From the Director / Tech Transfer News Briefs. 2

Penn State and Kimberly-Clark Develop Scheduling Optimization System. 4

Research at the College of Engineering. 5

Penn State Sustainability Initiatives on Campus. 6

Upcoming Events. 7

Penn State Research Launches New Web Site. 8

Industr ia l Research O f f i ce News le t ter S p r i n g 2 0 1 0

Penn State Center for Integrated Healthcare Delivery Systems. Page 3

Also Ins ide. . .

T H E P E N N S Y L V A N I A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y

Penn State Partner of Great Lakes Alliance for Sustainable Energy Research (GLASER)GLASER is a research consortium dedicated to developing solutions to the nation’s clean transportation and storage needs. It does this by providing a collaborative, interdisciplinary home for world-class transportation and energy research while at the same time serving as an engine for economic growth and revitalization in the Great Lakes region. The consortium is composed of the Big 10 universities, the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory, and works in close association with cutting edge companies and industry leaders. GLASER’s research and commercialization efforts focus on three main areas: clean power generation and storage; next-generation transportation systems; and energy efficiency, education, and outreach

www.glaserenergy.org

Penn State Teams with Volvo as Academic PartnerThe Volvo Group has chosen Penn State as its first academic preferred partner in North America to explore and resolve some of the serious issues in commercial transportation markets around the world.

“We are very excited that our Academic Partner Program now covers Sweden, France and the U.S.A.,” said Jan-Eric Sundgren, head of public affairs and environmental issues with Volvo Group. “This program shows our commitment to form a long-term strategic partnership that will strengthen the competitiveness of both the Volvo Group and our academic partners. Penn State already had ongoing activities in several areas such as student co-operative assignments, advanced engineering studies, biofuel research and vehicle system testing.”

Penn State and Volvo Group will cooperate in the areas of diesel combustion and efficiency, alternative fuels, intelligent transportation systems and vehicle and driver safety systems. Penn State’s Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute’s test track for heavy duty testing and the University’s expertise in engine and combustion research will figure in the partnership. The new emissions chassis test facility, capable of testing heavy-duty vehicles and power trains, will also play a part.

Read the full story at www.research.psu.edu/theiron

The Learning Factory and Ben Franklin Technology Partners Named Top 100 OrganizationsThe Learning Factory and Ben Franklin Technology Partners at Penn State were each named one of Pennsylvania Business Central’s Top 100 Organizations for 2009. Full profiles of all the honorees were featured in the February 26 issue. The Learning Factory provides a University-industry partnership where student design projects benefit industrial clients. Industrial sponsors interact with students and faculty to help the University create world-class engineers and make a significant dif-ference in engineering education at Penn State.

www.lf.psu.edu

Our Tech Transfer Organization’s Ben Franklin Technology Partners provides technology funding and business support services to tech-based startups and existing manufacturers in their 32-county footprint.

http:// cnp.benfranklin.org

Get a Secure Research Collaboration Site at www.research.psu.eduOn February 16, we launched our new Web site for Research at Penn State. Learn more about the site on page 8 (back cover). If your com-pany is a research partner of the University, contact the Industrial Re-search Office (IRO) to inquire about a secure Web connection to Penn State. Our secure pages allow companies and Penn State researchers to share vital, private information. A Friends of Penn State Account (www.fps.psu.edu) can be obtained by company representatives, and the IRO can grant account holders access to the secure site.

www.iro.psu.edu

Penn State Receives Funding from ARPA-E’s First Funding Opportunity AnnouncementAt the ARPA-E Energy Technology Innovation Summit in March, Penn State professor of electrical engineering, Craig Grimes, showcased his award winning project. Grimes and partner Sentech Corporation will develop catalyst-coated titanium dioxide nanotube membranes to use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water to methane and other hy-drocarbon fuels. This innovative approach to direct solar fuels captures sunlight and uses CO2 as a carbon source to generate fuels for heating and transportation.

