The University of Illinois Springfield Innovation Hub, UIS Center for State Policy and Leadership and the Community Health Roundtable will host a Zoom public webinar titled “COVID-19 Vaccine: The Journey to Immunity” at noon on Friday.
The roundtable will feature public health and health care panelists discussing the COVID-19 vaccine and answering questions around the safety and efficacy of each vaccine, allocation and distribution.
Additionally, panelists will discuss COVID-19’s impact on specific populations and how the impact has determined vaccine prioritization, along with giving some understanding of when herd immunity will be reached.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on Jan. 12, 2021.
Showing posts with label Innovate Springfield. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Innovate Springfield. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
Monday, July 6, 2020
‘This is how I can help’ / UIS interim chancellor takes reigns amid pandemic
University of Illinois Springfield interim Chancellor Karen Whitney was clear-eyed when she accepted the yearlong appointment earlier this year.
Among the challenges staring her down: an unprecedented public health crisis that has significantly altered the delivery of academic services, great social upheaval as institutions across the country confront uncomfortable truths on race and ensuring that other major university initiatives, such as the construction of the Springfield Innovation Center, don’t get lost in the shuffle.
These circumstances are exactly what attracted Whitney to the job.
“This is how I can help,” Whitney said in an interview with The State Journal-Register last week. “I’m not in science or public health. If I could, I’d go to a lab and I would make the vaccine that would keep us safe. I can’t do those things, but I know how to run a university and work with a lot of people and that’s how I’m going to help.”
She takes over for Chancellor Emeritus Susan Koch, whose retirement became official last week after nine years leading the Springfield campus.
Whitney laid out her list of goals and priorities she hopes to accomplish during her limited tenure in Springfield. At the top of this list is meeting the moment the country currently finds itself in, she said.
“So the goal is to work with the university, the faculty, the staff and students to ensure the university continues to provide high quality teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Whitney said. “That’s job one. Job two is to embrace this incredible moment we’re in and to continue the university’s work around anti-racism and social justice.”
Though the plan now is to welcome students back to campus this fall, Whitney acknowledged that it can change on a dime.
Whitney said the response to the pandemic and social unrest in the country are top priorities. But, this won’t distract her from the other important work to be done, she said.
Whitney said she plans to work with the university’s enrollment team to improve recruitment efforts of both graduate and undergraduate students. This includes implementing the Common Application, an admission application that allow students to apply for hundreds of schools at once verses applying for each individually.
Whitney said she would work to continue implementing the university’s strategic plan, secure a new collective bargaining agreement with university faculty and reach out to the Springfield community as Koch did.
She will also continue the push for the development of the Springfield Innovation Center, which will be the first hub of the Illinois Innovation Network.
Yet even on borrowed time, Whitney said don’t expect her to be a caretaker chancellor.
“This year is going to be a very busy year, it’s going to be one with unprecedented existential threats that we will respond to,” Whitney said. “And it’s a year though, because of that, to take stock, and to advance on what we do really well, and to be clear that we always need to innovate, create and improve. So I would say, hang on, it’s gonna be a busy year.”
Among the challenges staring her down: an unprecedented public health crisis that has significantly altered the delivery of academic services, great social upheaval as institutions across the country confront uncomfortable truths on race and ensuring that other major university initiatives, such as the construction of the Springfield Innovation Center, don’t get lost in the shuffle.
These circumstances are exactly what attracted Whitney to the job.
“This is how I can help,” Whitney said in an interview with The State Journal-Register last week. “I’m not in science or public health. If I could, I’d go to a lab and I would make the vaccine that would keep us safe. I can’t do those things, but I know how to run a university and work with a lot of people and that’s how I’m going to help.”
She takes over for Chancellor Emeritus Susan Koch, whose retirement became official last week after nine years leading the Springfield campus.
Whitney laid out her list of goals and priorities she hopes to accomplish during her limited tenure in Springfield. At the top of this list is meeting the moment the country currently finds itself in, she said.
“So the goal is to work with the university, the faculty, the staff and students to ensure the university continues to provide high quality teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Whitney said. “That’s job one. Job two is to embrace this incredible moment we’re in and to continue the university’s work around anti-racism and social justice.”
Though the plan now is to welcome students back to campus this fall, Whitney acknowledged that it can change on a dime.
Whitney said the response to the pandemic and social unrest in the country are top priorities. But, this won’t distract her from the other important work to be done, she said.
Whitney said she plans to work with the university’s enrollment team to improve recruitment efforts of both graduate and undergraduate students. This includes implementing the Common Application, an admission application that allow students to apply for hundreds of schools at once verses applying for each individually.
Whitney said she would work to continue implementing the university’s strategic plan, secure a new collective bargaining agreement with university faculty and reach out to the Springfield community as Koch did.
She will also continue the push for the development of the Springfield Innovation Center, which will be the first hub of the Illinois Innovation Network.
Yet even on borrowed time, Whitney said don’t expect her to be a caretaker chancellor.
