ENTROS to Highlight Two FSU Programs
As part of the ENTROS “Entrepreneurs and Introductions” series created by the I-79 Development Council, two Fairmont State University programs will be highlighted at a special event on Thursday, Sept. 6.
Begun in 2011, ENTROS “Entrepreneurs and Introductions” is an initiative of the I-79 Development Council (I79DC) focusing on startups or small businesses and the entrepreneurs who create them. The Sept. 6 session will feature exhibits and presentations about FSU’s Open Source Intelligence Exchange (OSIX) and IBM Academic Initiative.
The event will begin at 4 p.m. at the Robert H. Mollohan Research Center in Fairmont. Admission is free and open to the public. There is no need to register, but for more information, call Deana Keener, I79DC President, at (304) 680-7932 or e-mail her at deana@i79dc.com.
“ENTROS is excited to host our colleges and universities with their start-up programs,” Keener said.
The Open Source Intelligence Exchange at Fairmont State University (OSIX-FSU) is a student-staffed intelligence center focused on assessing and leveraging new and emerging information technologies (NET) in support of the U.S. national security and law enforcement communities.
Fairmont State was one of only two schools in the state to receive funding from the West Virginia Research Trust Fund’s STEM Grant Program for State Colleges and Universities, also known as "Bucks for Brains.” OSIX-FSU's New Media Assessment Project was awarded a grant in the amount of $100,000. The program has since gained credibility and is being utilized by high-level national leaders on matters of national and international importance.
FSU’s School of Business and College of Science and Technology are partnering with IBM to ensure their graduates will be prepared to be among the next generation of mainframe experts.
FSU’s partnership with IBM will integrate into FSU’s curricula the programs and IBM product families that will enhance internship and career opportunities for its students. The IBM initiative brings three major components to campus -- the career link, professional development for faculty and software.
“As we all work to attract and create more business and technology in the Corridor, ENTROS provides a platform for us to learn who is here and what they are doing,” Keener said. “We want the soil here to be fertile for businesses and growth. Success has a ‘rising tide’ effect for us all.”
The mission of I79DC is to promote economic diversity and expand the I-79 Corridor economy by aggressively and effectively serving as the regional economic development marketing entity. I79DC also collaborates in finding solutions to regional issues impacting the growth potential of North Central West Virginia.
I-79 serves as the commercial and commuter corridor anchoring North Central West Virginia. Other major corridors connecting with it are I-68 East, Route 50 West and Route 33 East. The corridors of industry and education benefit from strong collaborative interaction on a platform that encourages cross-cultural and multi-state regions.
“I-79 Development Council is growing, and we invite you to connect with us,” Keener said.
School of BusinessCollege of Science and TechnologyIBMCollege of Liberal ArtsOpen Source Intelligence ExchangeI-79 Development CouncilDeana Keener