Spring has hit central PA and it has been beautiful these past few weeks. During the winter we have been busy with company visits, attending conferences and especially hard at work getting our new Web site developed. Greg Angle, our marketing associate, has devoted most of his time over the last few months to creating this functional and very informative site. I encourage all of you to check it out and subscribe to our RSS feeds, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter as we continually update information on events, licensable IP, and innovative research activities.

Some new features of our site include secure, customizable Web sites for our key industry partners where we can share information and store files; enhanced search capabilities for our research centers, facilities, and licensable technologies; and

a constantly changing news spotlight section. A few more units within the Office of the Vice President for Research are waiting to be rolled into the new site. We are currently developing our new Funding, Proposals & Awards section, managed by the Office of Sponsored Programs, which will contain a grant and proposal process flowchart as well as key documents and training videos.

This issue of The IRON highlights some of our campus sustainability activities, many of which have been of significant interest our industry partners as they look for ways to incorporate efficiency into their facilities. We also have a timely article on the new Center for Integrated Healthcare Delivery Systems, which was recently awarded a planning grant from the NSF.

I encourage you to visit our Web site and stay informed on the many activities that you can leverage and incorporate into your innovation program.

www.research.psu.edu

f r o m t h e d i r e c t o r - T a n n a P u g h , I n d u s t r i a l R e s e a r c h O f f i c e

T e C H T r a n S f e r n e w S B r I e f S

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The NSF planning grant awarded to Nembhard’s CIHDS, effective for one year, gives modest support for holding workshops and planning meetings with industry partners, or potential partners, to discover the opportunities for research. The Center plans to submit a proposal for a full five-year award, which will help to catalyze collaborations between the University and industry.

An upcoming workshop, to be held on March 29, 2010, will include Penn State researchers, members, and potential members of the Center. “The purpose of the workshop is to gather all interested parties and develop the direction of work for the Center,” says Nembhard. “Healthcare has a broad impact, and we want to make sure that our next steps will be most meaningful.”

The focus areas developed at the workshop will be based on three categories identified by the NSF umbrella: Performance—understanding casual and contributing factors that affect healthcare outcomes; Transformation—management and incentives must be reformulated to improve healthcare quality and access; and Systems and Technology—information, science and engineering are reshaping the landscape of what is possible in healthcare.

One core member of the CIHDS, Siemens Medical Solutions Group, has committed to three years of support for the Center. When asked about the target members for the Center, Nembhard says virtually all industries would have some vested interest in the Center’s work. “It might be better to ask the reverse question,” she says. “What company isn’t relevant? The industries can be quite varied, depending on their relationship to healthcare delivery.”

For example, she adds, Siemens develops medical equipment. Other potential partners include companies working in healthcare supplies and instruments; health IT and data-mining; insurance; security and data breach prevention; and medical staffing. “Our aim is to leverage progress and collaboration across the healthcare delivery system.”

www.healthcaredelivery.psu.edu

Healthcare providers and policy makers list six important goals for overall healthcare delivery: it should be safe, effective, patient-centered, timely,

efficient, and equitable. To address these objectives, the Center for Integrated Healthcare Delivery Systems (CIHDS) was created at Penn State to promote a holistic approach to understanding and solving problems of access and quality in healthcare. “A key differentiator of this Center is that it is truly a university-wide initiative with faculty from the Colleges of Engineering, Medicine, Health and Human Development, and Information Sciences and Technology,” explains CIHDS director Harriet Black Nembhard.

Believing that many of the tools for improving healthcare already exist in other disciplines, the CIHDS will focus on discovering, applying and improving these existing methods for the current healthcare model, via telemedicine, system dynamics, and patient-centered workflow projects. Examples of current research projects are hospital design (with partners Hershey Medical Center, Susquehanna Health and Siemens), increasing quality outcomes with a pay-for-performance program, and health information technology.