“This year is going to be a very busy year, it’s going to be one with unprecedented existential threats that we will respond to,” Whitney said. “And it’s a year though, because of that, to take stock, and to advance on what we do really well, and to be clear that we always need to innovate, create and improve. So I would say, hang on, it’s gonna be a busy year.”
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on July 5, 2020.
Friday, March 6, 2020
UIS will have a downtown presence
The University of Illinois Springfield is working to bring a presence to the downtown area.
An innovation center will give their students real-world experience. The discussion and planning of a downtown presence has been in the works for over a year, but university officials want input from the public before any further planning is done.
Some people are in favor of the proposal. "We need that kind of stimulation for the business of Springfield: jobs, entrepreneurship, and these folks seem to have a handle on that,” Springfield resident Jerry Jacobson said.
UIS officials said they hope with the public's input, it will soon become a reality. "If we locate within the community and in proximity with other businesses and residential, we'll bring jobs down here,” Bruce Sommer said, UIS Director of Economic Development and Innovation. “We'll be able to have these interactions with community participants that will create advanced economic growth."
Sommer said the new innovation center will focus on five strategic areas: business incubation and acceleration, technology and research commercialization, social innovation, public policy research, and workforce development and education.
This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on March 5, 2020..
Watch the entire story online.
An innovation center will give their students real-world experience. The discussion and planning of a downtown presence has been in the works for over a year, but university officials want input from the public before any further planning is done.
Some people are in favor of the proposal. "We need that kind of stimulation for the business of Springfield: jobs, entrepreneurship, and these folks seem to have a handle on that,” Springfield resident Jerry Jacobson said.
UIS officials said they hope with the public's input, it will soon become a reality. "If we locate within the community and in proximity with other businesses and residential, we'll bring jobs down here,” Bruce Sommer said, UIS Director of Economic Development and Innovation. “We'll be able to have these interactions with community participants that will create advanced economic growth."
Sommer said the new innovation center will focus on five strategic areas: business incubation and acceleration, technology and research commercialization, social innovation, public policy research, and workforce development and education.
This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on March 5, 2020..
Watch the entire story online.
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
UIS seeks public input about downtown Innovation Center
The University of Illinois Springfield is seeking public input about the UIS Innovation Center and Springfield Innovation District in the downtown area.
A public session will be held at Innovate Springfield, 15 So. Old State Capitol Plaza, at 5 p.m. Thursday.
The UIS Innovation Center was named the first hub of the Illinois Innovation Network (IIN), a system of connected university-community-industry-based hubs throughout the state. Those hubs will work together to drive innovation, economic development and workforce development across Illinois utilizing a combination of research, public-private partnerships, entrepreneurship and workforce training programs.
The goal of the UIS Innovation Center is to advance the regional economy by working with industry partners, government, civic organizations and other higher education institutions to build a robust and inclusive human capital and innovation pipeline.
Members of the public will have the opportunity to provide input and engage in small-group sessions with UIS faculty in several focus areas.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on March 2, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
A public session will be held at Innovate Springfield, 15 So. Old State Capitol Plaza, at 5 p.m. Thursday.
The UIS Innovation Center was named the first hub of the Illinois Innovation Network (IIN), a system of connected university-community-industry-based hubs throughout the state. Those hubs will work together to drive innovation, economic development and workforce development across Illinois utilizing a combination of research, public-private partnerships, entrepreneurship and workforce training programs.
The goal of the UIS Innovation Center is to advance the regional economy by working with industry partners, government, civic organizations and other higher education institutions to build a robust and inclusive human capital and innovation pipeline.
Members of the public will have the opportunity to provide input and engage in small-group sessions with UIS faculty in several focus areas.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on March 2, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
Thursday, February 13, 2020
State releases $500M for statewide technology innovation network, about $15M for UIS innovation center
Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday touted statewide benefits he said will result from a $500 million state investment in 15 hubs of a University of Illinois-led research institute network.
Officials at the University of Illinois Springfield said the announcement was “great news” that gets the Springfield campus “one step closer to realizing our vision for a downtown innovation center.”
The Springfield campus is slated to receive about $15 million from that $500 million for construction of the center, which will include an expanded Innovate Springfield, a social innovation and business incubator.
“We look forward to the release of a portion of those funds relatively soon so we can move forward on the design phase of our plan in Springfield,” said UIS spokesman Derek Schnapp.
The university will also seek additional funds from the state capital construction program as part of a larger downtown innovation district that is expected to be shared with Southern Illinois University.
Pritzker, a Democrat, announced at a Chicago news conference on the site of one of the future developments that the state would release the funding, which was originally approved under former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and reauthorized in last year’s state operating budget.
“Today’s announcement is so exciting. It will fast-track construction planning and we hope to break ground for DPI in a few months,” said UI President Timothy Killeen.
The IIN is a network of DPI and another 14 regional hubs which will receive portions of the other $270 million in state funding. Those hubs include partnerships with all of the state’s public universities, which will each create specific programs and facilities that fall in line with the IIN’s and DPI’s innovation, workforce development and economic growth goals. The stated goal of the program is to train the state’s workforce for in-demand technology jobs.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on Feb. 12, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
Officials at the University of Illinois Springfield said the announcement was “great news” that gets the Springfield campus “one step closer to realizing our vision for a downtown innovation center.”
