KTEC and Youth Entrepreneurs of Kansas are sponsoring the third annual Kansas High School Business Plan Competition. Students from any Kansas high school are invited to compete by designing a business plan for a company in the technology, science or engineering field. Groups of students selected as finalists will then present their plans to a panel of judges in Topeka. First, second and third cash prizes will be awarded.

The competition is open to teams of three to six students from any Kansas high school. Each team must have a faculty sponsor to participate. A business plan template for students to follow is provided on the KTEC website. Students are encouraged to seek out community business mentors to provide guidance throughout the competition.

For more information, please visit http://www.ktec.com/bplan. Teams must indicate their intent to participate by January 30. Written plans are due February 27, finalists will be announced March 12, and the final competition will take place in Topeka on April 16.

More information

Questions:
Kerri Holtzman, KTEC, 785-296-3686, kholtzman@ktec.com

The University of Kansas School of Engineering recently hired its first bioinformatics professor, Xue-wen Chen. Chen will bring his work with gene chip data analysis to the Information and Telecommunication Technology Center (ITTC), a KTEC Center of Excellence located at KU. Chen will work with other ITTC researchers on algorithms that will analyze the reactions of genes under specific conditions, research that could allow doctors to control and treat diseases more effectively in the future.

More of ITTC's latest news

Eleven faculty members from four universities are the first participants in a new Kauffman Foundation-sponsored program designed to infuse entrepreneurship education into local college classrooms. The program, called the Kauffman Entrepreneurial Faculty Scholars Program, provides funds to select faculty members from the University of Kansas, as well as from the University of Missouri - Kansas City, Rockhurst University, and William Jewell College for specialized training and professional development in entrepreneurship. These faculty members, who represent a variety of disciplines, then integrate what they've learned into the subjects they teach. The goal of the program is to enable area college students to access entrepreneurial thinking and skills, regardless of their field of study.

More about the program

Each issue, the KTEC eUpdate turns the spotlight on a member organization of the KTEC network. This time, we focus on the Quest Business Center for Entrepreneurs.

The Quest Business Center for Entrepreneurs, a KTEC incubator located in Hutchinson, assists and houses Hutchinson area entrepreneurs, including owners of technology-based small businesses. Quest provides services such as secretarial assistance, office and conference space, and consulting.

One of Quest's resident organizations is the Reno Entrpreneurial Development Institute (REDI). REDI is an entrepreneurial education center for juniors and seniors in Reno County schools and helps prepare area students for the rigors of being a small business owner.

More information about Quest

New York governor proposes nanotech college

New York Governor George Pataki proposed last week that the nation's first nanotechnology college be located at the University of Albany. The university's School of Nanosciences and Nanoengineering would be rolled into the new college, which Pataki envisions will help create a highly skilled workforce for the biotechnology companies in the state.

Read more about the proposed college

Feb. 19 - Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Technology Showcase, 5-7 p.m., Overland Park Convention Center. More information

Mar. 5 - KTEC board meeting, 8 a.m., KTEC Offices, Topeka.

Apr. 14-15 - Kansas Center for Community Economic Development's 16th Annual Community Economic Development Conference, Great Bend. More information

May 5-6 - InvestMidwest Venture Capital Forum, Chase Park Plaza Hotel, St. Louis. More information