In December 2009, the CIHDS was awarded a planning grant from the NSF, allowing them to join an existing Industry/University Collaborative Research Center (I/UCRC), the Center for Health Organization Transformation (CHOT). CHOT is jointly located at Texas A&M Health Science Center and Georgia Tech, and was formed to conduct research supporting major management, clinical, and information technology innovations in healthcare. Their mission is to advance, through cooperative applied research with its industry partners, transformation in health systems, especially in hospitals, clinics, and physician groups. Penn State becomes the third university to join the effort, and other universities are expected to join soon. “We decided to pursue this as part of our strategy,” explains Nembhard, “because we really wanted to integrate industry relationships. We saw this as a strategic mechanism to pursue that work.”

Penn StateCenter for Integrated Healthcare Delivery Systems

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“The initial results from this project are quite exciting, and we’d like to share them with other Penn State industry partners,” says Prabhu. The tool also shows that operations research techniques can be successfully used in more traditional settings in developing countries. The project was a semi-finalist for the INFORMS® Franz Edelman Award Achievement in Operations Research and the Management Sciences.

The tool has also been developed into a Web application module that Kimberly-Clark can use to address several supply chain management tasks. Plant managers can use the interface to investigate different scenarios and economic situations. The SORT team is expanding the use of the tool to other businesses and other countries. New features to be added to the original model include multiple locations with explicit consideration for lead times between sites, and production in multiple stages.

“Academically, we achieved more than we set out to,” says Prabhu. “We optimized processes from production to the marketplace, leading to improvements in consumer opinions of the products, in the distribution and the supply chain, and in the required assets and capital the manufacturers need to make the products. It was a nice contribution from a scientific point of view.”

A partnership like the one with Kimberly-Clark is important to Penn State on several levels, Prabhu believes. “It keeps the faculty engaged with real problems that industry faces, and it allows us to expose our students to these problems. One of the direct benefits of this relationship is the hiring of students as interns and in full-time positions.”

This project, Prabhu explains, is just the beginning of our relationship with Kimberly-Clark, and other companies are showing interest in the technology. For more information on how your company could utilize this software, or customize it for your needs, contact the Industrial Research Office, www.iro.psu.edu.

Vittal Prabhu | prabhu@engr.psu.edu

In 2004, the president of Kimberly-Clark Latin America, Juan Ernesto de Bedout, approached the Harold and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing

Engineering (IME) at Penn State to build a strategic relationship. “He wanted to know what we were doing and how we could help to improve their productivity,” explains Vittal Prabhu, Professor of Industrial Engineering. “The discussions continued to the point where we were invited to Colombia to visit their facilities. That’s how our partnership was started.”

Kimberly-Clark is a multi-national corporation with operations in 35 countries, and its global brands, including Kleenex, Scott, Huggies and Pull-Ups, are sold in more than 150 countries. Its Latin American operations division encompasses all countries south of Mexico and has mill operations in 12 countries in the region. This division focuses on diapers, tissue paper and feminine hygiene products, and has a portfolio of over 1,000 products.

The initial project in the partnership involved Prabhu and Nazrul Shaikh, research associate in IME, joining with Kimberly-Clark’s Strategic Operations Research Team (SORT) to develop an optimization tool to support scheduling and planning operations.

Detailed scheduling and production planning of the many products at Kimberly-Clark Latin American presented a number of challenges. Production resources are scarce, raw materials and storage are expensive, and the demand for the finished products is dynamic. For example, during the planning process, the planner must balance conflicting interests from many areas of the organization, including finance, production and commercial. On one hand, it would be ideal to have repetitive sequences that minimize waste and down times. However, the planner must respond to sudden changes in demand and lower-than-expected inventory levels, often deviating from the ideal production sequence. Also, producing few products in long production runs increases productivity and decreases the time for machine tune-ups, but the resulting increase in inventory imposes stress on distribution centers and increased working capital.

Prabhu, his research team, and SORT developed a scheduling and planning software tool that, compared to manual solutions, has led to an increase in operating profit and considerably lower time and burden on the operations planner.

Penn State and Kimberly-Clark Develop Scheduling Optimization System

Vittal Prabhu, Penn State professor of industrial engineering

“Academically, we achieved more than we set out to. We optimized processes from production to the marketplace...”