The Springfield campus is slated to receive about $15 million from that $500 million for construction of the center, which will include an expanded Innovate Springfield, a social innovation and business incubator.
“We look forward to the release of a portion of those funds relatively soon so we can move forward on the design phase of our plan in Springfield,” said UIS spokesman Derek Schnapp.
The university will also seek additional funds from the state capital construction program as part of a larger downtown innovation district that is expected to be shared with Southern Illinois University.
Pritzker, a Democrat, announced at a Chicago news conference on the site of one of the future developments that the state would release the funding, which was originally approved under former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and reauthorized in last year’s state operating budget.
“Today’s announcement is so exciting. It will fast-track construction planning and we hope to break ground for DPI in a few months,” said UI President Timothy Killeen.
The IIN is a network of DPI and another 14 regional hubs which will receive portions of the other $270 million in state funding. Those hubs include partnerships with all of the state’s public universities, which will each create specific programs and facilities that fall in line with the IIN’s and DPI’s innovation, workforce development and economic growth goals. The stated goal of the program is to train the state’s workforce for in-demand technology jobs.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on Feb. 12, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
Friday, January 17, 2020
UIS, SIU make first joint remarks at DSI awards on downtown proposal
In a room filled with some of the city’s biggest movers and shakers Thursday evening, representatives from the University of Illinois Springfield and Southern Illinois University said they are still “planning” but hope to share their collective space needs and programming desires for a downtown university district soon.
“We are planning,” said John Charles, SIU’s executive director for governmental and public affairs, who spoke alongside Bruce Sommer, UIS’s director of economic development and innovation, at Downtown Springfield Inc.’s 27th annual awards dinner at the Wyndham Springfield City Centre.
“But, in the coming weeks, we look forward to solidifying a business plan and sharing with you our goals for this downtown innovation district.”
“When your industry, when your businesses grow, we all benefit,” Sommer told the several hundred in the room, which included several downtown business owners.
UIS re-established its downtown presence in August 2018 when it assumed control of Innovate Springfield, a social innovation and business incubator that now houses a hub in the Illinois Innovation Network. That University of Illinois system-led initiative is meant to foster economic growth through research and innovation by connecting hubs around the state to the flagship Discovery Partners Institute, a Chicago-based research institute.
Both institutions say that the project will have a greater impact if they work together along with the surrounding business community.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on January 16, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
“We are planning,” said John Charles, SIU’s executive director for governmental and public affairs, who spoke alongside Bruce Sommer, UIS’s director of economic development and innovation, at Downtown Springfield Inc.’s 27th annual awards dinner at the Wyndham Springfield City Centre.
“But, in the coming weeks, we look forward to solidifying a business plan and sharing with you our goals for this downtown innovation district.”
“When your industry, when your businesses grow, we all benefit,” Sommer told the several hundred in the room, which included several downtown business owners.
UIS re-established its downtown presence in August 2018 when it assumed control of Innovate Springfield, a social innovation and business incubator that now houses a hub in the Illinois Innovation Network. That University of Illinois system-led initiative is meant to foster economic growth through research and innovation by connecting hubs around the state to the flagship Discovery Partners Institute, a Chicago-based research institute.
Both institutions say that the project will have a greater impact if they work together along with the surrounding business community.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on January 16, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
Friday, December 20, 2019
UIS chancellor 'optimistic' about university presence downtown
University of Illinois Springfield Chancellor Susan Koch said
Thursday she is “optimistic” about submitting a proposal and eventually
securing funds for a university presence in downtown Springfield.
Koch, in an interview with The State Journal-Register, addressed recent discussion prompted by a peliminary proposal from the Springfield-Sangamon Growth Alliance calling for a downtown university campus shared by UIS and Southern Illinois University. The campus would be located between Second and Fourth streets to the west and east and Washington and Monroe streets to the north and south.
The proposal raised concerns from some area property owners about being displaced. Several businesses — such as the Sangamo Club, J.P. Kelly’s Pub and the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association — are within that boundary.
“I’ve seen those renderings, of course, and I had a meeting with (SSGA executive chairman) Dan Dungan not too long ago and we talked about those renderings,” Koch said. “So your question is, do they represent our vision? My answer to that would be, they could.”
Growing the University of Illinois Springfield in downtown is absolutely a possibility, Koch said. “I don’t know right now whether that’s where this will all settle.”
The article appeared in the State Journal-Register on December 20, 2019.
Read the entire story online.
Koch, in an interview with The State Journal-Register, addressed recent discussion prompted by a peliminary proposal from the Springfield-Sangamon Growth Alliance calling for a downtown university campus shared by UIS and Southern Illinois University. The campus would be located between Second and Fourth streets to the west and east and Washington and Monroe streets to the north and south.
