Call for Student Leader Applications - Due Feb. 26

Call for Student Leader Applications - Due Feb. 26 Washington DC - February 12, 2016 - Announcing the first annual Emerging Technologies Student Leaders Conference co-located with the 2016 TechConnect World Innovation Conference and 2016 Nanotech Conference & Expo, Gaylord National Convention Center, Washington DC, June 22-25. The Student Leaders Conference will bring together undergraduate emerging technologies and nano technology student group representatives from across the United States. This program is seeking out active student group leaders in order to highlight undergraduate research and connect students with entrepreneurs, industry leaders, venture capitalists, and representatives of federal agencies funding research in emerging technologies. Additionally, in its role to support the National Nanotechnology Initiative, the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office is helping to establish the U.S. Nano and Emerging Technologies Student Network in partnership with the participating community. To apply to join the Student Leaders Conference, please submit your information for review through the linked form. Participation is welcome from student leaders in any science, technology, and business domains. Submit your information Today! All accepted applicants will be provided: Registration Waiver to the 3-day TechConnect World Innovation Conference Participation in the Student Leaders Program during the Conference Recognition as a Emerging Technology Student Leader Awardee Submit Application - Due Feb 26th Student Leaders Conference - Supporting Organizations: University of Virginia's Nano and Emerging Technologies Club (NExT) University of Central Florida's Society for Emerging and NanoTechnologies (SENT) SUNY Albany's Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Club National Nanotechnology Coordination Office

NEW JERSEY STOCK PROMOTER IDENTIFIED IN UNDERCOVER OPERATION SENTENCED TO PRISON

NEW JERSEY STOCK PROMOTER IDENTIFIED IN

UNDERCOVER OPERATION SENTENCED TO PRISON

 

BOSTON – A New Jersey stock promoter was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Boston for his involvement in a scheme to artificially manipulate the stock price of Massachusetts-based company, Amogear Inc.   

 

Michael Affa, 36, of Toms River, NJ, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 33 months in prison and ordered to pay a fine of $1 million.  In September 2015, Affa pleaded guilty to conspiracy, securities fraud, and wire fraud.

 

In 2013 and 2014, a federal undercover operation monitored in real-time, Affa’s participation in the scheme to manipulate the stock price of Amogear.  In February 2014, the SEC suspended trading in the securities of Amogear as the attempted manipulation of its stock was underway.  Prior to the suspension, Affa and his co-conspirators, who were all stock promoters, carried out a scheme to create a false appearance of an active market in the stock, including a false media campaign designed to increase the price of the stock, knowing that Amogear was a shell company without any real operations.  Affa and his co-conspirators planned to sell the stock into the market at artificially inflated prices from which they would profit. What Affa did not know was that Amogear was controlled by the FBI and used to obtain evidence of their attempt to manipulate the market.

 

The case arises from a multi-year investigation focusing on preventing fraud in the microcap stock markets.  Microcap companies are small, publicly-traded companies whose stock often trades at pennies per share.  Fraud in the microcap stock markets is of increasing concern to regulators as such markets have proven to be fertile grounds for fraud and abuse.  This is, in part, because accurate information about microcap stocks may be difficult for the average investor to find, since many microcap companies do not file financial reports with the SEC.

 

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vassili Thomadakis of Ortiz’s Criminal Division and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Forni and Andrew Palid of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Governor Baker Files for $200 Million in Chapter 90 Transportation Funds for Cities and Towns

Governor Baker Files for $200 Million in Chapter 90 Transportation Funds for Cities and Towns 
Legislation also includes authorization requests for a small bridge program and federal aid highway program

BOSTON – Today, the Baker-Polito Administration filed “An Act Financing Improvements to Municipal Roads and Bridges” that included $200 million for local transportation infrastructure improvements across the Commonwealth, otherwise known as Chapter 90 funds. Additionally, this legislation includes a request to authorize funding for a small bridge program and a separate authorization request for the federal aid highway program.

