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[PDF Download of Speech]
Bioscience Research Building Grand Opening Celebration
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Bioscience Research Building, Hornbake Plaza
C. D. Mote, Jr.
University of Maryland
Welcome, guests, and thank you for joining us for this special event. And thank you, Dean Allewell, for your generous introduction. I would like to extend a special welcome to the many elected officials who are able to join us today to celebrate this exciting University and State of Maryland event: Governor Martin O'Malley; County Executive Jack Johnson; Senate President Miller; House Speaker Busch; DBED Secretary David Edgerly; Senators Ulysses Currie and Jennie Forehand; Delegates Sheila Hixson; Charles Barkley; Jon Cardin; Brian Feldman; Tawanna Gaines; Susan Lee; Roger Manno; and Shirley Nathan-Pulliam. You honor us with your presence today. Three members of the Board of Regents, and close friends of the campus, are with us as well: Pat Florestano, Barry Gossett and Tom McMillen. I also thank members of our UMCP Foundation Board of Trustees for coming today: Bob Fischell, Tim Maloney, and Senator Joe Tydings.
I am happy to acknowledge two of today's speakers. Mr. Evan Jones, founder of Digene Corporation, a highly successful graduate of the campus incubator, and user of the Bio-process Scale-up Facility here. Digene was sold over the summer for $1.6 billion—a smashing success for Evan, who has now moved on to create "j-VEN," which will invest in medical technology and life sciences companies.
Dr. Vincent Lee, Assistant Professor of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics is also a College Park alumnus. Dr. Lee returned to our faculty after a postdoctoral stint at the Harvard Medical School.
And now to the building itself: The idea for this building began in the summer of 1998 before I arrived at Maryland. I concluded that the University must accelerate its biosciences research contributions to fulfill its mission. With the help of Senator Miller and a few others, Gov. Glendening became convinced to put it into his capital queue. Then Governor Erlich agreed to fund its construction and even accelerated the construction during difficult fiscal circumstances. The ground was broken three years ago. And today Governor O'Malley can cut the ribbon on this magnificent space after only 9 years—and that's light speed.
This building is critical to expanding research in the biosciences and biomedical sciences at the State's Flagship University. In this century there will be no major university in the world that is not strong in biosciences. To become the world-class university that was mandated during formation of the System in 1988, it was essential to move aggressively in the development of bioscience here.
This year UM won direct research grants totaling over $400 million, and Chemical and Life Sciences has increased its research funding 30% in each of the last two years. Being a leading research University requires more than funding. It requires the drive and talent that constantly propel us to the front in new fields. For instance, the Maryland Pathogen Research Institute brings together more than 50 faculty members from several Colleges with scientists from other institutions to work on treatments for infectious diseases, detection of pathogens in the environment, and prevention of the spread of pathogens. These are critical for human health as well as for national security.
Genomics underpins a range of fields from the evolution of species to the individual response to medicines, personalized medicines, and susceptibility to particular diseases. The genomics team works closely with our Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. Neurosciences faculty study processes like how we see, hear, and smell. They work with NIH colleagues in the joint Center for Comparative and Evolutionary Biology of Hearing.
This new building is ideally located in the center of the campus and next to the Bio/Psych building, Plant Sciences Building and the Microbiology Building, allowing for maximum collaboration of scholars and students and encouraging cross-disciplinary partnerships. This 134,000 gross square foot building is a major catalyst in the elevation of our productivity. It provides 33 laboratories focused on three high-impact areas of the biological sciences: host-pathogen interactions, comparative and functional genomics, and sensory neuroscience.
More than 300 research scholars will make their homes in this facility. The building has space, state-of-the-art research equipment, a 475-seat auditorium, and outstanding facilities for conferences.
In anticipation of this new building, the research programs of the College of Chemical and Life Sciences have grown strikingly. In the past seven years, 46 faculty have been recruited; undergraduate enrolment has increased 21% to 2500; the Howard Hughes Medical Institute has funded undergraduate research for 16 years, totaling $6.7 million; graduate enrollment has increased 50% to 630. Major research grants support nano-bio-science; pathogen detection and vaccine development; plant, animal, and human genomics; brain imaging and sensory perception; and environmental remediation. The opening of the Bioscience Research Building will accelerate this growth. The promise of the new Bioscience Research Building is discovery and communication of knowledge—the core of the University of Maryland.
Now it is my esteemed pleasure to introduce the Governor of the State of Maryland, Martin O'Malley, who has strongly supported the biosciences for many years. His goal—in his own words—is to "make Maryland the bioscience capital of the world." As Mayor of Baltimore he made biotechnology a key to economic development for the City; he worked closely with Baltimore's research universities to create research parks, and bioscience developments in Baltimore. As governor he is bringing the same vigor to his plans for the State. His 2007 Climate Change Commission is one outcome of this drive. The Governor's Commission is studying the impacts of climate change on the State and formulating strategies for reducing the negative ones.
In tackling climate change the Governor is taking on a very difficult issue that has enormous impact on our State and world. Just last Friday Governor O'Malley announced appointments to the new Life Sciences Advisory Board: UM Dean Norma Allewell has been appointed to the Board. The Board will develop a much needed, comprehensive state strategic plan for life sciences. With Governor O'Malley's leadership the Board will set the course for the State toward an even higher level of national distinction in biosciences.
The University of Maryland is heavily engaged in research and development; commercialization and manufacturing; and entrepreneurship and business development. We look forward to even further engagement. Governor O'Malley has focused on higher education as a driver of the state's economy and our citizens' future. He wants to make Maryland and its workforce competitive globally: Bethesda, Beijing and Bombay are neighbors in this globalized world. As he said at MACO, "We will soon be proposing a new covenant with higher education that targets State investment to help our colleges and universities meet specific demands of the new economy, to ensure that we have world-class research and world-class graduates." Nothing could be more critical for the state and its citizens. We stand ready to help you, Governor, and the State meet these goals. That, after all, is the flagship university's role.
The University of Maryland is the world class university that Governor O'Malley describes. Today's opening of this remarkable building is yet another indicator. We are most grateful for the State's support. Would you all please join me in welcoming Governor Martin O'Malley to the podium?
Introduction for County Executive Jack Johnson: It is my great pleasure to introduce Jack Johnson, the County Executive for Prince George's County. We have been working together since Jack came on board. I was the honorary co-chair of his transition team and we have many common goals. He sees the M Square Research Park as a strong asset of the County. We share a passion for supporting the County through Higher Education. In fact, the Prince George's County Council made a very generous contribution to the Incentive Awards program this past year. Jack also held a reception for the initiation of the Incentive Awards program and he came to greet the new students from the program.
The University of Maryland has several other partnerships with Prince George's County. The Maryland Transfer Advantage program, which helps students transfer more easily from several community colleges to College Park is one of them. The Hillman Entrepreneurs Program is another: a scholarship program targeted to students who have an interest in entrepreneurship and an enthusiasm for starting a business venture or leading a company. They begin their studies at Prince George's County Community College on full scholarships and then transfer to College Park. It is one of the many programs we are proud of. Jack has also come forward to work with us on security issues, which are important to both of us. We are very happy and proud to have such a close and productive relationship with Prince George's County. Please join me in welcoming Prince George's County Executive, Jack Johnson.
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