The proposal raised concerns from some area property owners about being displaced. Several businesses — such as the Sangamo Club, J.P. Kelly’s Pub and the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association — are within that boundary.
“I’ve seen those renderings, of course, and I had a meeting with (SSGA executive chairman) Dan Dungan not too long ago and we talked about those renderings,” Koch said. “So your question is, do they represent our vision? My answer to that would be, they could.”
Growing the University of Illinois Springfield in downtown is absolutely a possibility, Koch said. “I don’t know right now whether that’s where this will all settle.”
The article appeared in the State Journal-Register on December 20, 2019.
Read the entire story online.
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Preliminary plan for downtown university campus emerges
Early plans for a new downtown university campus to be shared by the University of Illinois Springfield and Southern Illinois University have emerged, with a local economic development group suggesting a location on the business district’s eastern edge.
The Springfield-Sangamon Growth Alliance has proposed a university campus to be located between Second and Fourth streets to the west and east and Washington and Monroe streets to the north and south. While SSGA interim president and CEO Josh Collins said the proposal is “extremely preliminary,” it is to the point where the group has been quietly meeting with property owners within the potential project’s scope.
Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder and other city officials were also briefed on the proposal in late November. “There’s no concrete proposal on anything. Everything’s kind of in draft one or draft .01,”
In August 2018, UIS purchased downtown Springfield’s Innovate Springfield, a business and social innovation incubator. It was then awarded the first hub of the Illinois Innovation Network, a University of Illinois system-led initiative meant to foster economic growth through research and innovation by connecting satellite hubs spread across the state with the flagship Discovery Partners Institute, a Chicago-based research institute. While the hub is housed at Innovate Springfield’s offices on the Old State Capitol Plaza, university officials have been open about their intentions to find a bigger space in downtown Springfield for the expanded hub and other university programs.
In a statement, UIS spokesman Derek Schnapp said “the university is considering various options for a new and larger location for the downtown hub that includes an expanded Innovate Springfield and additional activities with funding for construction and/or renovation to be provided in part by a recent legislative appropriation that includes $15 million for the UIS hub.” “We’ve had some discussions with SIU representatives about possible collaborations that would enhance further economic development in the region,” Schnapp said. “As discussions continue, we look forward to collaborating with local and state legislative leaders.”
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on December 4, 2019.
Read the entire article online.
The Springfield-Sangamon Growth Alliance has proposed a university campus to be located between Second and Fourth streets to the west and east and Washington and Monroe streets to the north and south. While SSGA interim president and CEO Josh Collins said the proposal is “extremely preliminary,” it is to the point where the group has been quietly meeting with property owners within the potential project’s scope.
Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder and other city officials were also briefed on the proposal in late November. “There’s no concrete proposal on anything. Everything’s kind of in draft one or draft .01,”
In August 2018, UIS purchased downtown Springfield’s Innovate Springfield, a business and social innovation incubator. It was then awarded the first hub of the Illinois Innovation Network, a University of Illinois system-led initiative meant to foster economic growth through research and innovation by connecting satellite hubs spread across the state with the flagship Discovery Partners Institute, a Chicago-based research institute. While the hub is housed at Innovate Springfield’s offices on the Old State Capitol Plaza, university officials have been open about their intentions to find a bigger space in downtown Springfield for the expanded hub and other university programs.
In a statement, UIS spokesman Derek Schnapp said “the university is considering various options for a new and larger location for the downtown hub that includes an expanded Innovate Springfield and additional activities with funding for construction and/or renovation to be provided in part by a recent legislative appropriation that includes $15 million for the UIS hub.” “We’ve had some discussions with SIU representatives about possible collaborations that would enhance further economic development in the region,” Schnapp said. “As discussions continue, we look forward to collaborating with local and state legislative leaders.”
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on December 4, 2019.
Read the entire article online.
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Downtown university plan floated
The Springfield Sangamon County Growth Alliance is pitching a major university presence in downtown Springfield that sources say would involve the University of Illinois Springfield, Southern Illinois University and perhaps the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana.
Plans aren't concrete, but the first public meetings to unveil ideas are expected in January, said Josh Collins, interim president and CEO of the alliance, a public-private economic development group. Collins confirmed that the alliance has contacted property owners in the area. "I would say this is very preliminary right now," Collins said. "There will be at least two public meetings on this, plus other outreach efforts to property owners and businesses. ... I would say there is an anticipation to have more formalized concepts, hopefully, in the first quarter of 2020.
In an email, UIS spokesman Derek Schnapp wrote that the university wants a new location for Innovate Springfield, a business incubator now located near the Old State Capitol that is part of a so-called innovation hub being developed by the University of Illinois that is aimed at helping entrepreneurs. "The university is considering various options for a new and larger location for the downtown hub that includes an expanded Innovate Springfield and additional activities with funding for construction and/or renovation to be provided in part by a recent legislative appropriation that includes $15 million for the UIS hub," Schnapp wrote. "We've had some discussions with SIU representatives about possible collaborations that would enhance further economic development in the region. As discussions continue, we look forward to collaborating with local and state legislative leaders."
