Commonwealth Awards $3 Million to Northeastern University to Drive Development of Smart Sensors and Nanoscale Materials

Commonwealth Awards $3 Million to Northeastern University to Drive Development of Smart Sensors and Nanoscale Materials

Research and Development Grant to Northeastern University from Massachusetts Technology Collaborative will Support Advancement of Connected Technologies with Medical, Defense, and Energy Applications

BURLINGTON – Today the Baker-Polito Administration announced a $3 million grant to Northeastern University to establish the Advanced Nanomanufacturing Cluster for Smart Sensors and Materials (“ANSSeM”), a consortium of private manufacturing companies and tier-one research universities working on new methods to create smart sensors and other revolutionary materials using ‘nanoscale’ printing processes.

The five-year grant award is made by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative’s Collaborative Research and Development Matching Grant Program, a program supporting large-scale, long-term research projects that have high potential to spur innovation, cluster development and job growth in the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth’s investment will help fund new infrastructure at Northeastern’s George J. Kostas Research Institute for Homeland Security, as well as at Tufts and UMass Boston, while helping drive commercialization of new products and driving workforce and economic development activities.

“Our administration has prioritized the growth of the Commonwealth’s nationally-leading innovation economy,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Through collaborative projects like the Advanced Nanomanufacturing Cluster for Smart Sensors and Materials, we are unlocking private investment and job creation in revolutionary technologies, unleashing the unmatched ingenuity of our citizens, and connecting every region in the Commonwealth to the innovation economy.”

“By partnering with academic researchers and private-sector employers, we are ensuring that the next generation of advanced manufacturing technology is developed, and deployed, in Massachusetts,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “This consortium will connect Massachusetts employers to unique nanoscale manufacturing technology, helping to ensure the long-term competitiveness of our manufacturing sector.”

The Commonwealth’s investment will be matched by nearly $11 million in outside funds, highlighting the critical partnership between industry, academia, and public partners across Massachusetts. Proposals funded under the Collaborative Research and Development Matching Grant Program are reviewed by an investment advisory committee composed of executives from academia, industry, and the venture capital communities.

The Baker-Polito Administration’s economic development strategy prioritizes research and development in high-potential emerging technology areas. The administration’s economic development legislation, filed in January 2016, proposes an additional $25 million state capital investment into the Scientific and Technology Research and Development Matching Grant Fund, the fund which supports the Collaborative Research and Development Matching Grant Program. 

During the event at Northeastern’s Kostas Research Institute in Burlington, Massachusetts, speakers highlighted the impact that smart sensors will have on advancing connected technologies, known as the “Internet of Things,” and the impact that increased R&D in nanomaterials could have on commercial products. Potential commercial applications range from high-precision sensors used to monitor premature babies in hospital neonatal units, to devices that track water quality, to wearable devices that monitor biometric data. A 2015 study by IDTechEx in Cambridge estimated that the market for wearable sensors and electronics would grow to $64 billion over the following decade. A June 2015 study by McKinsey found that the Internet of Things will have a total potential economic impact of $3.9 to $11.1 trillion a year by 2025. 

The cluster’s corporate partners include numerous well known manufacturers with operations across the state, including Rogers Corporation, a NASDAQ-traded public corporation that has its research headquarters at the Kostas Research Institute in Burlington; General Electric; Milara, Inc. of Medway and Milford; Raytheon, based in Waltham; HC Starck of Newton; and GloTech/OptoGlo, of Leominster and Devens.

Due to their electrical, mechanical and optical properties, nanomaterials have the potential to revolutionize the sensing industry. The ANSSeM consortium will work with the Nanoscale Offset Printing System (NanoOPS), a manufacturing technology pioneered by Northeastern University’s Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing (CHN), which will be the institutional home for the ANSSeM cluster work. NanoOPS can print nanoscale sensors and devices as small as 20 nm (or more than 1,000 times thinner than a human hair) on a variety of surfaces, and can print 100 to 1,000 times faster than current inkjet-based electronic and 3D printing.

