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate has awarded $488,954 to APTIMA Inc. of Woburn, Mass., for work described in its NASA research announcement proposal "Alarms: Alerting and Reasoning Management System."

The two-year award from the directorate's Aviation Safety Program will foster close collaboration with and facilitate the exchange of ideas and information among researchers at NASA, industry, academia and other government agencies to benefit the nation's aeronautics community. Click here to learn more.

Stem Cell Scientists Expecting More Federal Funding

The anticipated lift of restrictions on federal embryonic stem cell research funding could mean millions of dollars for local laboratories and startups — with the potential to accelerate the maturity of the science and attract more private investors.

President Barack Obama has stated that he intends to lift that funding ban, although exactly when is an open question. Already, however, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month approved the request of Geron Corp., a California-based biotech, to proceed with the first human test using an embryonic stem cell-based treatment. New England stem cell advocates believe such developments could change the market completely — and even enable the creation of new technologies.

“If I were to make a prediction, I would say there’s a 95 percent certainty you’ll see more startups and see a significant investment by established pharmaceutical companies and venture capitalists,” said Gary Stein, interim director of the University of Massachusetts program in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. “It will mean tremendous development in this area for Massachusetts, being a major center for biomedical research.” To learn more, click here.

StarWind Software Announces Appointment of Zorian Rotenberg as Chief Executive Officer, Opens U.S. Headquarters

BURLINGTON, Mass., Feb 10, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- StarWind Software Inc., a global provider of storage software, today announced the appointment of Zorian Rotenberg as Chief Executive Officer and announced the opening of the U.S. headquarters. Mr. Rotenberg brings extensive experience in operations, strategic alliances, and mergers and acquisitions, and has a strong background in high-tech as well as financial markets.

The opening of StarWind Software's U.S. headquarters near Boston, Massachusetts, comes shortly after the announcement of their spin-off from Rocket Division Inc. and the investment, led by ABRT Venture Fund, meant to accelerate sales and assist in marketing efforts. Read more here.