Monday, April 29, 2013

App contest rewards student entrepreneurs

The Saluki Times

April 26, 2013

By Christi Mathis

 

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s inaugural Saluki App Competition showed the unique and diverse ideas students have for enhancing life on campus and in the region using special software applications they created.

The contest drew numerous ideas for mobile device software applications with several students winning cash awards for their ingenuity.  The winners, chosen by a panel of judges and through online voting, earned $600 in cash prizes.

Each team included one or more students and could have faculty, staff, alumni or members of the general public but at least half of each competing team had to be comprised of spring 2013 SIU students.  The purpose of the contest was to recognize and cultivate the entrepreneurial spirit among University students and their associates.

There were two contest categories:  popular vote and vote by judges.

The winners, by category, along with a brief description of the app, the prizes won and available information about the creator(s) are:
Popular Vote
  • First -- Saluki Write, a composition and research reference application providing assistance with all stages of academic and professional writing tasks, Robert Calton (a doctoral English student), $150 prize.
  • Second -- Life at Southern, an application providing details specifically for SIU students about events, dining, night life, campus/community resources, specials and more, Jeremy Packer (sophomore computer science major from Metropolis), $100 prize.
  • Third -- ofCourse, an Android application to organize homework, quizzes, tests and other tasks, William Blankenship (freshman accounting major from Springfield), Patrick Brown (doctoral computer science student from Marion), Drew Murphy (senior computer science major from Altamont) and Jake Bock (sophomore computer science major from St. Joseph), $50 prize.
Vote by Judges
  • First -- Life at Southern, $150 prize.
  • Second -- ofCourse, $150 prize.
Additional prizes also went to the honorable mention winners.  They were:
  • Duncan, an application allowing students to view and organize academic assignments and projects using their mobile devices, John Leco (senior art major.)
  • SalukTracks, a customizable online campus map application showing paths to all locations and additional features, William Welling (senior computer science major from Chicago).
  • Workout Into the Future, an application offering all of the information anyone would want about the Student Recreation Center, Michael Henley (senior information systems technology major) and Ashley Schoolcraft (senior art major from Carbondale).
Find more details about the competition and the winners online at http://www.siu.launcht.com/.

Although the competition is over, the entrepreneurship it inspired is ongoing.  Several of the contestants are moving forward to further develop, implement and market their apps.

“We want to encourage students to think entrepreneurially and consider the commercial potential of their work.  One student contestant has already joined the new Student Innovation Incubator program at the Southern Illinois Research Park and we expect more to join,” Jeff Myers, senior technology transfer specialist in the University’s Technology Transfer Office, said.

SIU sponsors of the competition included the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Dean, the Technology Transfer Program and the Student Innovation Incubator.  Husch Blackwell, LLP., donated all of the cash awards while 710 Bookstore provided the honorable mention prizes.

Got tech? It’s more available locally than ever

Read the article in last week's the Southern.In the photograph is the Saluki App Competition winner Jeremy Packer.

Entrepreneur encourages students to chase dreams

 
 

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via The Daily Egyptian by Jessica Wettig on 4/24/13

  A nationally-known businessman gave students some insight into making mistakes on the pathway to success during a presentation Tuesday. Daymond John, hip-hop fashion brand FUBU founder and co-star of ABC's entrepreneurial reality show "Shark Tank," told his story to a ballroom full of students and faculty, and inspired some young entrepreneurs. John said when [...]

 
 

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Friday, April 19, 2013

Showcase next week highlights local tech businesses - The Southern

 
 

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Showcase next week highlights local tech businesses
The Southern
The event is being sponsored by the City of Carbondale, the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce, the Southern Illinois University Office of Economic and Regional Development and The Southern Illinoisan. A boxed lunch will be available for purchase and ...


 
 

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Workshop will focus on employment, labor law

 
 

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via The Saluki Times on 4/17/13

Understanding relevant law is one the keys to successfully operating a business, and the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Southern Illinois University Carbondale will host a workshop “Updates in Employment and Labor Law,†on May 3.

 
 

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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

The Saluki App Competition is completed!


Congratulations to all the participants, and many thanks to the voters!  Winners were announced and awarded at the SIU Research Town Meeting on April 16th.

Before you go, please provide feedback by filling out this short survey about the Saluki App Competition.  Seven questions should only take you a few minutes.  We appreciate your feedback!

Popular Vote:
Vote by Judges:
Thanks to the judges: Caleb Hale, Online Editor at the Southern; David Crain, SIU Associate Provost and CIO; Mehdi Zargham, Chair of the Department of Computer Science; and Rex Duncan, Director of Community Development and Outreach for SIU.
Honorable Mention:
Thanks to Husch Blackwell for supporting the cash awards, and 710 Bookstore for providing prizes for honorable mention!

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Saluki App Competition Awards

Please join us at the Student Center ballroom D at 3:30 p.m. today for the awards presentation.

Today: Research Town Meeting

Come and see us at the Student Center!:)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Amy McMorrow Hunter" <amcmorro@siu.edu>
Date: Apr 16, 2013 10:11 AM
Subject:
To: <techtran@siu.edu>

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Voting Ends Monday!

Be sure to cast your vote for your favorite app in the Saluki Idea Competition.  Voting ends Monday at midnight.

Workshop will offer international exporting tips

 
 

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via The Saluki Times on 4/10/13

Many factors and questions come into play when your business is involved with sending products outside the United States, but an upcoming workshop at Southern Illinois University Carbondale will offer vital information and answers about international exporting.

 
 

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Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Upcoming Advanced Biofuels Events

10th Annual Southern BioProducts & Renewable Energy Conference May 10-11, 2011 Biloxi, MS

Submitted by on March 25, 2011 – 4:08 pmNo Comment
10th Annual Southern BioProducts & Renewable Energy Conference   May 10-11, 2011 Biloxi, MS

Advocates for biomass utilization and renewable energy development from across the state and region will gather in Biloxi, Mississippi on May 10-11, 2011, to learn, promote and network. The theme of the conference "A Decade of Promoting Biomass and Renewable Energy," will celebrate the 10 year history of the Southern Bioproducts and Renewable Energy Conference. Since 2001, researchers, project developers, policy makers and renewable energy advocates from all backgrounds have come together on an annual basis to help lay the critical pathway the state and southern region must take to advance a new energy future that is clean, vibrant and more secure.   READ MORE and MORE

SciFund outreach training class for scientists


Are you interested in connecting to the public with your research? If so, you're in luck. SciFund Challenge is organizing an outreach training class for scientists that we'll be running for the month of May. The class is free and is intended for scientists that are new to outreach, but would like to get started with it. The class is open to scientists at any level, in any discipline. The class will be conducted over the Internet, so all countries are welcome. You can find more information about the class here: http://bit.ly/Z8FN76. The deadline to fill out the short application form is April 24th.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

For your crowdfunding reading enjoyment

Lessons for entrepreneurs from crowdfunding

Coffee and innovation, anyone?

Dear SIU Community, it's time for another First Tuesday Tech Tran Coffee Talk this morning. Please join us today from 9:30am-11:00am at the Student Center McDonald's for coffee, rolls and inno-talk. Hope to see you there! 

In the meantime, don't forget to vote for your favorite app on http://siu.launcht.com.  Cheers!

Monday, April 1, 2013

Voting is ON!

Please go to http://siu.launcht.com and vote for your favorite app.  Then tell your friends!!  Thank you!:)