http://www.matr.netMATR Newsen-gbSat, 04 Jul 2009 06:40:20 -0600Copyright: (C) MATR15


Somewhere among the beakers and the bubbling green tinged tanks in this Utah State University lab Jeff Muhs is searching for champion pond scum for the U.S. government.

If he and others like him around the country are successful algae based biofuel could one day power one of the world s biggest gas guzzlers: the U.S. military.

Heady stuff for a simple sun sucking organism. But algae s ability to grow fast and churn out fatty oils makes it an alluring prospect for a military looking to lessen its dependence on foreign oil.

"It inherently makes sense to start there " said Muhs who runs Utah State s energy lab.

By Mike Stark
The Associated Press

Full Story: http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2009/07/news07 05 09 03.shtmlhttp://www.matr.net/article-34961.htmlhttp://www.matr.net/article-34961.htmlFri, 03 Jul 2009 17:38:00 -0600Ron Ukrainetz recently became the first Great Falls artist to have two paintings selected in a single year for the prestigious Paint the Parks 100 an annual international art competition also known as Art in the Parks.


Ukrainetz also may be the first Montana artist with two paintings chosen for the competition during one year but officials with Paint America the organization in charge of Paint the Parks 100 were unable to determine that Tuesday.

"This is truly an amazing experience " Ukrainetz said. "Each time I enter a competition I go in with no expectations. If I enter and just consider the entry fees a donation acceptance brings humble satisfaction and a small sense of pride."

By JENI DODD Tribune Staff Writer

For more see:
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009907010305
http://www.matr.net/article-34959.htmlhttp://www.matr.net/article-34959.htmlFri, 03 Jul 2009 17:27:00 -0600

That s good news for New Mexico after VC investments were slammed in the fourth quarter of 2008 dropping to just 8.5 million. However Q1 numbers still represent a decline in the number of transactions and total aggregate investment from the first quarter of 2008 when there was a total of 31.1 million invested according to the New Mexico Venture Capital Association.

Full Story: http://albuquerque.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2009/06/29/daily12.htmlhttp://www.matr.net/article-34958.htmlhttp://www.matr.net/article-34958.htmlFri, 03 Jul 2009 15:18:00 -0600Liberty Northwest and the Montana Chamber of Commerce partner to offer qualifying Montana Chamber of Commerce Members a comprehensive Workers Compensation Group Program that is committed to providing maximum benefits for group members to assist with workplace safety and controlling losses. The Liberty Northwest/Montana Chamber Group is composed of employers like you employers who are strongly committed to the health and welfare of their employees and workplaces. This Group offers its Members:

Full Info: http://www.montanachamber.com/MT_Safety_Choiceshttp://www.matr.net/article-34957.htmlhttp://www.matr.net/article-34957.htmlFri, 03 Jul 2009 07:34:00 -0600 Hoping to protect its top secret operations by decentralizing its massive computer hubs the National Security Agency will build a 1 million square foot data center at Utah s Camp Williams.

The years in the making project which may cost billions over time got a 181 million start last week when President Obama signed a war spending bill in which Congress agreed to pay for primary construction power access and security infrastructure. The enormous building which will have a footprint about three times the size of the Utah State Capitol building will be constructed on a 200 acre site near the Utah National Guard facility s runway.


By Matthew D. LaPlante

The Salt Lake Tribune

Full Story: http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12735293http://www.matr.net/article-34956.htmlhttp://www.matr.net/article-34956.htmlThu, 02 Jul 2009 07:33:00 -0600
State funding of Small Business Development Centers across Oregon has been cut by more than half forcing managers to consider sharp changes in how the business training program works while scrambling for new money.

