R&E Week Shines Spotlight on Collaborations

Hindelang Criminal Justice Research Center Executive Director David Hureau discusses the Center's research during Research and Entrepreneurship Week. (Photo by Michael Parker)
Center for Women in Government and Civil Society Executive Director Dina Revki discusses the Center's research during Research and Entrepreneurship Week. (Photo by Michael Parker)
Rockefeller College's Victor Asal and Renee Wallingford greet visitors during Research and Entrepreneurship Week. (Photo by Michael Parker)
National Science Foundation Program Director for Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers Crystal Leach delivers the keynote address at the BioInnovation Forum. (Photo by Patrick Dodson)
UAlbany Vice President for Research and Economic Development Thenkurussi (Kesh) Kesavadas delivers opening remarks at the BioInnovation Forum. (Photo by Patrick Dodson)
Audience members listen during the BioInnovation Forum at UAlbany, part of Research and Entrepreneurship Week. (Photo by Patrick Dodson)
A panel discussion during the BioInnovation Forum at UAlbany, part of Research and Entrepreneurship Week. (Photo by Patrick Dodson)
Students present their research at the SUNY AI Symposium on Oct. 16 at ETEC. (Photo by Patrick Dodson)
UAlbany Provost Carol Kim welcomes guests to the Inventor Recognition Ceremony, part of Research and Entrepreneurship Week at UAlbany. (Photo by Patrick Dodson)
Gov. Cathy Hochul announces a new partnership between UAlbany and IBM at the SUNY AI Symposium on Oct. 16. (Photo by Patrick Dodson)

ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 24, 2023) — From SUNY's Inaugural AI Symposium to the annual BioInnovation Forum, UAlbany's first Research & Entrepreneurship Week brought together educational institutions, industry partners and NYS Government to harness the spirit of collaboration and advance New York’s research and technology footprint.

The five-day event included keynote addresses and speaker panels of innovative leaders from IBM, NVIDIA, Binghamton University, Stony Brook University, Upstate Medical University, Downstate Health Sciences University and the University at Buffalo among many others.

The week was kicked off with an announcement by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on the formation of the Center for Emerging Artificial Intelligence Systems (CEAIS) at the University at Albany, a $20 million collaboration between UAlbany and IBM that will power new AI research projects with the help of advanced cloud computing and emerging hardware out of the IBM Research AI Hardware Center.

On Tuesday, Oct. 17, UAlbany opened its doors for tours of the Albany NanoTech Complex, the Boor Sculpture Studio, the Ion Beam Lab, the RNA Institute and several other facilities.

The Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy hosted a forum highlighting its breakthrough research in areas such as criminal justice, traffic safety and government technology. Presentations included the Center for Policy Research, the Hindelang Criminal Justice Research Center, the Professional Development Program, the Center for Women in Government and Civil Society, the Institute for Traffic Safety Management & Research and the Center for Technology in Government.

This was followed by afternoon panel discussions on artificial intelligence and data science, criminal justice and public management for social good and politics and elections.

The schedule for Wednesday, Oct. 18, was highlighted by the BioInnovation Forum 2023, a collaboration between UAlbany’s Innovate 518 program and Albany College of Pharmacy, Albany Medical Center, the Center for Economic Growth, NYS Empire State Development, RPI’s Lally School of Management and UAlbany. The forum included a keynote address from National Science Foundation Program Director for Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers Crystal Leach.

The University hosted its research resources fair on Thursday, Oct. 19, with a spotlight on how faculty and researchers could learn more about resources available to support their work and explore ways to build future capabilities based on current needs.

To wrap up the week, on Friday, Oct. 20, UAlbany hosted its Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fair, which provided faculty and students with the chance to network and pitch their ideas to a seasoned venture panel, and explore how breakthrough discoveries move from the University to the marketplace. The partners for the panel included UAlbany’s Small Business Development Center, Innovate 518, the SUNY Research Foundation, the Center of Excellence in Nanoelectronics and Nanotechnology, the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center and the Blackstone LaunchPad at UAlbany’s School of Business.