The ANSSeM initiative has five major project tasks:

• Designing, developing and manufacturing commercial prototypes based on smart sensors and advanced materials;
• Increasing the flexibility of the nanoscale printing technology, to enable printing on a variety of soft and hard substrates;
• Studying advanced materials and product life cycle sustainability, to ensure compliance with federal and state regulatory agencies;
• Improving physical infrastructure, including the purchase of instruments and equipment for materials characterization and testing of product prototypes as well as two second-generation NanoOPS; and
• Creating commercialization programs and workforce development, such as seminars and workforce training programs to introduce and expose highly-educated individuals who are currently out of the job market to the advanced printing technology.

The Commonwealth’s award builds on a previous state grant, which awarded $2 million for the launch of Northeastern’s Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing, funds which were provided to match an award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Both grants from the Commonwealth are managed by the Innovation Institute at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.

“The success of the Nano OPS technology results from the extensive partnerships these researchers have built with manufacturing leaders across Massachusetts. Our continuing relationship with Northeastern University and the benefits from our earlier support are now leading breakthroughs into new fields of advanced manufacturing processes,” said Pamela Goldberg, CEO of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. “The state supported research that has contributed to this breakthrough can benefit manufacturing firms from Boston, to Central Massachusetts, and even to the Berkshires, demonstrating the reach of these innovations.”

麻州有意下五年禁令 不准 Uber, Lyft 在會展中心前載客

麻州議會刻正研議，為期五年的禁止 Uber 及Lyft 從波士頓會議展覽中心之類場地載客。

數以千計從外地來波士頓會議展覽中心開會的人，早已習慣招輛Uber車，載他們回酒店，到餐廳，或去機場。有關人員表示，此法一旦通過，將使波士頓會議展覽中心成為全美有此限制的少數幾個大會展中心之一。

在立法機關設法規範這類公司之際，麻州眾議會已批准一項法令，為期五年的禁止 Uber 及 Lyft 在會展中心場地載客。麻州參議會正研議中。

這一做法，將擴大羅根國際機場現有的多種禁止載客規定。會展中心人表示，他們對這提案傻了眼，正推動參議會在考慮相關法令時，廢除此一禁令。

麻州會展中心局交通主任James Folk表示，通過 Uber 及Lyft 禁令，會使波士頓會議展覽中心和海恩斯會議展覽中心在尋找會展場地的大企業集團面前，更缺乏吸引力，對那些湧到南波士頓這會展中心或D草坪參加活動的本地居民也很不方便。

有關人員表示，Uber 及 Lyft 車輛目前能從會展中心載客，但在人很多的會展舉行時，等計程車的人龍仍然很長。一家 James Folk 不願公佈名稱的公司估計，在2015年內，會展中心的載客數，達15,000次。生意量多到夠分。

不過計程車業支持者表示，對招車公司設限制是讓一些計程車司機能夠存活的唯一方法。自從 Uber 及 Lyft這類公司出現後，計程車司機眼見營收大減。從2015年的1月到6月，波士頓計程車的載客量和之前一年同期相比，就減少了22%。

有關人員表示，如果立法機關通過了不准 Uber 及 Lyft 在機場及會展中心載客的5年禁令，麻州將和全美逆勢而行，會使得波士頓對遊客來說缺乏吸引力。

機場對哪些車能在機場招客，一向有嚴格規定，意味著 Uber 及 Lyft這類公司通常是被禁止的，但近年來，這些服務越來越受歡迎，大機場也改變態度。現在洛杉磯，舊金山的國際機場，以及芝加哥的歐哈瑞（O’Hare）機場，都允許 Uber 及Lyft 從機場載客。羅根是少數幾個仍然禁止的機場之一。

目前，Uber 仍然能夠透過 UberBlack，以及 Uber SUV，那些在波士頓警察局的“出租車輛單位（Hackney Carriage unit）”登記，付了商業保險費，穿制服的車輛，派車到機場服務。不過絕大多數乘客所熟悉，最便宜，大都使用個人車輛提供服務，未買商業保險，也未向警察局登記的那些 UberX，仍然不抱括在內。