"Oregon has the second highest unemployment rate in the nation and our challenge is to help entrepreneurs create jobs " said Tom Lowles director of the Portland SBDC. "Cutting funding for a program with a demonstrated ability to do that is very frustrating frankly."


by Jonathan Brinckman The Oregonian

Full Story: http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/07/small_business_centers_losing.html
http://www.matr.net/article-34955.htmlhttp://www.matr.net/article-34955.htmlFri, 03 Jul 2009 16:09:00 -0600\

Montana s future is at a crossroads. The challenges we face today are far different than those of past generations. The future of this magnificent state and the future of our natural wealth and resources lie within our hands. How we address new and profound threats to Montana s ecological integrity will determine what kind of future we leave to our children and grandchildren. Oil and gas development in sensitive wildlife habitats urban/suburban sprawl and development an ever increasing human population climate change loss of traditional wildlife management techniques and a host of other issues are changing the face and the future of our Montana.

How do we move forward with knowledge and understanding of our past our wildlife victories as well as our defeats? How do we remember those hard learned lessons in the face of short term financial gain? How do we prevent the destruction of our natural wealth and prevent the long term irreversible damage to the legacy we want to leave behind? For everything we give up today we may never regain. How do we hold onto our past while saving a place for the future?

What we have learned over the past century is that Montana matters not just within the scope of national issues but globally. Now is the time to make the biggest difference in how Montana looks for the next 100 years. Enjoy the Treasure State our abundant wildlife and our magnificent forests fields lakes and streams and give generously so that all that makes Montana the Last Best Place remains for our children and our children s children.

Montana Matters What you can do to help guide the future of Montana: http://www.montanamatters.com/

July 15 Auction to support Montana Matters: http://www.montanamatters.com/content/index/21http://www.matr.net/article-34954.htmlhttp://www.matr.net/article-34954.htmlFri, 03 Jul 2009 18:18:00 -0600

Yee gads We already know that Wisconsin has superior angel tax credits than Minnesota and by superior I mean it actually HAS them but this is getting ridiculous.

It would be perfectly understandable if the Badger State wanted to sit on its laurels and count the Minnesota startups fleeing to Madison or Hudson. Instead as Minnesota preoccupied itself with NOT passing an angel credit our rival was too busy making its already impressive program Accelerate Wisconsin even better. Accelerate Wisconsin BTW sounds a lot snappier than Act 255.

Wisconsin s new budget more than triples the annual pool of credits for angels and venture capitalists from 11.5 million to 37 million. Angel credits move to 18.25 million while from 5.5 million; VC credits jumps to 18.75 million from 6 million.

By Thomas Lee

Full Story: http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/pending/2009/07/02/wisconsin kicks our butt/http://www.matr.net/article-34953.htmlhttp://www.matr.net/article-34953.htmlFri, 03 Jul 2009 06:07:00 -0600
Hidden inside a 410 billion bill signed into law in March an earmark sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden could help increase the flow of venture capital within Central Oregon.

The new position at EDCO will coordinate the region s venture capital needs for the next three years will help the region attract technology startups grow its aviation sector and establish Central Oregon as a national hub for renewable energy.


By Andrew Moore / The Bulletin

Full Story: http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090703/BIZ0102/907030422http://www.matr.net/article-34952.htmlhttp://www.matr.net/article-34952.htmlFri, 03 Jul 2009 06:06:00 -0600I do think that everyone can and should find time to be alone away from all of the noise in our lives.





Posted by: Mark Solon

Full Blog: http://highway12ventures.com/2009/07/02/alone time/ http://www.matr.net/article-34951.htmlhttp://www.matr.net/article-34951.htmlFri, 03 Jul 2009 05:52:00 -0600

For many Americans looking for work the first stop is an online job board. Now job seekers are finding that prospective employers increasingly are looking elsewhere to find new hires the companies own Web sites.

By JOSEPH DE AVILA

Full Story: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203872404574260032327828514.htmlhttp://www.matr.net/article-34950.htmlhttp://www.matr.net/article-34950.htmlFri, 03 Jul 2009 05:51:00 -0600Thanks for joining the 7th Annual Economic Gardening Conference Ning Site. We hope to use this site as a central repository for gathering resources sharing conversation and building collaboration among conference attendees. With a little time and luck we ll all stay connected long after our time together in Sisseton expires

We are looking forward to hearing from you

http://egconference.ning.com/http://www.matr.net/article-34949.htmlhttp://www.matr.net/article-34949.htmlFri, 03 Jul 2009 05:45:00 -0600

In a much debated 1983 essay on distance learning Richard E. Clark a professor of educational
psychology at the University of Southern California argued that it was beside the point to ask whether
distance education is better or worse than the traditional classroom. The medium isn t the crucial
variable Mr. Clark wrote. What is important is to look at the effectiveness of specific instructional
strategies regardless of how those strategies are delivered.