~ Vittal Prabhu, Penn State

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bottom line and builds its future workforce by supporting stu-dents involved in the research.”

Going forward, the College will continue its best practices in re-search and reaching out to industry, with its primary outreach activity being devoted to innovation-based economic develop-ment in the Commonwealth.

“We’re devoting a significant effort to piloting the Engineering Innovation Program,” Atchley explains. “The idea is to create regional centers of activity in Pennsylvania that give Penn State and the College of Engineering a physical presence in those regions to promote economic development.”

The College has seed money from the state for program development at the The Philadelphia Navy Yard. Two Department of Energy grants have been secured. One is for the Mid-Atlantic Clean Energy Application Center, directed by Jim Friehaut, and the other is for a Mid-Atlantic Solar Re-

source and Training Center led by David Riley – both from the Department of Architectural Engineering. Each center will have a substantial presence at The Navy Yard. The clean en-ergy center will reach out to regional industry, while the solar center will reach out to community college networks to teach people how to design, install, and maintain the systems.

“Today governments around the world recognize that the na-tion that can best captures technology and jobs in clean and alternative energy will lead the 21st century,” says Atchley. “The College of Engineering is determined to play our part.”

Anthony Atchley, atchley@psu.edu | www.engr.psu.edu

The College of Engineering has been part of the Penn State landscape since 1896, and from the beginning has partnered with industry through faculty research and

its research institutes and centers. Over the years, the nature of engineering education has evolved, and the College is now challenged to fulfill the needs of the 21st century.

“We recognize that the College has a commitment beyond the boundaries of the University, and we have a role to play in using our resources, faculty, staff, and students to help with the economic development of the Commonwealth,” explains Anthony Atchley, Associate Dean for Research and Administra-tion. “In fact, we have a renewed interest in focusing on eco-nomic development in Pennsylvania. We want to connect with industries – small, medium, and large – to help them improve their existing products and processes and develop new ones by applying innovations resulting from our research activities. We want to help industries in the Commonwealth be more competitive, and in turn, create new jobs and improve the economy in their regions.”

According to Atchley, one of the most visible efforts to engage industry is via The Learning Factory and engineering design courses. “We work with companies from within the Common-wealth and beyond, seeking industry sponsors for small design projects,” he says. “The idea is two-fold. The students get to work with a practical project and gain an understanding of what being a professional engineer is all about. But, it is also a great way for companies, especially smaller companies, to have an entry point to College resources.”

Companies are connected to the College’s research capabilities with help from the Industrial Research Office. Faculty mem-bers also play an important role in building bridges between industry and the College through their interactions with com-panies at conferences, and other business relationships. And sometimes, companies are the ones reaching out to the Col-lege.

“People know how to use the Web these days, and they rec-ognize Penn State as a leader in engineering education and re-search,” says Atchley. “Many people find us through Googling.”

Bringing industry research into academics benefits both par-ties. “Through research and education, we strive to create and improve products that improve people’s lives,” says Atchley. “Many faculty members want their knowledge to be put to practical use and industry doesn’t sponsor research just to have it sit on a shelf. Therefore, industry support is a great way for us to see the fruits of our research. Plus it helps industry’s

research at the College of engineering

A project to design and manufacture a hydraulic excavator prototype for Rockland Manufacturing of Bedford, PA took first place at the December 2009 College of Engineering Design Project Showcase. Senior Penn State mechanical engineering students Christopher Albright, Shawn Romig, Chris Punshon, Jared Neeper posed with Bo Pratt, kneeling right, engineering manager of Rockland Manufacturing.

The Navy Yard, Philadelphia

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I n 2006, Penn State President Graham Spanier instituted an energy master plan, establishing an aggressive goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on campus 17.5% by

2012. Since that time, the Office of Physical Plant (OPP) has transformed the blue and white campus to green, cutting GHG emissions by 12.5% and electrical use by 4%.

