Record-breaking Gifts for Pittsburgh Universities

update:  Dr. Dietrich passed away on the 6th of October, 2011, just days after his gifts to the community as mentioned in this blog post.  Like Carnegie, Mr. Dietrich left only a modest amount of money to his children, and gave most if it away. He said  “that his time at Princeton University made him […]

The Saltire Foundation Model and Surrogate Entrepreneurs

“A leader is a dealer in hope.”—Napoleon Today I had lunch with an entrepreneur who I’ve known for a number of years.  Some time ago he had started a technology firm that had a nice run but ended up crashing and burning, as they often do.  He had spun this company out from his research […]

The Edinburgh Hacklab, Hackerspaces as Edupunk, and the the Modern University

Last Saturday evening I caught the end of the first birthday party for the Edinburgh Hackspace whose motto is “Making Stuff since 2010”.   The event was held adjacent to the Hacklab in the Out Of the Blue Drill Hall in Leith. Arriving late but just in time for the raffle, I donated a couple of […]

The Ten Wealthiest Academics in the World

Online Colleges recently published an article entitled “10 Wealthiest Academics in the World”. I thought that this was worth sharing with you.   Here are the Top Ten that they have identified:   10.   Syril Taylor 9.     David Silvers 8.     Zev Rosenwaks, MD (at my Alma Mattar) 7.     Reza Satchu, University of Toronto […]

Academic Entrepreneurship in Health and Medicine: Is the USA Losing its Edge?

So I have continued to beat my drum over the last 7 years about the crucial importance of the supply of entrepreneurial (risk) capital in the academic entrepreneurship arena.  It was interesting  to stumble upon this article today in the Atlantic.  I thought I’d summarize it, identify some areas where research is needed, and circle […]

Business incubators uniquely positioned to spark job creation for Edinburgh and Beyond

Business incubators uniquely positioned to spark job creation for Edinburgh and Beyond Edinburgh   19 September 2011 As local and national government agencies examine ways to create jobs and turn around the struggling economy, business incubation programs are featuring prominently in the debate – as well they should. For 50 years, incubators like the Innovacorp Incubator […]