Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Illinois Conference Center: Chancellor Ballroom

8:30-9:00: Registration/Breakfast
Check-in and continental breakfast

9:00-9:15: Welcome
Susan Martinis, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation

9:15-9:50: Illinois Research Trivia
Test your knowledge of the Illinois research enterprise, learn about emerging trends in research, and win fabulous campus swag!

9:50-10:00: Break

10:00-11:00: Keynote: Best practices for building and sustaining collaborations
Tony Boccanfuso, Director, University Industry Demonstration Project
Tony Boccanfuso has led UIDP, a solutions-oriented membership organization comprised of top-tier innovation companies and world-class research universities since 2007. UIDP supports mutually beneficial collaborations by developing and disseminating strategies for addressing common issues between the sectors—academic, corporate, and government. Its activities help members achieve meaningful impact on a broad array of collaboration matters, ranging from contracting to commercialization and workforce development.

11:00-11:45: Networking
It’s BINGO TIME—”Professional Bingo,” that is. Make connections and learn a bit more about members of the Illinois Research Development Community.

11:45-12:45: Lunch and GRANTED Discussion
Grab your lunch, and settle in! We’ll spend the first part of lunch filling our plates and finding our seats, and at 12:15 Kelvin Droegemeier will kick off an informal discussion about NSF’s GRANTED funding program, then Sowmya Anand and Gill Snyder will lead a discussion about existing projects and potential proposals.

12:45-1:45: Panel Discussion: Working with Foundations
Moderator: Liz Birlet, Director, Office of Foundation Relations

• • Dr. Terre A. Constantine, Executive Director, Brain Research Foundation
    Terre A. Constantine, Ph.D. is the Executive Director and CEO of the Brain Research Foundation. Terre is dedicated to BRF’s mission because of her background as a trained scientist. She understands the importance of research and the difficulty in obtaining funding for innovative ideas. Like so many, Terre’s family was touched by neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and stroke. But when her mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor, a glioblastoma, that is when her world changed. No longer was she just passionate about BRF because she was a neuroscientist. She was passionate about it because she saw her mother quickly succumb to a ravaging brain tumor that took her ability to talk, write, walk and finally took her life. And like so many that have been down this devastating road, she wants to make sure that someday others will not have to see a loved one’s heartbreaking struggle. Terre strongly believes that supporting scientific research will lead to new treatments and cures. There are so many talented researchers with innovative ideas, funding sometimes is the only thing that is halting progress and breakthroughs. She is excited to be part of the evolution of science. Terre earned her Ph.D. from The University of Pittsburgh Medical School in the Department of Pharmacology with a focus on drug addiction and stroke. She continued her research at The Scripps Research Institute where she studied neuroregeneration.
  • Kevin Hamilton, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation—Humanities, Arts, and Related Fields, OVCRI
    Working in collaborative and cross-disciplinary modes, Kevin produces artworks, archives, and scholarship on such subjects as race and space, public memory, history of technology, and state violence. Recognition for his work has included grants from the National Science Foundation and National Endowment for the Humanities, presentation at conferences across Europe and North America (ISEA/ DEAF/CAA/NCA/ACM-SIGCHI), publication in edited journals and anthologies (Routledge/CCCS/Palm Press/UCLA), and invited residencies (Banff/USC-IML/Bratislava). As an educator, administrator, and researcher, Kevin is focused on integration of practice-based, historical and theoretical approaches to learning about technological mediation. This work has included the development of several interdisciplinary project-based courses, workshops, and initiatives for students and faculty from the sciences, arts and humanities, with emphases on prototyping, reflection, and methodologies of collaboration.
  • Janice Dunbar-Travis, Senior Grants Manager, MacArthur Foundation
    Janice works with the Foundation’s Chicago Commitment program. She is responsible for pre- and post-grant administration, including grant implementation and compliance. Janice has more than two decades of experience in philanthropy. Prior to joining the Foundation, Janice worked in supervisory and support positions at non-profit and for-profit organizations in the fields of fundraising, health, environmental issues, and industrial hygiene.Janice is a current member and former treasurer of Chicago African Americans in Philanthropy, a member of ABFE, and of Dreamwalkers. Past associations include the Auxiliary Board of the Black Ensemble Theater and Be Present’s leadership development program. Janice received a Bachelor of Science in Management and a Masters of Science in Public Service Management, with a concentration in Nonprofit Management, both from DePaul University.

1:45-2:00: Close