EngenuitySC Kicks Off "The Year of the SmartState" at Science Café on September 11, 2012, 6 p.m. at Speakeasy

EngenuitySC, the Midlands' knowledge economy partnership, will kick off "The Year of the SmartState" at Science Café 2012-2013 with a big season opener on September 11, 2012 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Speakeasy in Five Points.

Columbia, SC (prHWY.com) August 30, 2012 - Columbia, S.C. (August 30, 2012): EngenuitySC, the Midlands' knowledge economy partnership, will kick off "The Year of the SmartState" at Science Café 2012-2013 with a big season opener on September 11, 2012 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Speakeasy in Five Points, the new permanent home for the monthly series. Every second Tuesday, knowledge economy movers and shakers convene at Science Café for drinks and informal talks by some of South Carolina's top leaders in technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation in a relaxed atmosphere that encourages open discussion and networking.

What does the SmartState partnership mean for Science Cafe? The awesomeness dial on the speaker roster just got turned up to eleven.

This new, year-long partnership with the SmartState Program™ (also known as the South Carolina Centers of Economic Excellence Program) allows EngenuitySC to book upper echelon speakers to whom the general public might not normally have ready access outside of the academic environment. The informal, social setting at Science Café - a national phenomenon, with Science Cafés in cities across the country - enables attendees to ask questions throughout the presentation and engage in rich discussion with presenters, each of whom is a SmartState Endowed Chair at University of South Carolina, Clemson University, or the Medical University of South Carolina.

The first Science Café of "The Year of the SmartState" will feature Dr. Igor Roninson, Founder and President of Senex Biotechnology and a Professor at the South Carolina College of Pharmacy at USC. Roninson serves as the SmartState Endowed Chair in Translational Cancer Therapeutics and will focus his discussion on current research in cancer therapies in connection with Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Dr. Roninson's talk and discussion will begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, September 11, 2012 at Speakeasy, located at 711 Saluda Avenue, Columbia, SC 29205.

Dr. Roninson has previously served as Director of the Cancer Center at Ordway Research Institute in Albany, N.Y., and as Distinguished Professor of Molecular Genetics and Head of the Division of Molecular Oncology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is a winner of the 1994 C.P. Rhoads Award for Meritorious Achievement in Cancer Research, and his study on the effects of CKI protein p21 was recognized in 2000 by the first annual Life Extension Prize from the Regenerative Medicine Secretariat. In addition, Dr. Roninson has authored over 150 articles and book chapters and is an inventor of 39 issued U.S. patents.

"The Year of the SmartState" is a partnership between EngenuitySC's Science Café series and the SmartState Program™, also known as the South Carolina Centers of Economic Excellence Program, created by the S.C. Commission on Higher Education. SmartState was established in 2002 by the South Carolina General Assembly to use state lottery funds to create Centers of Economic Excellence in research areas that will advance South Carolina's economy. The program brings together research universities, Clemson University, the University of South Carolina and the Medical University of South Carolina to fuel the innovation economy in South Carolina. In just 10 years, the SmartState Program has attracted more than $1.2 billion in non-state investment, has led to the creation of more than 7,000 jobs and has assembled a who's who of corporate partners, including BMW, Fluor, Michelin and SCANA.

Upcoming Science Café speaker topics will correspond to monthly campaigns such as Energy Action Month, Mental Wellness Month, and National American Heart Month. Note: for November 2012, Science Café takes a hiatus for Ignite! 2012, EngenuitySC's annual celebration of the Midlands' knowledge economy on Wednesday, November 14, 2012. http://www.engenuitysc.com/ignite

Advanced registration is highly recommended in order to earn points towards the Science Café loyalty program, which awards prizes like Science Café pint glasses, drink vouchers, gift cards, VIP seating, T-shirts and lighthearted, honorary titles to frequent guests. For more information and to register for free admission to the next Science Café, visit http://www.engenuitysc.com/sciencecafe.


Confirmed Speakers for EngenuitySC's "Year of the SmartState" at Science Café 2012-2013:

Tuesday, September 11, 2012: Dr. Igor Roninson, SmartState Endowed Chair in Translational Cancer Therapeutics, South Carolina College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina. Topic: Current Cancer Therapeutics Research at USC (Childhood Cancer Awareness Month). http://smartstatesc.org/igor-roninson

Tuesday, October 9, 2012: Dr. Zoran Filipi, Timken SmartState Endowed Chair in Automotive Design and Development, Clemson University. Topic: Current Research in Alternative Energy for Transportation (Energy Action Month). http://smartstatesc.org/zoran-filipi