“We are pleased to file $200 million this year to support local officials and are committed to maintaining the same funding level for three years to support long term planning and economic growth,” said Governor Baker. “Every city and town depends on access to these flexible transportation funds and these investments will ensure municipal improvements remain front and center.”

Chapter 90 funding is issued by municipality and predetermined by a formula that factors in a municipality’s population, road miles, and employment.

“Our partners at the local level understand best that building stronger communities starts with making the short and long-term improvements to guarantee a reliable transportation network,” said Lt. Governor Polito. “We look forward to the legislature’s thoughtful review and continued efforts to place our cities and towns at the forefront.”

Chapter 90 reimburses cities and towns for costs incurred for eligible transportation projects. Cities and towns must submit receipts to the MassDOT Highway Division district in which they are located which verifies that the expenditures qualify for reimbursement under Chapter 90. The Highway Districts in turn submit these receipts to the Department of Transportation’s Fiscal Department which facilitates the reimbursements to cities and towns.

Part of the legislation includes a request to authorize $50 million for a five-year small bridge program. The funding will support approximately 1,300 bridges on municipal roads across Massachusetts that span lengths between 10 and 20 feet. The new program will target small bridge projects that are not eligible for federal aid under existing bridge replacement or rehabilitation programs, and are a high risk for full or partial closure in the near future due to their present condition.

Another part of the bill filed today includes a $750 million authorization request for the federal aid highway program. While the authorization request must be for the full $750 million, the Commonwealth will be responsible for $135 million of that spending.

Also included in “An Act Financing Improvements to Municipal Roads and Bridges” are technical corrections to previously approved pieces of legislation, including a change that would bring bonds issued for the Rail Enhancement Program in line with similar projects like the Accelerated Bridge Program by making them exempt from the statutory debt limit.

The Baker-Polito Administration also filed a mid-year supplemental budget today. The $169.5 million proposal addresses known deficiencies at some state agencies, like Emergency Assistance and the Committee on Public Counsel Services.

More information about the Chapter 90 Program is available here.

The Wong Kids party is on 2/16

MAYOR WALSH ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC SAFETY ON BOSTON'S STREETS

MAYOR WALSH ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC SAFETY ON BOSTON'S STREETS

