Tong BME Distinguished Entrepreneur Lecturer Series
Sponsored by the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mr. Peter Tong
Invited speakers address the entire BME design class at a special mid-semester event. The lectures are given by successful entrepreneurs and innovators in the biomedical industry and are designed to appeal to students, faculty and staff in biomedical engineering, and biological and medical science. A reception follows the presentation, offering both students and faculty an opportunity to talk with the distinguished guest in an informal setting.
Spring 2009
Randall C. Iliff
Randall C. Iliff
Director of Strategic Innovation
Bjorksten | bit 7
Madison, WI
“Unlimited Potential — The Essential Role of Mind in Design”
Randall Iliff built his career specializing in the design and management of complex multi-disciplinary systems, and has been Proposal Manager, Project Manager, or Senior Systems Engineer on over thirty major ($10 Million-$2.5 Billion) projects. In 1991 he helped found the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), from 2002-2004 worked with UW as a member of the ICECUBE project, and today supports a diverse client mix ranging from simple start-ups to multi-national corporations. Through this experience he has observed that purposeful application of intellect ultimately determines the success or failure of any endeavor, and will discuss why no engineering skill is more valuable than learning to respect and direct the human mind.
Fall 2008
Margaret “Peggy”
Lescrenier
Margaret “Peggy” Lescrenier
President
Gammex, Inc.
Middleton, WI
“Turning Ideas into Products—A Small Business Perspective”
In 1969 Peggy Lescrenier and her husband Charles founded Gammex, a Middleton-based developer of diagnostic imaging and radiation oncology equipment that has twice won the Wisconsin Export Achievement award. Usually working behind the scenes, making sure operations went smoothly, Peggy has been honored with the Wisconsin Entrepreneur of the Year award. On the basis of her familiarity with the medical physics community and its work environment, she shared observations about how much timing, luck, preparation and opportunity play in making an idea a winner (or loser).
Spring 2008
Robert Lowery, PhD
Robert Lowery, PhD
President, CEO, and Founder
BellBrook Labs
Madison, WI
“The Twisted Path to Commercialization.”
Prior to starting BellBrook Labs in May of 2002, Lowery served for ten years as Vice President of R&D at PanVera Corporation and previously served as Director of Manufacturing at Promega Corporation, both in Madison, Wisconsin. He discussed the challenges of fostering innovations from introduction to mass adoption in the pharmaceutical industry, using integrated high-throughput screening (HTS) assay kits and the iUVO microfluidic conduit array platform as examples.
Fall 2007
Dr. Barbara Israel
Dr. Barbara Israel
CEO
Echometrix, LLC
Madison, WI
“The Role of Opportunity in Technological Innovation.”
Dr. Israel is an adjunct professor in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences, UW-Madison; founder, board member and former CEO of Platypus Technologies, which develops innovative products for the life and analytical sciences, and currently co-founder and CEO of Echometrix LLC, which develops ultrasound analysis systems for quantitative evaluation of soft tissue injuries. Dr. Israel shared her experience, observations and key insights on the challenges and opportunities in integrating science and business.
Spring 2007
Paul Reckwerdt
Paul J. Reckwerdt
President and Co-founder
TomoTherapy
Madison, WI
“Painting with Protons: An Insider's Perspective on the Science and Cents of the TomoTherapy HiArt System.”
Entrepreneur Paul J. Reckwerdt gave the inaugural lecture. A former UW-Madison researcher, Reckwerdt co-founded (with Medical Physics, Human Oncology, Biomedical Engineering and Engineering Physics Professor Thomas Rockwell Mackie) in 1997 the radiation-therapy company TomoTherapy. Its Hi-Art System integrates CT imaging and helical intensity-modulated radiation therapy to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of radiation treatment for a full range of cancer tumors.