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Holiday Wishes for Hampton Roads

As this year draws to a close, my wish for Hampton Roads in 2012 is a heightened commitment to grow and support economic development initiatives, and a regional effort to recognize and promote the significant contributions of the many colleges and universities in the area.

At Old Dominion University, we have invested strategically in key research areas to spur economic growth and solidify the university's role as an economic development leader.

Despite the closing of military's Joint Forces Command, we've continued to grow the modeling and simulation (M&S) portfolio within ODU's Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center (VMASC) and the Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology. With our partners at EVMS, we have positioned the region to be competitive in the emergent field of medical M&S. Our researchers in this field are also looking for solutions to problems posed for Hampton Roads by climate change and sea level rise, and by transportation bottlenecks.

In 2012, through recent investments and collaborations, ODU's Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectricswill expand its role as an international leader in groundbreaking cancer therapies, wound healing and environmental decontamination, among other areas.

With sponsorship from Jefferson Lab, ODU has created the Center for Accelerator Science. The partnership promises exciting innovations in the development of the next generation of small, but powerful particle accelerators for use in shrinking tumors, diagnosing disease, producing cleaner energy, spotting suspicious cargo, dating an archaeological find and many other uses. Also, ODU physicists are helping to develop components and experiments for the new and more powerful, mile-long accelerator that is expected to be operational at Jefferson Lab within the next few years.

The ODU Business Gateway realized a number of successes in 2011 and in the coming year we will continue to employ the university's entrepreneurial ethos to be the region's go-to source for help in starting and growing businesses.

ODU's Maritime Institute was created through a university-business community partnership in Hampton Roads, and is providing training and research in maritime, ports and logistics management. During the past year, the institute has hosted scholars from Brazil and China for exchanges of ideas and information.

Colleges and universities can promote economic vitality, business attraction efforts and overall quality of living in Hampton Roads. In 2012, I call upon all the region's leaders to join me and my higher education colleagues in better supporting and touting the importance of these institutions.

Whether it's the workforce development work of four community colleges, the professional preparation of two law schools and a medical school, the research impact of a doctoral institution, or the outstanding education of two historically black universities and several comprehensive colleges, Hampton Roads' higher education institutions are providing opportunities for residents, educated employees for business and economic impact for the region.

My final, and most important, wish for 2012 is for Hampton Roads' communities to continue to enjoy the bountiful blessings this wonderful region offers.

This article was posted on: December 31, 2011