Steve Maruszewski, Deputy Associate Vice President for Physical Plant, chairs the Finance and Business Environmental Stewardship Key Initiatives Team, organized to ensure that all Penn State business operations function in an environmentally responsible manner. The team looks at virtually every aspect of the University, from computer use to the amount of garbage generated. Everything is done with an eye toward improving sustainable practices. To do that, Maruszewski not only accesses the expertise available on campus, but also reaches out to industry to help develop the best possible solutions.

“Our latest purchasing initiative is carpet,” he says. “We have 18 million square feet of carpet at our campuses, and significant amounts are replaced each year. We want to make sure we are installing the most responsible replacement. We not only look at the product, but we look at the company that produces the product and what happens to the carpet when we’re done with it.”

The changes to operations on campus extend well beyond carpeting. The University offsets in excess of 20% of its electricity use through the purchase of Green E certified renewable energy credits (RECS). Significant energy savings have also resulted from the $40 million investment to retrofit buildings on campus. Twelve existing buildings are or will soon be LEED-certified, and six more LEED buildings are under construction. In fact, Penn State’s Green Building Policy states that all new buildings and major renovation projects will meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED building standards and be certified. While the total square feet of building space has increased on campus over the past decade, energy consumed per square foot has decreased, leading to approximately $4.5 million in annual energy savings.

To manage the power consumption of University computers, Penn State has utilized the BigFix Power Management software, allowing IT departments to enforce conservation policies across campus. “This program puts computers to

‘deep sleep’ when they aren’t in use, which results in higher energy savings than using normal power down modes. The program is installed on 12,000 computers, and our target is at least 20,000.” BigFix is expected to net annual electricity savings of $500,000.

Partnering with Penn State researchers, Maruszewski hopes to create a self-sustaining biodiesel production process. Canola and other oil seed crops are harvested on University farmlands, converted to biodiesel, and utilized as fuel for tractors. Last year, a refinery was built at Penn State to process used

cooking oil, collected from campus dining commons, into biodiesel. The goal is to grow canola, press the oil for use in the dining commons, and convert the used oil into biodiesel for Fleet Operations as well as farm equipment.

Over the years, Penn State has developed an innovative waste management program that now recycles over 59% of its waste, about 7,500 tons, saving $400,000 in direct costs. Lion Surplus collects, sells and disposes of all surplus University-owned equipment, supplies and materials. The annual Trash to Treasure program collects over 60 tons of unwanted student goods and sells them to the public, generating over $60,000 for United Way. The University also operates its own composting facility, the Organic Materials Processing and Education Center (OMPEC). With cooperative effort from students and staff, the Center annually transforms food wastes, landscape debris, and animal manure into 4,000 cubic yards of mulch and 2,000 cubic yards of compost for use in campus landscaping projects.

“We also work with industry partners on certain projects,” Maruszewski says. “For example, we recently partnered with Bungee Oil to develop biodegradable hydraulic fluid for use in our elevators. Sometimes we need expertise beyond our boundaries,” he adds. “From a corporate standpoint, we search for companies that can meet our needs, or companies that are willing to modify their products until they do fit our needs. We can act as a test bed for industry, and thereby impact environmental stewardship well beyond the walls of our institution.”

www.green.psu.edu

Penn State Sustainability Initiatives on Campus

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State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI) annual ConferencePittsburgh, Pa • September 14-16, 2010

The Penn State Center–Engaging Pittsburgh and the Industrial Research Office are sponsoring the 14th Annual SSTI Conference. Pittsburgh becomes the first city to repeat as host of the conference (also hosted in 2001), which draws a national and international audience of roughly 400 professionals. SSTI is a national nonprofit organization that leads, supports and strengthens efforts to improve state and regional economies through science, technology and innovation. The organization offers communication, education and research services that are needed to help build tech-based economies. The annual conference attracts policy makers, government officials, economic development leaders, academicians and technology transfer professionals from around the US and abroad.

www.ssticonference.org

SBIr/STTr workshop: next Steps in Managing InnovationPlymouth Meeting, Pa • May 12, 2010

