MADISON
– Thomas “Rock” Mackie, a scientist, entrepreneur and educator with a passion
for helping students and faculty alike, will receive the 2015 “Excellence in Entrepreneurial Education”
award at the Wisconsin
Early Stage Symposium in Madison.
Mackie
will be honored Nov. 5 during the
second day of the conference, which will be held at the Monona Terrace
Community and Convention Center in downtown Madison. Visit www.wisearlystage.com to register and learn
more.
The
“Triple E” award, sponsored by Concordia
University,
was established by the Wisconsin Technology Council to highlight the importance
of entrepreneurial education.
The
selection of Mackie by the 2015 conference steering committee was based on:
· Delivering outstanding quality in
teaching entrepreneurship and/or mentoring entrepreneurs, in or out of the
classroom
· Stimulating innovative methods for
teaching or mentoring entrepreneurs
·
Promoting entrepreneurial education
and mentorship among scholars, policymakers, practitioners and others
· Providing a significant
contribution to the development of best practices in the field
“Rock
Mackie’s efforts to build an entrepreneurial culture on the UW-Madison campus
extends from its labs and classrooms to his work on successful companies and
his advocacy for students and faculty alike,” said Tom Still, president of the
Tech Council. “The startup landscape on the UW-Madison campus would not be the
same without Rock Mackie.”
Mackie’s career as a medical physicist was focused
on planning and delivery of radiation therapy to cancer patients. His group
developed the 3-D treatment planning system that became the Philips Pinnacle
treatment planning system, the most widely used radiation therapy treatment
planning system in the world. His group was also the developer of tomotherapy,
which is the marriage of a linear accelerator and a computerized tomography
scanner. That invention led to the founding of TomoTherapy, now a part of Accuray.
Mackie has been an Ernst & Young
Entrepreneur of the Year, president of a foundation that supports high school
science scholarships, founder of the campus-based Advocacy Consortium for
Entrepreneurs, a mentor to scores of graduate students and a leader in the
private Morgridge Institute for Research. His latest company, HealthMyne, is developing
a searchable database of image analytics applied to oncology and radiology.
Mackie is a professor emeritus at UW-Madison.
The inaugural winner of the “Triple E” award
was Tim Keane, an investor and entrepreneur who was one
of the first college-level educators in Wisconsin to design courses around
entrepreneurial studies.
Previously announced speakers include Zach
Halmstad, founder of
JAMF Software; Sue Marks, founder and chief executive office of
Cielo; and Mike
Splinter, the former
chairman of Applied Materials and Intel executive. The conference will also
feature:
–
Forty-five
company presentations by
selected firms in the Wisconsin Angel Network track and the Elevator Pitch
Olympics.
–
A
dozen panel
discussions and educational
seminars featuring
leading entrepreneurs, investors and others tied to the tech sector.
–
“Office
Hours,” offering the opportunity to meet with subject experts.
–
SBIR/STTR
awards luncheon to recognize grant recipients from the past year.
–
A
Nov. 3 “Wisconsin
WOMEN Reception”
(Women, Opportunities, Mentors, Networking, Entrepreneurs). This event is open
to both men and women.
–
A Nov.
4 reception, two luncheons, two breakfasts and other networking opportunities,
including an
investors-only dinner.
The
Tech Council produces the conference. Sponsors so far include: Aberdean; Alliant
Energy; American Transmission Co.; AT&T; Ascendancy Advisors; Aurora
Research Institute; Baird Capital; Baker Tilly; BDO; BloodCenter of Wisconsin;
BMO Harris; Boardman & Clark; Carroll University; City of Fitchburg;
Concordia University; Cresa Madison; Dane County Regional Airport; Dedicated
Computing; DeWitt Ross & Stevens; Eppstein Uhen Architects; Findorff; Fine
Point Consulting; First Business Bank; Functional Biosciences; Godfrey &
Kahn; HealthX Ventures; HP Enterprise Services; Keane Consultants; Madison Gas
& Electric; Makin’ HEY Communications; Marquette University; Marshfield
Clinic Applied Sciences; Medical College of Wisconsin; Michael Best &
Friedrich; Midwest Prototyping; MIOsoft; Morgridge Institute for Research;
Murphy Desmond; Neider & Boucher; Nelson Schmidt; NEW Capital Management; Pendio
Group; Promega Corp.; Quarles & Brady; RDC National Inc.; Red Arrow
Production; Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren; Setter Roche; Skyward; Smith &
Gesteland; State of Wisconsin Investment Board; Summit Credit Union; University
Research Park; UW-Madison Office of Corporate Relations; UW-Milwaukee Research
Foundation; UW-Oshkosh Business Success Center; Venture Investors; WERCBench
Labs; Whitewater University Technology Park; Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek; Wisconsin
Alumni Research Foundation; Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.; Wisconsin
Health and Educational Facilities Authority; Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension
Partnership; and WTN Media.
Learn
more and register for the conference at www.wisearlystage.com.
;