This story appeared in the Illinois Times on December 3, 2019.
Read the entire article online.
Plans aren't concrete, but the first public meetings to unveil ideas are expected in January, said Josh Collins, interim president and CEO of the alliance, a public-private economic development group. Collins confirmed that the alliance has contacted property owners in the area. "I would say this is very preliminary right now," Collins said. "There will be at least two public meetings on this, plus other outreach efforts to property owners and businesses. ... I would say there is an anticipation to have more formalized concepts, hopefully, in the first quarter of 2020.
In an email, UIS spokesman Derek Schnapp wrote that the university wants a new location for Innovate Springfield, a business incubator now located near the Old State Capitol that is part of a so-called innovation hub being developed by the University of Illinois that is aimed at helping entrepreneurs. "The university is considering various options for a new and larger location for the downtown hub that includes an expanded Innovate Springfield and additional activities with funding for construction and/or renovation to be provided in part by a recent legislative appropriation that includes $15 million for the UIS hub," Schnapp wrote. "We've had some discussions with SIU representatives about possible collaborations that would enhance further economic development in the region. As discussions continue, we look forward to collaborating with local and state legislative leaders."
This story appeared in the Illinois Times on December 3, 2019.
Read the entire article online.
Thursday, August 1, 2019
Proposed ordinance declares city's 'full support' for downtown university presence
While long considered the most logical site for a downtown university
presence, city officials made it clear Tuesday that the city-owned
Y-block is just one option on the table.
An ordinance declaring the city’s support for an effort to bring a university presence to downtown Springfield sailed through the city council’s Committee of the Whole Tuesday evening, but not before adopting an amendment that significantly broadened the language to be less site-specific.
“The other way it was written, it was a little Y-block-heavy, so to speak,” said Mayor Jim Langfelder. “And really, the intent is to just support the university developments downtown that could be.”
According to the proposed ordinance, “the city of Springfield is in full support of” a proposed downtown development that would be shared by the University of Illinois Springfield and Southern Illinois University.
The original ordinance was site-specific, leaning heavily on the Y-block site as a future location for the proposed campus. But Langfelder said the change in language was prompted by a meeting with state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, and officials from UIS and SIU, who sought not to limit themselves to the constraints of a one city block.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on July 31, 2019.
Read the entire story online.
An ordinance declaring the city’s support for an effort to bring a university presence to downtown Springfield sailed through the city council’s Committee of the Whole Tuesday evening, but not before adopting an amendment that significantly broadened the language to be less site-specific.
“The other way it was written, it was a little Y-block-heavy, so to speak,” said Mayor Jim Langfelder. “And really, the intent is to just support the university developments downtown that could be.”
According to the proposed ordinance, “the city of Springfield is in full support of” a proposed downtown development that would be shared by the University of Illinois Springfield and Southern Illinois University.
The original ordinance was site-specific, leaning heavily on the Y-block site as a future location for the proposed campus. But Langfelder said the change in language was prompted by a meeting with state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, and officials from UIS and SIU, who sought not to limit themselves to the constraints of a one city block.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on July 31, 2019.
Read the entire story online.
Monday, May 13, 2019
Innovate Springfield offers update on impact
Stakeholders in the Illinois Innovation Network and Innovate Springfield spoke before the Springfield Citizen’s Club Friday morning, offering an update on the progress of the statewide network and, specifically, the Springfield hub.
In August 2018, the University of Illinois Springfield acquired Innovate Springfield. Soon after, the university was awarded the first hub of the Illinois Innovation Network, a University of Illinois system-led initiative meant to foster economic growth through research and innovation by connecting satellite hubs spread across the state with the flagship Discovery Partners Institute, a research institute to be based in Chicago.
“This is a tremendously exciting opportunity. It’s a big idea, a real big idea,” said UIS Chancellor Susan Koch. “And if we can pull this off, it’s going to harness the intellectual talent of the entire University of Illinois to focus economic and social development across the state, including here in the state capital.”
Officials did share some statistics regarding the incubator’s economic impact in 2018.
Innovate Springfield’s 65 members collectively created 31 full-time and 21 part-time jobs. They also generated $1.9 million in gross revenue and raised $1.2 million in angel investment.
Officials said they hoped to have support from the community, which they say is necessary to make the hub a success. “This really is about having a community mindset focused on innovation,” said Katie Davison, Innovate Springfield’s executive director.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on May 11, 2019.
Read the entire article online.
In August 2018, the University of Illinois Springfield acquired Innovate Springfield. Soon after, the university was awarded the first hub of the Illinois Innovation Network, a University of Illinois system-led initiative meant to foster economic growth through research and innovation by connecting satellite hubs spread across the state with the flagship Discovery Partners Institute, a research institute to be based in Chicago.
“This is a tremendously exciting opportunity. It’s a big idea, a real big idea,” said UIS Chancellor Susan Koch. “And if we can pull this off, it’s going to harness the intellectual talent of the entire University of Illinois to focus economic and social development across the state, including here in the state capital.”