NASA SBIR/STTR contractors and other prime contractors will have the opportunity to learn about new technology access channels and how to leverage mutual opportunities of interest. There are several technology infusion and commercialization programs through which companies can become involved in working with technology development at NASA. This session will give an overview of expectations for companies to participate in NASA’s SBIR/STTR Phase II and Phase III activities, partner under the NASA SEED Fund, collaborate under NASA’s Innovation Fund, pursue a license of NASA technologies, and engage in a NASA GSFC Joint Venture practice.

http://ipp.gsfc.nasa.gov/innovation-workshop

upcoming events

TechConnect world Conference & expoanaheim Convention Center • anaheim, Ca • June 21-25, 2010

In 2010, the TechConnect World Conference and Expo will focus on nanotechnologies, clean technologies, and biotechnologies. The conference will also include a TechConnect IP Forum, dedicated for those that generate new technologies and are looking for firms that are interested in licensing opportunities, or are looking for investment partners to take their technology to the next stage. Penn State will be exhibiting at booth #541, highlighting the University’s current research in these areas.

www.research.psu.edu/TechConnectWorld

workshop - Optical wireless applicationsThe Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel • State College, Pa • June 8-10, 2010

Under the auspices of the National Science Foundation, The Pennsylvania State University, Tufts University and the University of California-Riverside are collaborating to establish an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center, with Penn State as the lead institution. This is a planning meeting to discuss the potentials to establish an interdisciplinary research Center, providing leadership to develop a new generation of environment-friendly (GREEN), extremely wideband optical wireless technology applications, employing solid-state devices for communications, networking, imaging and remote sensing applications.

http://cictr.ee.psu.edu/workshop-owa

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This publication is available in alternative media on request. The Penn-sylvania State University is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, admission, and employ-ment without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities. It is the policy of the University to maintain an academic and work environment free of discrimination, including harassment. The Pennsylvania State University prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color, dis-ability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status. Discrimination or ha-rassment against faculty, staff or students will not be tolerated at The Pennsylvania State University. Direct all inquiries regarding the nondis-crimination policy to the Affirmative Action Director, The Pennsylvania State University, 328 Boucke Building, University Park, PA 16802-2801, Tel (814) 865-4700/V, (814) 863-1150/TTY. U.Ed. RES 10-44.

In the middle of February 2010, the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) launched its new Web site at www.research.psu.edu. Our goal was to create a user-friendly site for our internal and external audiences, and utilize a content management system that is easy for staff to keep the content fresh and up-to-date.

Compared to our previous Web site, content is no longer organized by Penn State department or unit, but rather by topic: “For Industry, Centers and Capabilities, Patents and Licensing, Funding, Proposals and Awards, etc.”

The homepage contains a slide show of “spotlight” news and events, links to the interdisciplinary research Institutes at Penn State, and “quick links” to our most popular pages within the site. The homepage also contains news and announcements, and upcoming events populated by the units within the OVPR, the Institutes, Research|Penn State magazine, and Colleges across the University. RSS feeds are available for you to subscribe to the various announcements.

Custom searchable databases were created for technologies available for licensing and for research centers and capabilities. You are able to search by keywords, titles, and technology categories. Look in the future for a searchable database of research equipment on campus.

While browsing through the site, you will find yourself back in the old site when viewing information for funding, proposals and awards, and research protections. This content, managed by the Office of Sponsored Programs and Office for Research Protections, will be migrated into the new site over the next few months. We hope to have all of our content posted to the new site by August 2010. Let us know what you think!

webmaster@research.psu.edu

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Subscribe to the e-Edition of The IRON atwww.research.psu.edu/theiron.

The IRON is published three times per year: Spring, Summer, and Fall.

Industrial Research OfficeThe Pennsylvania State University119 Technology CenterUniversity Park, PA 16802814-865-9519www.iro.psu.eduiro@psu.edu

Send comments or suggestions for The IRON to:Gregory Angle, gregangle@psu.eduMarketing Associate

In d u s t r i a l Re s e a r c h O f f i c e Ne w s l e t t e rThe IRON new web Site for research at Penn State

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