For November, Science Café will take a break in deference to Ignite! 2012, EngenuitySC's annual celebration of the Midlands' knowledge economy on Wednesday, November 14, 2012. http://www.engenuitysc.com/ignite

Tuesday, December 11, 2012: Dr. Scott Mason, Fluor SmartState Endowed Chair in Supply Chain Optimization and Logistics, Clemson University. Topic: The Science of Getting Holiday Gifts to Stores and Your Doorstep. http://smartstatesc.org/scott-mason
Tuesday, January 8, 2013: Dr. Jay Moskowitz, James B. Duke SmartState Endowed Chair for Health Care Quality, University of South Carolina; President and CEO, Health Sciences South Carolina. Topic: Improving Health Care Quality for South Carolinians at the HCQ Center and Health Sciences South Carolina (Mental Wellness Month). http://smartstatesc.org/jay-moskowitz

Tuesday, February 12, 2013: TBD, (National American Heart Month and Valentine's Day)

Tuesday, March 12, 2013: Dr. Louis Guillette, SmartState Endowed Chair in Marine Genomics, Medical University of South Carolina. Topic: Marine Genomics and the Environment. Get ready to talk about crocs! http://smartstatesc.org/louis-guillette

Tuesday, April 9, 2013: Dr. Dan Gabriel Cacuci, SmartState Endowed Chair in Advanced Materials and Nuclear Power, University of South Carolina. Topic: Annual EngenuitySC Nuclear Science Café (the nuclear-focused Science Café is often the most popular of the year). http://smartstatesc.org/dan-cacuci

Tuesday, May 14, 2013: Dr. Robert Adams, SmartState Endowed Chair in Stroke; Director, MUSC Stroke Center, Medical University of South Carolina. Topic: The REACH Network and Stroke Recovery (National Stroke Awareness Month). http://smartstatesc.org/robert-adams

Tuesday, June 11, 2013: Dr. Charles Bennett, SmartState Endowed Chair in Medication Safety and Efficacy, South Carolina College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina. Topic: Current work toward preventing adverse drug events and improving drug safety. (National Safety Month and Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention Week). http://smartstatesc.org/charles-bennett

Tuesday, July 9, 2013: Dr. Brian Benicewicz. SmartState Endowed Chair for Polymer Nanocomposite Research, University of South Carolina. Topic: How Polymer Nanocomposite Research is Moving S.C.'s Plastics Industry Forward. http://smartstatesc.org/brian-benicewicz
Tuesday, August 13, 2013: Dr. John Schaefer, Lewis Blackman SmartState Endowed Chair for Patient Simulation and Research, Medical University of South Carolina. Topic: Clinical Effectiveness, Patient Safety and the Process of Commercializing Technologies (National Inventors Month). http://smartstatesc.org/john-schaefer


About Science Café
EngenuitySC hosts Science Café at 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month, featuring informal presentations by some of South Carolina's top leaders in science and technology in a casual atmosphere. Guests enjoy networking and a cash bar with high quality beer, wine and cocktails at Speakeasy in Five Points, a comfortable, pub-style environment with couches and expert mixologists behind the bar. The 2012-2013 season is "The Year of the SmartState" at Science Café; patrons have the opportunity to discuss the latest knowledge economy topics with SmartState Program™ Endowed Chairs in a relaxed environment that encourages questions, interruptions and discussion. @EngenuitySC #ScienceCafeCAE

About EngenuitySC
Headquartered in Columbia, EngenuitySC is a public/private partnership formed to develop and grow the South Carolina Midlands' knowledge-based economy by fostering an environment where entrepreneurship, innovation, and the creation of knowledge are fundamental elements of the region's culture, identity, and economic development strategy. Through collaboration with business, government, and higher education, EngenuitySC leads initiatives that support research development, promote commercialization, and leverage the region's assets. For more information, visit http://www.engenuitysc.com.

About the SmartState Programâ„¢
The SmartState Programâ„¢ serves the public interest by creating incentives for the state's research universities, in cooperation with other institutions of higher education in the state, to raise capital from non-state sources to fund endowments for specialized research professorships. These professorships in turn serve as the nucleus for unique, university-based research centers which cultivate critical, public-private industrial partnerships, expand the state's knowledge base, create well-paying jobs, and enhance economic opportunities and improve the quality of life for the people of South Carolina. For more information, visit http://www.SmartStateSC.org.

Website: http://engenuitysc.com/sciencecafe
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/engenuitysc
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/engenuitysc
Twitter hashtag: #ScienceCafeCAE

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Tag Words: economy, speakers, discussion, technology, knowledge, development, research, economic, innovation

Categories: Scientific

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