Century Bank Founder Celebrates 90 Years

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Mayor Gary Christenson, Marshall Sloane, and Barry Sloane

Released by the Office of Mayor Gary Christenson

Courtesy Photo

At 90 years young, Century Bank founder and father Marshall M. Sloan continues to head into the Bank’s Medford headquarters every day! Marshall, who is also a Veteran, husband, father and grandfather daily confers with his son Barry, the Bank's Chief Executive and continues to sit on committees to discuss loans and interests rates as well as decide where new branches should open. Throughout his career, Marshall worked tirelessly to make the Century Bank the success it is today and is proud of its 26 branches in Eastern Massachusetts and for being one of the state’s largest community Banks. Mayor Christenson joined a celebration held in Marshall’s honor by his family and bank employees. When Mayor Christenson asked Marshall his secret for such a long and healthy life, he replied that “having a purpose in life” is what keeps him young.

GOVERNOR BAKER, AG HEALEY, MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCE ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING POLICIES

GOVERNOR BAKER, AG HEALEY, MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCE ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING POLICIES

New Trafficking Prevention Policies Explicitly Bar Employees and Contractors from Involvement in Sex Trafficking or Forced Labor

BOSTON – Governor Charlie Baker, Attorney General Maura Healey, and Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced new policies to explicitly prohibit employees and contractors from perpetuating human trafficking, including commercial sex trafficking and forced labor.

“Trafficking human beings for sex and labor is a growing problem in Massachusetts and has existed underground for far too long,” said AG Healey. “As large employers in this state, we are making clear that we have no tolerance for this kind of exploitation. I thank Governor Baker and Mayor Walsh for their leadership and for bringing this issue to the forefront. We hope other agencies and businesses will take similar measures to fight this problem.” 

The AG’s Office has charged 25 individuals in connection with human trafficking since 2012 and earlier this month announced the indictment of five individuals in three separate trafficking schemes to exploit vulnerable women.

“We must aggressively target the drivers of human trafficking to ensure this horrific practice is eliminated in the Commonwealth and our society as whole,” said Governor Baker. “I am pleased to announce our administration’s commitment to enforce a zero tolerance policy for our employees regarding human trafficking and we remain committed to enacting strict reforms to target the sources of human trafficking. I thank Mayor Walsh and Attorney General Healey for their partnership on this critical issue.”

Governor Baker issued an executive order to reinforce a zero tolerance policy for all Executive branch employees regarding human trafficking and related activities. In addition to establishing a statewide policy, all Executive Branch agencies will be directed to exercise their best efforts to include principles of zero tolerance for human trafficking and related activities in future collective bargaining agreements.

“I’m pleased the Commonwealth is taking steps to ensure state and federal laws and regulations are firmly enforced to stop human trafficking and forced labor,” said Lt. Governor Polito. “As chair of the Governor’s Council on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, our team will continue to collaborate on more ways to out this underground issue from our state and keep our communities safe.”

“These new policies will raise awareness and show that Boston has no tolerance for those involved in the human trafficking crisis,” said Mayor Walsh. “I thank the Attorney General and Governor for their shared commitment to create safe communities and end these heinous crimes.”

In addition to the City of Boston, the Boston Public Schools has also announced anti-human trafficking policies for employees and contractors. 

Under Mayor Walsh’s leadership, the City of Boston, including Boston Public Schools, is also working collaboratively with the AG’s Office, city officials, organizations and Demand Abolition’s CEASE Network to reduce the demand of sex purchasing through aggressively pursuing buyers and providing support services for victims.

Recognizing that buyers are the catalyst for all sex trafficking, these new policies explicitly prohibit those who work for or do business with government from engaging in any activities related to sex-buying, creating a zero tolerance policy for employees soliciting and buying sex, regardless of the arrest of or criminal action taken against an employee.

