INL names new tech deployment director

Jason Stolworthy

Idaho National Laboratory has named Jason Stolworthy as its new Technology Deployment director. Stolworthy worked at INL for a decade before spending the last three years in the country of Qatar, establishing an intellectual property and technology transfer office for the its government.

Technology Deployment works to deploy and transfer INL-developed technologies to the private sector. Over the past decade, INL has signed 697 new technology license agreements, executed 145 competitive research and development agreements, and completed 417 agreements with federal agencies and private sector entities worth nearly $1.4 billion.

“Moving R&D from the lab to the private sector increases the return on investment from federally funded research, and gives more Americans access to cutting-edge energy technologies,” said Amy Lientz, director of INL’s Partnerships, Engagement and Technology Directorate, which oversees Technology Deployment.

An attorney with a law degree from the University of Idaho, Stolworthy also holds bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and biochemistry from Idaho State University and a master’s in engineering from University of Idaho. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the Idaho State Bar, and the Montana State Bar.

Before working at INL, he drafted patent applications, provided opinions, and licensed intellectual property for Washington State University Research Foundation, Qatar Foundation, Hamad Medical Center, Stars of Science Reality TV Show and Qatar University. Stolworthy oversaw intellectual property protection, research and technology related agreements, including a group of attorneys and intellectual property specialist in his international work. Stolworthy’s industry experience includes working for FMC, Simplot and Chemonics. He previously taught Government Contract Law at the University of Idaho.

He has served on the Battelle Commercialization Council and was elected by his peers to chair the Technology Transfer Working Group created by congressional legislation in 2005. He has served as vice chair on the Idaho State Bar’s intellectual property committee. He was appointed by the Governor of Idaho to serve on the Idaho Innovation Council, which was instrumental in increasing Idaho’s focus on technology transfer by instituting a technology transfer function at Idaho State University and establishing uniform technology transfer policies for Idaho universities.

Mark Kaczor, who has been the acting Technology Deployment director, was named INL's senior commercialization lead. More information on the new INL Technology Deployment team is available at www.inl.gov.

EIRMC Imaging Center offers 3D mammography

Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center’s Imaging Center has become the first provider in southeast Idaho offering new 3D mammography.

This new technology detects breast cancer earlier and more accurately, which is important when you consider that breast cancer is 99 percent curable when detected early. One in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.

In 2D mammography, the complexities of breast tissue are reduced to a flat image. In contrast, 3D mammography technology takes many images of the breast, layer by layer, increasing accuracy and detection, and reducing false positives significantly. In fact, 3D mammography detects 41 percent  more invasive breast cancers and reduces false positives up to 40 percent. That means less stress for women with nothing to worry about, and faster treatment for women when it matters.

Health insurance covers an annual screening mammogram each year for women 40 and over. There is no additional cost at EIRMC for a 3D mammogram. Additionally, EIRMC does not require a doctor’s referral for a screening mammogram.

The American College of Radiology suggests that women should have a mammogram each year, beginning at age 40.

GAIN Initiative director named by INL

Dr. Rita Baranwal, new GAIN director

Westinghouse executive Rita Baranwal has been selected to head the Idaho National Laboratory-led Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative. As GAIN director, Baranwal will lead efforts to support the development of innovative reactor technologies in the U.S. She will begin in her new role Aug. 22.

“Rita brings a wealth of industry experience and nuclear fuels and materials science expertise to her new role,” said Dr. Kemal Pasamehmetoglu, associate lab director of Idaho National Laboratory’s Nuclear Science & Technology directorate, who announced the selection. “I’m confident that she will provide strong leadership for the GAIN program as it continues to grow as a catalyst for innovation in advanced nuclear technologies.”

Baranwal served most recently as director of Technology Development in the Engineering Center of Excellence at Westinghouse Electric Corp., and has held many other roles in nuclear fuel design and engineering. She holds a doctorate in materials science and engineering from the University of Michigan.

Vietnamese restaurant opens on Idaho Falls side of Hitt Road

The interior of Cyclo on Hitt Road, Idaho Falls' new Vietnamese restaurant.

I’ve said for years that Idaho Falls would not reach full culinary maturity until it had a Vietnamese restaurant. That has finally come to pass with the opening of Cyclo at 2994 S 25th East, where Togo’s was briefly.

If you want to visit the Facebook page, here it is: https://www.facebook.com/cyclo.VietnameseCuisine/home. There are plenty of reviews already, and you can look at them here: Cyclo reviews. For a link to the menu, click here: http://cyclocuisine.com/menu/.

The registered agent on file for the restaurant is Cody Do of Boise, who filed papers in March. Cyclo is a common name for Vietnamese restaurants in the United States. The cyclo is a three-wheel bicycle taxi that appeared in Vietnam during the French colonial period after a failed attempt to introduce rickshaws. A double-seat cyclo is supported by the two front wheels, with the driver sitting behind.

INL interns to give presentations Thursday

Interns at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory will present information on the work they accomplished over the summer during an expo and awards ceremony Thursday at the Energy Innovation Laboratory, 775 University Boulevard.

The awards ceremony will be at 1 p.m., with the expo immediately afterward. Both events are open to the public.

This year boasts more participants than last year’s expo, with approximately 100 of INL’s 350 interns expected to participate. INL interns span educational levels from high school students to university undergraduate and graduate students. Over the summer, interns worked alongside researchers who specialize in a variety of fields ranging from geothermal energy to computational modeling, nuclear science and technology.

INL also will recognize the Mentor of the Year, an award given to an employee who has done an exceptional job working with students. Seven awards will be handed out, including first place in four expo categories, best digital/graphic, best technical presentation, and best overall expo entry.

INL is part of the DOE's complex of national laboratories. The laboratory performs work in each of the strategic goal areas of DOE: energy, national security, science and environment. INL is the nation's leading center for nuclear energy research and development. Day-to-day management and operation of the laboratory is the responsibility of Battelle Energy Alliance.

See more INL news at www.inl.gov. Follow @INL on Twitter or visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/IdahoNationalLaboratory.