State Senator Visits IGNITE

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas state Sen. Uvalde Lindsey visited the Institute for Nanoscience and Engineering to tour the facility and learn more about a new program called IGNITE, an acronym that stands for Industry Generating Nanomaterials, Ideas, and Technology through Education.

A long-time supporter of the university’s research efforts, Lindsey met with Cynthia Sides, director of IGNITE, to discuss the newest program to be housed at the institute and visit the recently finished third floor that provides IGNITE students an interactive workspace for creative ideas. Senator Lindsey also received a tour of instrumentation in the Nanoscale Material and Science Engineering Building from the institute director, Greg Salamo.

Referring to the importance of being a top 50 research university, Lindsey said, “The most productive [facilities] get the most investment, and the most investment gets the most opportunity. We want the university to have what it needs to be productive.”

Lindsey was instrumental in helping appropriate $250,000 for the purchase of new microscopic instrumentation at the Institute.

While meeting with Sides, Lindsey learned about the three-part mission of the interdisciplinary IGNITE program: provide an innovative educational environment for students, help Arkansas businesses solve material needs, and serve as a catalyst for economic development in the state.

“The idea is to take graduate students from engineering, agriculture, physics, biology, chemistry and biochemistry departments and give them access to state-of-the-art facilities and equipment to address the immediate research and material needs of businesses from varied industries throughout the state,” said Sides.

In order to expose her students to real-world industry needs, Sides has developed a new class – Emerging Technologies in Industry (MEPH 587V) – where leaders from Arkansas industries and students from science, engineering, and business backgrounds interact in the same classroom to discuss innovative, nanoscale, design ideas and progressive business solutions. Sides says this new class offers students a “blend of science and business.”

Lindsey and Sides discussed the importance of preparing students to work in the future knowledge-based economy. While the creation of advanced materials and tomorrow’s products are the tangible goals of IGNITE, the program is balanced by a deliberate focus on economic feasibility and business communication. To this end, students are trained in using contemporary business methods like Lean Canvas to prepare, communicate, and evaluate evolving business model iterations.

With these and other tools, students in the IGNITE program are working with Arkansas businesses to develop projects and create a partnership of ideas. The environment is designed to give students the confidence to apply and realize the practical application of their classroom-learned concepts and academic research.

Sides told Lindsey, “The students in our program are not only talented, but highly motivated to commercialize their knowledge. We want the industry leaders we partner with to see how hard the University is working to prepare and retain its graduates to work right here in the state of Arkansas.”

According to Sides, research is becoming more demand-driven, and more entrepreneurs are creating start-ups to meet both immediate and emerging business needs. “I’m encouraged by Senator Lindsey’s enthusiasm for IGNITE and the program’s vision; furthermore, I feel emboldened by his comments about the value of successful communication and partnerships forged between the university and industry.”

Emerging Technologies in Industry (MEPH 587V) is held in NANO 105 from 6-8:30 p.m. Thursday evenings. Faculty and students who wish to attend a class can email Sides at ignite@uark.edu.