Last week more than 25 years after Mr. Clark s provocation the U.S. Department of Education released
a report that at least at first glance carries a strong message about the medium: Students learn more
effectively in online settings. Most powerful of all appear to be blended courses that offer both faceto
face and online elements. Previous research has generally found that online and offline courses are
equally effective.


But even though the report which synthesized data from several dozen high quality studies was framed
and publicized as a circuit board versus chalkboard showdown its authors do not view themselves as
having flouted Mr. Clark s principles. On the contrary: Mr. Clark served as a technical adviser to the
project and the report s lead author says that Mr. Clark s basic insights are correct.


This report should not be interpreted as saying that one medium is better than another says Barbara
Means a director of the Center for Technology in Learning at SRI International a California research
firm that conducted the project under contract with the Education Department. This should not be
interpreted as saying that computers are better than professors.


Instead Ms. Means says the study offers evidence that particular kinds of online instructional
techniques are effective and some of those techniques she suggests could theoretically be imported
into old fashioned chalkboard classrooms. For example the study found that in online courses students
often spend more time directly engaging with the course content than do their counterparts in traditional
classrooms. But in theory there is no reason why traditional courses could not be redesigned to increase
students time on task.

By DAVID GLENN

Full Report: http://mus.edu/news/OnlineEdStudy.pdfhttp://www.matr.net/article-34948.htmlhttp://www.matr.net/article-34948.htmlThu, 02 Jul 2009 17:11:00 -0600 "Greg Mortenson s book is an outstanding and inspirational story of the possible " said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. "Every student in America s public schools should receive a copy to learn firsthand what one person can truly do to make a difference in the world."


The National Education Association http://www.nea.org/ teachers union today will honor Bozeman s Greg Mortenson builder of schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan and co author of Three Cups of Tea http://www.threecupsoftea.com/ with a special human and civil rights award at the association s annual meeting in San Diego Calif.


Mortenson will receive the Mary Hatwood Futrell Award named in honor of a former NEA president and given to someone who has had a significant impact on education and equal opportunity for women and girls.

Mortenson s book Three Cups of Tea: One Man s Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time has topped The New York Times bestseller list for more than two years 125 weeks . He is known internationally for creating schools in some of the most remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Through his nonprofit Central Asia Institute https://www.ikat.org/ Mortenson has worked with villagers to build more than 80 schools and employ local teachers.

Full Story: http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2009/07/02/news/50nea.txthttp://www.matr.net/article-34947.htmlhttp://www.matr.net/article-34947.htmlThu, 02 Jul 2009 19:05:00 -0600The lab chiefs at Rocky Mountain Laboratories are starting to get a reputation that reaches beyond their practical and conceptual expertise with microbiology and genetics.

After another principle investigator was recently named a National Institutes of Health outstanding mentor RML is fast becoming known as a top teaching institution for interns who want to do cutting edge science. The journal The Scientist ranked RML at No. 8 in its list of top places to pursue a postdoctoral research fellowship up from rankings of 19 last year and 22 a year before that.

The latest accolade came in June when Harlan Caldwell received an NIH Distinguished Mentor Award in recognition of his work with Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training program. Patti Rosa senior investigator working on Lyme disease in the Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens was named post doc mentor of the year in February .


by SEPP JANNOTTA Ravalli Republic

Full Story: http://www.ravallirepublic.com/articles/2009/07/02/news/news91.txthttp://www.matr.net/article-34946.htmlhttp://www.matr.net/article-34946.htmlThu, 02 Jul 2009 16:45:00 -0600