“People who choose to purchase sex are helping perpetuate a system of violence and abuse that’s gone on for too long. We applaud Governor Baker, Attorney General Healey and Mayor Walsh for their leadership,” said Ziba Cranmer, Executive Director of Demand Abolition, a program working to eradicate sex trafficking by focusing on the demand for paid sex. “I hope more public and private sector employers follow this lead in taking proactive measures to prevent sex trafficking.”

According to research done by Demand Abolition, which used accounts from survivors, law enforcement, and online search data, sex buyers often look for purchasing opportunities during business hours or while on company equipment. 

In Boston it’s estimated that more than 10,000 ads selling people for sex are posted online every month, with each ad receiving an average of 46 responses, according to research by Demand Abolition. This indicates that there is a strong demand for paid sex in the area—demand that is fueling the local trafficking economy.

The National Human Trafficking Resource Center’s hotline has seen a 259 percent increase in calls reporting trafficking cases in America over the past five years, while a federal report estimates the underground commercial sex economy in just eight American cities is worth up to $1 billion.

“We are talking about the most vulnerable individuals in our communities being preyed upon by a multibillion dollar industry,” said Lisa Goldblatt Grace, Co-Founder & Director at My Life My Choice. “Among the girls we serve at My Life My Choice, the most frequent age of entry into the sex industry is 14—middle school age. Eighty percent of these children are involved with our child welfare system. I am grateful that our civic leaders are taking these powerful steps to say that the Commonwealth will not turn a blind eye from this egregious form of abuse.”

“Victim advocates in Massachusetts are working daily to support survivors of commercial sex trafficking. It is essential that we as a community do more than respond to the impact of this horrific crime and take efforts to disrupt the business model that leads to so many victims and survivors,” said Liam Lowney, Executive Director for the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance. “Whether for sex or labor, trafficking people is profitable because there is a demand for these services in the Commonwealth. Zero tolerance policies can be an effective strategy to ensure that any employee purchasing others for a price will be held accountable. I am grateful to Governor Baker, AG Healey, and Mayor Walsh for their efforts to dismantle this enterprise and seek a day with fewer victims.”  

These policies also prohibit involvement in or use of forced labor, including withholding an employee’s identification or documents, or using recruiters who do not comply with the laws. According to the most recent estimates from the International Labour Organization, nearly 21 million people are victims of forced labor globally and $150 billion in illegal profits are generated through forced labor every year.

“Vulnerable workers have been subject to labor exploitation and trafficking across the Commonwealth,” said Julie Dahlstrom, Clinical Instructor at the Boston University School of Law Human Trafficking Clinic. “The Massachusetts human trafficking law passed in 2011 was a sea change in Massachusetts by criminalizing forced services, but these policies mark another monumental step forward. They send a send a clear, powerful message that forced services and labor trafficking will not be tolerated and that perpetrators cannot operate with impunity.”

Following the advocacy for and passage of the Commonwealth’s first human trafficking law in 2011, the Attorney General’s Office formed a Human Trafficking Division within the office. AG Healey has made the support of survivors and prosecution of traffickers a priority of her office and the Division has taken a collaborative approach to addressing the issue through investigations, prosecutions, victim services and policy initiatives.

            The Governor’s policy can be found here.

The Attorney General’s policy can be found here.