Officials did share some statistics regarding the incubator’s economic impact in 2018.
Innovate Springfield’s 65 members collectively created 31 full-time and 21 part-time jobs. They also generated $1.9 million in gross revenue and raised $1.2 million in angel investment.
Officials said they hoped to have support from the community, which they say is necessary to make the hub a success. “This really is about having a community mindset focused on innovation,” said Katie Davison, Innovate Springfield’s executive director.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on May 11, 2019.
Read the entire article online.
Monday, March 18, 2019
Susan Koch: Economic development for the public good
The following is an excerpt from a column by University of Illinois Springfield Chancellor Susan Koch. This column appeared in The State Journal-Register on March 16, 2019.
Since its first graduates completed their degrees in 1971, the University of Illinois Springfield has been a launch pad for professional and personal success for thousands of alums — many of whom identify their UIS experience as central to their own well-being and social mobility.
But UIS and the entire University of Illinois system is also a public good — one that is increasingly indispensable across the entire state and beyond.
What does this commitment mean for UIS, for Springfield and for Central Illinois? Plenty!
As some SJ-R readers will recall, UIS recently acquired Innovate Springfield, the downtown business incubator founded by the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln. Thanks in part to financial investments by the Foundation, the City of Springfield, and the Land of Lincoln Economic Development Corporation (as well as matching funds from the UI system), Innovate Springfield is becoming a catalyst for economic development in the region — a place where ideas and startups can ignite and expand.
According to Executive Director Katie Davison, the new alignment with UIS is already producing impressive results. “Since becoming part of UIS, Innovate Springfield has grown to serve 64 members today, including 14 UIS students,” says Davison.
“We’re providing members with access to legal and financial consulting, workshops and mentors, as well as a creative environment that is nurturing both new business success and innovation.”
“We have more activity and energy in the space every day,” she continues, “and we’re becoming a bridge between the University and the business community that provides clients with better access to the intellectual capital the University has to offer.”
In joining UIS, Innovate Springfield has also been announced as a hub of the UI’s Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) — a system of interconnected university-community-industry-based hubs throughout the state.
The Network will be anchored by the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) in Chicago that will coordinate efforts and initiatives statewide. The Illinois General Assembly appropriated funding to help launch the DPI/IIN last spring.
UIS is expected to receive part of that funding, and conceptual planning and design is now underway for a downtown Innovation Center that will include an expanded Innovate Springfield and other related activities.
Bruce Sommer, the University’s new Director of Economic Development and Innovation, is part of the intellectual capital being invested in this exciting project. A Springfield native who grew up in successful local businesses including Harper Oil Company, Bruce left Illinois after college and spent several years on the East coast as a venture capitalist and angel investor.
“When I came back to Springfield, I simply didn’t see the entrepreneurial culture I was used to on the East Coast,” says Sommer. “Innovate Springfield and the Springfield hub will provide that culture and will enable us to start new companies, which in turn can attract a wealth of talent and opportunity.”
In addition to teaching entrepreneurship classes on campus and at Innovate Springfield, Sommer is fostering the development of local university-business partnerships to create the capacity for Springfield to be a vital and sustainable hub in the statewide network.
Keenan Dungey is another essential asset for the project. A graduate of the University of Michigan and professor in the UIS Department of Chemistry, Dr. Dungey leads Research and Institutional Effectiveness for the University.
“Thirty UIS faculty are already engaged in system-wide DPI working groups focused on key themes including: Computing and Data, Environment and Water, Health and Wellness, and Food and Agriculture,” says Dungey.
“The intellectual capital this project is harnessing is tremendous,” he continues, “and it is providing new ways for us to intentionally reach outward and consider how faculty, students and programs can be stronger assets for our local community and across the state.”
Innovation is the driver of economic development and now is the time to expand our thinking about what is possible for a more prosperous future.” ... and that’s a public good we need for Springfield and for Central Illinois!
Read the entire article online.
Since its first graduates completed their degrees in 1971, the University of Illinois Springfield has been a launch pad for professional and personal success for thousands of alums — many of whom identify their UIS experience as central to their own well-being and social mobility.
But UIS and the entire University of Illinois system is also a public good — one that is increasingly indispensable across the entire state and beyond.
What does this commitment mean for UIS, for Springfield and for Central Illinois? Plenty!
As some SJ-R readers will recall, UIS recently acquired Innovate Springfield, the downtown business incubator founded by the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln. Thanks in part to financial investments by the Foundation, the City of Springfield, and the Land of Lincoln Economic Development Corporation (as well as matching funds from the UI system), Innovate Springfield is becoming a catalyst for economic development in the region — a place where ideas and startups can ignite and expand.
According to Executive Director Katie Davison, the new alignment with UIS is already producing impressive results. “Since becoming part of UIS, Innovate Springfield has grown to serve 64 members today, including 14 UIS students,” says Davison.
“We’re providing members with access to legal and financial consulting, workshops and mentors, as well as a creative environment that is nurturing both new business success and innovation.”