Outlines Progress Being Made by City of Boston Vision Zero Task Force

BOSTON - Thursday, February 11, 2016 - Citing an increase in traffic-related fatalities and severe injuries, Mayor Martin J. Walsh today urged people who drive, walk and bicycle in the City of Boston to stay safe by paying attention to the rules of the road and being aware of others who are also traveling on local streets. "With a recent uptick in traffic-related injuries, it is critically important that people be very careful and obey the rules of the road to keep not only yourself but your fellow travelers safe," said Mayor Walsh. "Our top priority is ensuring the safety of our residents, but we need the public's support to help us eliminate all traffic-related fatalities on our streets. I thank the members of the Vision Zero Task Force for their work in identifying opportunities to improve roadway safety and I look forward to implementing the next steps in the Vision Zero Action Plan to create safer streets across our city." Last spring the City of Boston adopted Vision Zero, a national movement with a goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and severe injuries from crashes. A Task Force was appointed that includes representatives from relevant city agencies and advocacy groups.  In December, the Task Force released a detailedVision Zero Action Plan that in part outlines two major initiatives: The new Neighborhood Slow Streets Program to be piloted in Dorchester's Talbot Norfolk Triangle and the Stony Brook neighborhood in Jamaica Plain, will introduce a variety of traffic calming and safety measures; Two Vision Zero Focus Areas, Dorchester's Codman Square and a stretch of Massachusetts Avenue, where measures will be implemented to improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. The Task Force also formed a Rapid Response Team that is quickly responding to serious crash locations to analyze the cause and gain insight to take correction. In addition, WalkBoston, in partnership with the Elderly Commission, recently received funding from Tufts Health Plan Foundation to implement "Safe Routes for Seniors," a project with the goal of supporting safe walking for older adults.  As outlined in the Vision Zero Action Plan, an educational campaign is currently being developed.  The campaign will strive to reach a broad population, including the 100,000 older adults living in Boston.  This will work to further the city's commitment to making Boston a more age-friendly city by fostering an environment where everyone feels safe to walk in Boston, regardless of age or ability. "Making Boston a safe place to walk is key to the City's equitable access to opportunity, to long-term economic vitality, to fighting climate change and creating a resilient city, and to making Boston a great place to live, work and play," said Wendy Landman, Executive Director of WalkBoston. "We are pleased to be working with the City of Boston and state agencies on this very important issue." According to Vision Zero, all drivers should know that driving over 25 mph greatly increases their chance of killing or severely injuring a person if they hit them, and it makes it less likely that they will see someone about to walk in the street.  Traffic crashes do more than hurt those physically impacted.  Like suicides, homicides, drug overdoses and other preventable tragedies, traffic crashes are traumatic experiences that have lasting impact on the people involved, as well as their families, witnesses and members of the community where a crash occurs.  When a serious traffic crash takes place locally, the City of Boston has resources available to support people, including trauma specialists with the Boston Public Health Commission and staff from the Elderly Commission who help people to make sense of what happened and begin to heal. Last month, Mayor Walsh announced the launch of the Vision Zero Boston Safety Concerns Map, an online tool that allows people to identify locations where they have concerns about transportation safety. Boston residents and visitors are encouraged to visit visionzeroboston.org/input, select the location of their concern, and add it to the map. People can also enter additional comments to concerns that were reported by others. Mayor Walsh also announced that the City of Boston was recently chosen as one of ten cities selected by the National Vision Zero Network to participate in their new Focus Cities Program. The selection was based on the effort that the City of Boston has put into working toward the goals of Vision Zero and the progress that has been made toward maximizing safety on Boston's streets. Please visit www.visionzeroboston.org to get involved and learn more about the City of Boston's commitment to traffic safety. ### Vision Zero Boston is an early action item of Go Boston 2030, the City of Boston's citywide transportation plan for the next 5, 10 and 15 years.  Using an unprecedented public engagement process, the Boston Transportation Department, in collaboration with other government agencies and stakeholders, is using data gained through the Go Boston 2030 process to identify and implement improvements designed to provide a strong, comprehensive transportation system that will serve the City of Boston well into the future. To learn more about Go Boston 2030, please visit www.goboston2030.org.

27th Annual Allston-Brighton Family Skate Night on 2/15

27th Annual Allston-Brighton Family Skate Night this Monday February 15th! Click here to view this email in your browser.

Dear friends,   Bring your family, friends, and neighbors for a night of ice skating and complimentary refreshments for the 27th Annual Allston-Brighton Family Skate Night this Monday, Feb. 15 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm Please note that the Ed Portal will be closed on Monday, February 15 in observance of Presidents' Day. Details for other upcoming Ed Portal events are available below and on the Ed Portal’s events calendar. Kind regards, The Ed Portal team

.

未名紫荊與北大校友合辦講座 2/11 談科技創新與金融服務衍化

[未名紫荆&北大新英格兰校友会] Quark Finance Founder & CEO: Joe Guo

2016-02-10 PKUAANE

Technology Innovation Drives Financial Services Evolution

Date and time: 7pm, February 11, Thursday, 2016
Location: MIT E51-315, Tang Center for Management Education, Cambridge, MA, 02142
Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/47pkuaa-quark-finance-founder-ceo-joe-guo-technology-innovation-drives-financial-services-evolution-tickets-21418663800 (or by clicking the 'Read more' in the end.)

