Biotech President Featured at Feb. 13 EPSCoR Conference

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The president of a Huntsville not-for-profit research institute, designed to use biotechnology to improve health, stimulate economic development and inspire youth to science careers, will be a featured speaker at the annual meeting of Alabama EPSCoR, Feb. 13 at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Jim Hudson, president of Hudson-Alpha Institute for Biotechnology, will be the luncheon speaker at the annual meeting of the Alabama Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, known as EPSCoR. The luncheon session, which includes Hudson’s remarks and an announcement by Alabama State Senator Steve French, begins at 11:35 a.m. at UAH’s University Center Exhibit Hall.

“Mr. Hudson has advised and incubated multiple companies in a range of high- tech fields,” said Dr. Keith McDowell, executive director of Alabama EPSCoR, vice president for research and vice provost at The University of Alabama. “We look forward to his presentation and to all the presenters’ remarks as EPSCoR seeks to enhance the science and engineering research, education and technological capabilities within our state.”

The Hudson-Alpha Institute for Biotechnology has a four-story, 260,000 square foot facility under construction in Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park, according to the Institute’s Web site, http://www.haib.org/.

French will be recognized during the EPSCoR luncheon for his role in establishing the new Alabama EPSCoR Graduate Research Scholars Program. In this program, deserving graduate students are selected for one-year, $25,000 research grants, awarded through the Alabama Commission on Higher Education and Alabama EPSCoR.

EPSCoR’s annual meeting begins with an overview of the program by McDowell at 9 a.m. within UAH’s Administrative Science Building, Chan Auditorium. Presenters will update various EPSCoR-sponsored research projects throughout the day, concluding at 3 p.m. Additional presenters from UA, UAB, UAH, University of South Alabama, Auburn University and Tuskegee University are scheduled.

An agenda is available at http://alepscor.ua.edu/annualMeeting/index.html

EPSCoR is a family of competitive, merit-based programs sponsored in Alabama by the state and by the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Agriculture.

The state’s research institutions participating in EPSCoR include The University of Alabama, Alabama A&M University, Auburn University, UAB, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, the University of South Alabama and Tuskegee University.