–submitted by Valerie Johnson; photo by Mike Engelberger
Aaron Olver previewed the future of University Research Park with Rotarians Wednesday, January 13.
Olver is the Managing Director of the University Research Park. Established in 1984, University Research Park, a UW-Madison affiliate, is an internationally recognized research and technology park that supports early-stage and growth-oriented businesses in a range of sectors including engineering, computational and life sciences.
Olver shared the strategy underpinning the park’s direction. It has three purposes: support UW-Madison via real estate; commercialize UW research; and make technology transfer more fruitful.
Originally the park wanted to attract employers, Olver said. Rather they had more success attracting small entreprenerus. We accidentally become a real estate developer, unique nationally, he added. He answered the question of the biggest challenge being transportation, since so many professionals live off mass transit lines.
He closed by outlining the park’s agenda:
- Reposition @1403, a building next to Wisconsin Institute of Discovery (WID) on University Ave, as a campus-focused entrepreneurial hub
- Add density through development of large tenants such as Exact Science
- Expand food cart program
- Attract/Develop amenities such as coffee, fitness
- Invest in programming/events and community making
- Make green spaces more usable
- Conceptual master plan for URP 2, second research park
- Attract development partners for areas not core to URPs mission
Olver previously served as Director of Economic Development for the City of Madison. Prior to joining the City, Olver spearheaded Wisconsin’s economic development efforts as Secretary of Commerce under Governor Jim Doyle.
Olver earned an undergraduate degree in Economics from UW-Madison and a graduate degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Oxford University, Oxford, UK, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.
For more, visit www.universityresearchpark.org
CLICK to watch the video of this presentation on our club’s YouTube Channel.
Brandon Alvarez Carrera (Levy Scholar), the first of his family to attend college, hopes to prove to his family and the community, that his background wasn’t correlated to his academic success. On a path to a degree in Engineering Physics, he’s grateful for the support group that helps him on his journey.
Shamell Homesly (Brandenburg Scholar) shared that the excitement she felt when notified of her Rotary scholarship was breath taking. Shamell is studying to be an elementary teacher at Madison College and will transfer to a four year university after completing her associates degree. Destined to be a teacher, Schamell thanks club members…”everyone of you has helped put me on a path toward success.”
Cristian Claudio Teutli (Levy Scholar) is proud to be a Badger and is grateful to Rotary for making it possible for him to attend UW. What motivates him to push through the challenges is his dream for the day when he can say, “Mama, Papa, I made it. And I don’t want to hear you say that money is an issue anymore.”
Azucena (Lilly) Gonzalez (McBeath Scholar) is proud to say she will be part of the 2016 graduation class at UW-Whitewater with a major in Social Work and a minor in Criminology. Lilly says that she was blessed with financial help from Rotary and an amazing mentor, Mary Rouse who boosted her confidence all the way. Also, she thanked the Kay family for their scholarship to help with summer school.
Patrick Roy (French Scholar) says he was one of those guys who you would never imagine working as a Chicago banker. He credits his mentor, Moses Altsech, for providing him with guidance to stay in school and he will graduate from UWM Summa Cum Laude this year and take the Chicago banking job.
Kay Powell (French Scholar) (via video) thanks Dr. John Bonsett-Veal for being a very important part of her live. She’s graduated from UW-Madison and is working on a graduate degree in Optometry. Kay encourages Rotarians to be mentors.
Ted DeDee, fellow Rotarian and President and CEO of Overture Center for the Arts, (OC) gave an inspiring and information packed summary of the OC’s impact on the community in his talk to the Club at Alliant Energy Center on December 2. He began by noting the work of Club members on the OC’s Board & of other Rotarians to various OC activities. After stating that OC, financially, was “doing great” since its transition from a City operation to one run by a non-profit foundation, he indicated that the many activities of OC could be placed in three basic categories-Educating, Engaging and Entertaining – and then gave some examples in each.
Rotary Club of Madison, Wisconsin 