Quickly: From the LEAST to the MOST, what are the three most abundant elements in a G-type star? If your answer was hydrogen, helium and carbon, move to the head of the class. That’s an example of one of the easier questions you might have faced as a contestant in the High School Division of the Arizona Science Bowl, the regional event of the National Science Bowl … [More]
Mentoring Matters
Sometimes a person looking for advice only wants to talk with someone who has “been there.” That’s especially true in the technology community when entrepreneurs are trying to just get past the startup phase in the life cycle. With that in mind, the Arizona Technology Council has launched VentureShip to provide mentoring by members who are startup founders. In short, the … [More]
Tech Titans
The Arizona Technology Council has added four new members to its board of directors with leadership experience ranging from healthcare to defense. Appointed to the board were Eugene Jaramillo, deputy to the vice president of RMS supply chain management, Raytheon Missile Systems; Dr. Randall Porter, director, Barrow Acoustic Neuroma Center; Calline Sanchez, vice president, … [More]
Winter 2017 President’s Message
With the role as the principal advocate for science- and technology-based companies in the state, you can imagine there really is little down time for the Arizona Technology Council. That’s especially true when it comes to public policy. While you are gearing up for the holidays, we already are looking ahead to January when we, through members of our Public Policy Committee, … [More]
Need for NAFTA
To the rest of the country if not the world, the U.S. border lately has meant only one thing: the Wall. But to those in the know, the borders — yes, it seems observers have forgotten there are two — have meant something else: opportunity. A lot of this has been due to North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which 24 years ago created the world’s largest free trade zone … [More]
Four new members named to Council’s board
The Arizona Technology Council Board of Directors recently elected four new members to serve three-year terms. The new members are Chad Fogg of Uber, Greg Kertman of Alliance Bank of Arizona, Bob Rasmussen of Honeywell Aerospace and Chuck Vermillion of AccountabilIT to its board of directors. “Chuck, Greg, Bob and Chad are fantastic additions to our board, bringing more … [More]
Winning Ways
Whether working in solitude or as a team, being an innovator likely means working long days in relative anonymity while perfecting what may be — or not — the next big thing. But for at least one night of the year, the Arizona Technology Council casts the spotlight on the segment of the science and technology focused on making a better future. The Council in conjunction with … [More]
On Guard
In a world besieged by what seem to be new wide-ranging cyber threats arising daily, building a combat-ready force is not a bad idea. To help, two member organizations of the Arizona Technology Council have teamed to open a second location of a facility dedicated to supporting revolutionary advancements in cybersecurity. The Metro Phoenix location of the Arizona Cyber … [More]
Taking the Lead
Becoming a leader. Many people spend an entire career looking for ways to accomplish this. Middle and high school students are getting the chance now, thanks to a program based in Arizona. When the Chief Science Officers (CSO) program was launched by Arizona SciTech a few years ago, it was viewed as a way to increase student voice in school and community discussions about … [More]
Summer 2017 President’s Message
This question has been on my mind lately. We now live in a world where we hear from our president not in stately messages delivered from the Oval Office but in middle-of-the-night rants on Twitter. And they usually are filled with vitriol aimed at the lawmakers on Capitol Hill — on both sides of the aisle. And Congress is not much better. Instead of representing the will of … [More]
A Test for Tech
Being in the top 10 most definitely carries its rewards. However, there are no promises that such rankings are permanent. There is always something, somewhere that could take that away. That best describes the situation where it comes to Arizona’s technology industry and its role as a key exporter in the United States. Arizona ranks No. 8, with approximately $5.6 billion in … [More]
Not Just Whiskey Row
Not too many organizations can claim that one of its members is home to the College of Security and Intelligence, which trains professionals — cyber and otherwise — to work at the national and international level. And not too many cities can claim it’s home to this college. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott is one of the newest members of the Arizona … [More]
Going Global
Good news travels fast — and far. That’s what organizers of the Arizona-based Chief Science Officers (CSO) program learned when their promotional video was named winner of the Facilitator’s Choice Award in the STEM For All 2017 Video Showcase supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF). (The video is at stemforall2017.videohall.com/presentations/907). Separately, the … [More]
Taking the Lead
After a decade of success as president of her own company, Kathryn Odland was looking for something more for her company — and herself. She found it in the Arizona Technology Council’s Transformational Leadership Program, which “provided tremendous self-reflection, so much that I became amazed at some gaps between my perception and the perception of others in my organization,” … [More]
Innovator and Entrepreneur from Academia Named to Board
Two key members of Arizona’s university community have been appointed to a three-year term on the Arizona Technology Council Board of Directors. David B. Bolman is provost of the University of Advanced Technology (UAT) and Stephen Fleming is vice president, strategic business initiatives at The University of Arizona (UA). Bolman has been instrumental in growing UAT from a … [More]
Steven G. Zylstra Spring 2017 Message
With all the public conversations lately about keeping manufacturers in the United States, it’s time for a reality check: A lot of the jobs we typically equate with this sector will never come back. If you think this has anything to do with bad trade deals, think again. The reason is, 20 years of lean manufacturing have created incredible improvement in productivity and … [More]
Stronger Foundation
Once a solid foundation has been created, it’s the perfect time for growth. This rule of thumb is especially true for the Arizona Technology Council Foundation, which most notably has served as home base for the Arizona Science & Engineering Fair, the High School and Middle School Science Bowls, and the Arizona SciTech Festival. The foundation has set into a motion a new … [More]
Festival Was Just the Start
When the Arizona SciTech Festival debuted in 2012, it was declared a success as more than 222,000 guests attended more than 200 events. Fast forward to the February launch of this celebration of science’s sixth season: More than 800 organizations planned to stage nearly 1,500 events for an audience total exceeding 400,000. “It’s just a really great testament to the … [More]