“We have more activity and energy in the space every day,” she continues, “and we’re becoming a bridge between the University and the business community that provides clients with better access to the intellectual capital the University has to offer.”
In joining UIS, Innovate Springfield has also been announced as a hub of the UI’s Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) — a system of interconnected university-community-industry-based hubs throughout the state.
The Network will be anchored by the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) in Chicago that will coordinate efforts and initiatives statewide. The Illinois General Assembly appropriated funding to help launch the DPI/IIN last spring.
UIS is expected to receive part of that funding, and conceptual planning and design is now underway for a downtown Innovation Center that will include an expanded Innovate Springfield and other related activities.
Bruce Sommer, the University’s new Director of Economic Development and Innovation, is part of the intellectual capital being invested in this exciting project. A Springfield native who grew up in successful local businesses including Harper Oil Company, Bruce left Illinois after college and spent several years on the East coast as a venture capitalist and angel investor.
“When I came back to Springfield, I simply didn’t see the entrepreneurial culture I was used to on the East Coast,” says Sommer. “Innovate Springfield and the Springfield hub will provide that culture and will enable us to start new companies, which in turn can attract a wealth of talent and opportunity.”
In addition to teaching entrepreneurship classes on campus and at Innovate Springfield, Sommer is fostering the development of local university-business partnerships to create the capacity for Springfield to be a vital and sustainable hub in the statewide network.
Keenan Dungey is another essential asset for the project. A graduate of the University of Michigan and professor in the UIS Department of Chemistry, Dr. Dungey leads Research and Institutional Effectiveness for the University.
“Thirty UIS faculty are already engaged in system-wide DPI working groups focused on key themes including: Computing and Data, Environment and Water, Health and Wellness, and Food and Agriculture,” says Dungey.
“The intellectual capital this project is harnessing is tremendous,” he continues, “and it is providing new ways for us to intentionally reach outward and consider how faculty, students and programs can be stronger assets for our local community and across the state.”
Innovation is the driver of economic development and now is the time to expand our thinking about what is possible for a more prosperous future.” ... and that’s a public good we need for Springfield and for Central Illinois!
Read the entire article online.
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
UIS Names Director Of Economic Development And Innovation
A Springfield businessman has been named as the new director of Economic Development and Innovation at the University of Illinois Springfield.
Bruce Sommer is the co-founder of Innovate Springfield, which was recently acquired by UIS when it was named as the first hub of the state’s Discovery Partners Institute.
The university says he will lead the UIS effort to spur more business growth and development in Springfield.
This story aired on 970 WMAY on October 17, 2018.
Read the entire story online.
Bruce Sommer is the co-founder of Innovate Springfield, which was recently acquired by UIS when it was named as the first hub of the state’s Discovery Partners Institute.
The university says he will lead the UIS effort to spur more business growth and development in Springfield.
This story aired on 970 WMAY on October 17, 2018.
Read the entire story online.
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
UIS awarded first hub in statewide innovation network
The University of Illinois Springfield, through the recently acquired business and social innovation incubator Innovate Springfield, will house the first hub of the Illinois Innovation Network, state and local officials announced Tuesday.
The announcement comes months after state legislators appropriated $500 million in seed money to the U of I system-led initiative, which will have hubs across the state connecting to the Chicago-based Discovery Partners Institute.
The goal is to accelerate economic growth statewide through research and innovation.
“We could not be more pleased to be playing a key role to help facilitate this milestone moment in our collective history,” UIS Chancellor Susan Koch said. “I am confident the Springfield hub will be a smashing success.”
The university took ownership of Innovate Springfield on Aug. 1. It will be supported initially by $1.5 million seed money over the next three years from the university, city of Springfield, the Land of Lincoln Economic Development Corporation and the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln.
Koch said the university has submitted a proposal to the DPI, which will likely tap into that $500 million for “a significant investment in building and expanding” the hub in downtown Springfield.
For now, the incubator will continue to be located at 15 S. Old State Capitol Plaza, but it is widely expected that it will move in the near future to a larger location somewhere else downtown.
While Mayor Jim Langfelder has pushed for the university to have a presence on the YWCA block at Fourth Street and Capitol Avenue, the university has yet to commit to a site. But no matter where the permanent home of the Springfield hub ends up being, university officials believe it has the potential to transform the city’s economy along with the broader region.
“Together, though, this effort will make Springfield part of a network that will be home to literally hundreds of world-class researchers, thousands of students and partners at top universities and corporations,” said U of I system president Timothy Killeen. “It will give this community access to the very best intellectual power that we can muster in every discipline.”
Killeen said the network has the potential to “foster pioneering discovery that will not just rival Silicon Valley, but leapfrog it.”
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on August 28, 2018.
Read the entire article online.
The announcement comes months after state legislators appropriated $500 million in seed money to the U of I system-led initiative, which will have hubs across the state connecting to the Chicago-based Discovery Partners Institute.
The goal is to accelerate economic growth statewide through research and innovation.
“We could not be more pleased to be playing a key role to help facilitate this milestone moment in our collective history,” UIS Chancellor Susan Koch said. “I am confident the Springfield hub will be a smashing success.”