ABOUT GUEST SPEAKER:

Joe Guo , Founder and CEO of Quark Finance

PhD in Physics, George Washington University; MBA, Cornell University

1996: Joined Fleet Financial Group as Vice President (later Senior Vice President) in charge of the consumer finance decision science department, overseeing risk and customer analytics.

2005: As Regional Credit Officer for AIG’s Asian consumer finance business, oversaw risk management for eight AIG subsidiaries in the Asia-Pacific region.

2008: Became Chief Credit Officer for JPMorgan Chase’s China Card Project, a credit card joint venture with a leading Chinese bank.

2012: Joined Credit Ease, the largest P2P company in China,as Head of Credit Management, overseeing risk and credit operations of various business lines.

ABOUT QUARK FINANCE:
Quark Finance is a leading consumer finance company based in Shanghai,China. It uses world-class credit management technology to provide loans toconsumers and entrepreneurs.

Quark was founded in April 2014 by seasoned professionals with experience in retail banking, risk management, and financial services. Senior management previously directed regional risk management andsales for multinational financial institutions such as AIG, Citibank, and JPMorgan Chase.

Quark addresses the rapidly growing consumer finance market that commercial banks have difficulty covering due to Chinese regulatory restraints and banking practices. Every year, tens of trillions of RMB are lent person-to-person or through underground money shops.

From May to December 2014, Quark Finance facilitated the issuance of RMB 740 million in consumer loans, achieving a 67% monthly CAGR. In the year 2015, the number of newly issued loans achieved RMB 4 billion, increased 5 times over the year. Quark Finance aims to become China’s pre-eminent web-based platform for personal financial services with professional risk management, direct sales, and cutting-edge technology. 

ABOUT ORGANIZERS:

Peking University Alumni Association of New England (PKUAA-NE)

http://www.pkuaa-ne.org/about/

Established in 1994, Peking University Alumni Association of New England (PKUAA-NE) is a registered non-profit organization in Massachusetts. We are committed to serving alumni, alma mater, social responsibility, and to build a common platform for alumni's career development, academic studies, social life and entertainment.

WeiMing-Zi Jing Venture & Practice Alliance (WMZJ)
http://www.weimingzijing.com/

Wei Ming-Zi Jing Venture & Practice Alliance (WMZJ) was co-founded by the Peking University Alumni Association-New England andTsinghua Alumni Association at Greater Boston in 2012, to bridge entrepreneurialtalents in the East Coast of the United States and various entrepreneurship opportunities and resources in China. WMZJ is committedto establishing a platform for mutual exchange, sharing, and collaboration among young entrepreneurs with start-up ideas and providing them with first-hand information of entrepreneurship resources to enable bettermatch and settlement.  

紐英崙客家鄉親 3/19 慶天穿日

紐英倫客家鄉親會主辨之一年一度慶祝 " 天穿日 活動 "， 訂於三月十九日，星期六， 擧行。

時間： 2 0 1 6 年 3 月 1 9 日， 星期六，上午 1 1 時 3 0 分 至下午 2 時 3 0 分 

地點： Hyde Community Center, 9 0 Lincoln Street, Newton Highlands, MA  (僑教中心樓上體育館)

活動收費： 會員以家庭為單位， 每家庭收會費 $2 0，免收活動費。非會員每人收費 $15，10 歲以下孩童免費。 請鄉親朋友在會場入口處繳費。

活動內容： 客家小吃， 客家舞蹈， 抽獎，唱歌及其他團體活動。

由於會場座位有限，有興趣參加者， 請盡快向下列鄉親會理事報名，以便統計人數。

周一男  (617-965-0867, georgeinchou@gmail.com);  陳裕逢 （617-816-6622，terrenceychen@gmail.com); 

曾秀梅 （617-553-0388，meihsu168@gmail.com);  謝如鍵 （617-901-3888，kenchia22778@gmail.com); 

林展輝 （617-281-8633, jhlin15@yahoo.com)

紐英倫客家鄉親會全體理事 敬邀