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Bioscience Incubator Names CEO

Posted on: Monday, 27 March 2006, 18:00 CST

By Rachel Peterson, The Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff

Mar. 24--The former president of the Science Foundation of Ireland will take the helm of Arizona's organization to improve science, medicine and technology in Arizona.

William Harris, a Ph.D. and former founding director general of Science Foundation Ireland, will assume the role this summer as president and CEO of Science Foundation of Arizona.

He will report to a yet-to-be-named board of directors.

SFA is a joint project between Flagstaff, Phoenix and Tucson leaders, and was established with the approval of legislative funding. The $250 million initiative is intended to further bioscience breakthroughs in medicine, science and engineering through private and public collaboration.

Harris, who spent five years with the Science Foundation of Ireland, was selected because of his proven ability to develop an internationally collaborative partner in science, biotechnology and education, and secure grants and funding for its operations, said Jeffrey Trent, president of the Translational Genomics Research Institute, or TGen, who is involved with SFA.

"Arizona will benefit immediately from Dr. Harris' nearly three decades of experience in managing funds towards the advancement of science and engineering," Trent said in a statement. "There's no doubt in my mind that under Bill's direction SFA ... will be of resounding benefit to all Arizonans."

Harris said he accepted the new position because "Arizona has the capacity to position itself as a hub of bio-science, industry and scientific advancements that lead to improved health care and quality of life through the state.

"I look forward to ... distinguishing the state as a nation-wide collaborator and international leader in the bio-sciences and related disciplines essential for the 21st Century competitive economy."

In addition to his role with Science Foundation of Ireland, Harris has served as the director of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the U.S.

National Science Foundation, as founding president of Columbia University's Biosphere 2 Centre, and led the University of South Carolina Research Foundation.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff

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Source: The Arizona Daily Sun

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