The university took ownership of Innovate Springfield on Aug. 1. It will be supported initially by $1.5 million seed money over the next three years from the university, city of Springfield, the Land of Lincoln Economic Development Corporation and the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln.
Koch said the university has submitted a proposal to the DPI, which will likely tap into that $500 million for “a significant investment in building and expanding” the hub in downtown Springfield.
For now, the incubator will continue to be located at 15 S. Old State Capitol Plaza, but it is widely expected that it will move in the near future to a larger location somewhere else downtown.
While Mayor Jim Langfelder has pushed for the university to have a presence on the YWCA block at Fourth Street and Capitol Avenue, the university has yet to commit to a site. But no matter where the permanent home of the Springfield hub ends up being, university officials believe it has the potential to transform the city’s economy along with the broader region.
“Together, though, this effort will make Springfield part of a network that will be home to literally hundreds of world-class researchers, thousands of students and partners at top universities and corporations,” said U of I system president Timothy Killeen. “It will give this community access to the very best intellectual power that we can muster in every discipline.”
Killeen said the network has the potential to “foster pioneering discovery that will not just rival Silicon Valley, but leapfrog it.”
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on August 28, 2018.
Read the entire article online.
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
UIS acquires downtown’s Innovate Springfield
In a move that’s been alluded to for more than a year, the University of Illinois Springfield has acquired Innovate Springfield, the downtown social innovation and business incubator founded in 2014 to spur economic growth in the capital city.
The incubator, 15 S. Old State Capitol Plaza, was officially turned over to the university on Aug. 1. City and university officials, including U of I system President Timothy Killeen, will announce the acquisition at a press conference on Tuesday.
The move immediately bolsters UIS’s downtown presence and gives the university a solid foundation on which to apply for one of several statewide innovation hubs to be established as part of the University of Illinois system-led Discovery Partners Institute.
The incubator has received a $500,000 funding commitment for each of the next three years. The city of Springfield and Land of Lincoln Economic Development Corporation will contribute $100,000 each, with the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln chipping in $50,000.
With local support locked down, the University of Illinois has agreed to match the funding with an additional $250,000 per year for the next three years.
“This will have more of an impact on the university coming truly more into the community than I think anything since the founding of Sangamon State University,” said John Stremsterfer, president of the Community Foundation.
“To have a sign on the building that says ‘University of Illinois Springfield’ is a great symbol, but I think the substance of work that will be created here, and hopefully in a bigger, more robust facility soon thereafter, is really exciting for the city.”
The incubator was founded in 2014 as a subsidiary to the Community Foundation, but UIS was “always squarely in my mind to be an ultimate repository for Innovate Springfield,” Stremsterfer said.
Though UIS has been a member of Innovate Springfield since its founding, conversations about the university taking over operations began in earnest in late 2017. And once the things got rolling, it was a fairly smooth process.
“They’re already successful,” said UIS chancellor Susan Koch. ”... One of the first things our team is going to do is work with them to expand the impact of what they are doing.”
Stakeholders say the university’s takeover will provide the incubator programmatic support, sources of startup talent, talent to help guide and mentor entrepreneurs, access to the U of I system alumni network and additional financial resources.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on August 27, 2018.
Read the entire article online.
The incubator, 15 S. Old State Capitol Plaza, was officially turned over to the university on Aug. 1. City and university officials, including U of I system President Timothy Killeen, will announce the acquisition at a press conference on Tuesday.
The move immediately bolsters UIS’s downtown presence and gives the university a solid foundation on which to apply for one of several statewide innovation hubs to be established as part of the University of Illinois system-led Discovery Partners Institute.
The incubator has received a $500,000 funding commitment for each of the next three years. The city of Springfield and Land of Lincoln Economic Development Corporation will contribute $100,000 each, with the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln chipping in $50,000.
With local support locked down, the University of Illinois has agreed to match the funding with an additional $250,000 per year for the next three years.
“This will have more of an impact on the university coming truly more into the community than I think anything since the founding of Sangamon State University,” said John Stremsterfer, president of the Community Foundation.
“To have a sign on the building that says ‘University of Illinois Springfield’ is a great symbol, but I think the substance of work that will be created here, and hopefully in a bigger, more robust facility soon thereafter, is really exciting for the city.”
The incubator was founded in 2014 as a subsidiary to the Community Foundation, but UIS was “always squarely in my mind to be an ultimate repository for Innovate Springfield,” Stremsterfer said.
Though UIS has been a member of Innovate Springfield since its founding, conversations about the university taking over operations began in earnest in late 2017. And once the things got rolling, it was a fairly smooth process.
“They’re already successful,” said UIS chancellor Susan Koch. ”... One of the first things our team is going to do is work with them to expand the impact of what they are doing.”
Stakeholders say the university’s takeover will provide the incubator programmatic support, sources of startup talent, talent to help guide and mentor entrepreneurs, access to the U of I system alumni network and additional financial resources.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on August 27, 2018.
Read the entire article online.
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