美国麻州大学波士顿孔子学院成功举办第六届新英格兰地区大学生 “汉语桥”中文演讲比赛

美国麻州大学波士顿孔子学院成功举办第六届新英格兰地区大学生

“汉语桥”中文演讲比赛

        4月16日，美国麻州大学波士顿孔子学院成功举办第六届新英格兰地区大学生“汉语桥”中文演讲比赛。中国驻纽约总领事馆教育领事常全生、麻州众议院议员何杰森（Jonathan Hecht）、麻州大学波士顿校区副教务长艾瑞∙杰克森（Ira Jackson）及中国海南航空公司波士顿办事处总经理张敏、销售经理潘毅等为比赛致辞、颁奖。麻州大学波士顿孔子学院中文项目负责人王淑红、国家汉办志愿者管理教师林秀琴以及来自哈佛大学、麻省理工学院、塔夫茨大学、达特茅斯学院、东北大学、麻州大学阿默斯特校区和波士顿校区的黄萧惠媛、陈彤、王命全、李爱明、董桦、王志军、郭旭等担任评委。麻州大学波士顿孔子学院美方院长孙柏凤介绍项目概况，并同海南航空波士顿办事处张敏总经理一同揭晓“海航文化使者”，孔子学院中方院长付春梅宣布比赛结果。来自爱达荷大学孔子学院、纽约宾汉顿戏曲孔子学院、新罕布什尔大学孔子学院、南缅因大学孔子学院及塔夫茨大学孔子学院的中方院长薛荷仙、涂玲慧、杜洁、赵悦、姚建彬等也到现场观看并应邀为获奖者颁奖。

         常全生领事从全球化趋势及中美两国领导人关于汉语学习和人文交流的期许出发，强调了“汉语桥”在其中发挥的重要作用。艾瑞∙杰克森副教务长则指出，中美关系对于人类未来发展具有至关重要的作用，中美之间的相互理解需要更多的文化使者。麻州大学作为麻州唯一的公立研究型大学，在这个过程中负有特殊责任，他为孔子学院在这所大学感到骄傲，并称赞孔子学院的出色工作。何杰森议员用流利的汉语向选手表示祝贺，并从自己亲历的中美关系角度，讲述了中美两个大国之间从开始“架桥”到如今行驶在“高速公路”上的历程，形象地展示了两国关系的发展和现状。张敏总经理则表示，海南航空就是架设在不同文化间的空中桥梁，是不同文化相交、相通的载体。

        本次“汉语桥”比赛共有18所大学40多名选手报名参赛，经过组委会初选，共有15所大学21名选手获得现场决赛资格。比赛以“我与中国的故事”为主题，分为演讲、回答提问和才艺展示三个环节，并根据选手学习中文的时间和经历，分初、中、高三个级别进行比赛。经过激烈角逐，来自哈佛大学的白茉莉（Kumeri Bandara）、麻州大学波士顿校区的马远航（Joseph Mathias）、北卡罗来纳大学教堂山校区的高正远（Matt Coss）分别获得初、中、高三个级别的一等奖。哈佛大学罗瑞山（Carl Rogers），纽约宾汉顿大学穆宸鹏（Daniel McMonagle）、汤绣君（Samantha Thomas），爱达荷大学吴芳恩(Annelisa Wu)，东北大学藤吉庭(Timothy Fujiuoshi)和鲍登学院郭富城(Eduardo Jaramillo)成为“海航文化使者”。海南航空公司将提供六位“海航文化使者”的中美往返机票，并与孔子学院总部共同主办他们在北京为期10天的文化之旅。

        比赛现场，选手们以其流利的汉语、地道的表达，以及精彩的才艺，征服了评委和观众。他们有的讲述了自己在中国生活、同普通中国人接触并结下友谊的故事，有的分享了自己对中国独特的文化艺术，如唐诗、汉字、十二生肖等的理解。才艺展示也是精彩纷呈，既有唐诗、宋词、现代诗朗诵，又有笛子、吉他等乐器；既有单口相声、戏曲武打、书法表演，又有“惊鸿舞”和自己作词演唱中国生活的歌曲；有《霸王别姬》和《梁祝》，也有《美猴王漫游记》。

        观众纷纷赞叹本届选手的总体水平再次达到一个新的高度。评委们表示，选手间的竞争，已经不局限于演讲本身，而成为对选手学习汉语和中国文化总体素养乃至潜在能力的全面考察。从举办者的角度，麻州大学波士顿孔子学院不断完善比赛规则、流程和具体环节，从专业角度增强比赛的科学性和规范性。

        麻州大学波士顿孔子学院举办的“汉语桥”比赛持续得到海南航空公司的大力支持，本届比赛特设“海航文化使者”，体现了企业文化同孔子学院事业的和谐共融。获胜选手同时也获得中国人民大学暑期学校奖学金，将在人民大学进行为期四周的学习。在各界共同努力下，沟通不同文化的“汉语桥”将会越来越宽广。