Home Posts tagged business notices

Agenda

By
Agenda

40 Under Forty Nominations

Through Feb. 27: BusinessWest is currently accepting nominations for the 40 Under Forty class of 2025. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 27. Launched in 2007, the program recognizes rising stars in the four counties of Western Mass. Nominations, which should be detailed in nature, should list an individual’s accomplishments within their profession as well as their work within the community. Nominations can be completed online at businesswest.com/40-under-forty-nomination-form. Nominations will be weighed by a panel of judges, and the selected individuals will be profiled in the April 28 issue of BusinessWest and honored at the 40 Under Forty Gala in June.

 

‘Lights, Community, Action!’

Feb: 7-8: JaDuke Theater in Turners Falls will mount a two-night community performance titled “Lights, Community, Action!” Proceeds from the four-act musical revue will benefit Community Action Pioneer Valley’s Center for Self-Reliance food pantry. Each of the four acts of the show will center around one of the four themes of Community Action’s programs: food, heat, support, and community connection. With numbers such as “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast, “Circle of Life” from The Lion King, and pop hits like “Lean on Me” and “Walking on Sunshine,” the show’s 95 community cast members are rehearsing weekly to prepare a thigh-slapping, foot-stomping singalong show full of family fun. The Center for Self-Reliance food pantry, which will be the direct beneficiary of the event’s donations and sponsorships, has seen a 34% increase in visitors over the last three years. Right now, the pantry offers fresh meat, dairy, eggs, produce, and shelf-stable goods to more than 1,000 visitors per week. The Center for Self-Reliance serves people in and around Greenfield, and the West County Pantry satellite pantry serves the Shelburne Falls and hilltown area. This is JaDuke’s fourth year of putting on a benefit show for a local nonprofit. The first three years’ beneficiaries were the Children’s Advocacy Center, United Arc, and the New England Center for Women in Transition. Both performances will start at 6 p.m. Tickets are available online at jaduketheater.com.

 

Chicopee Chamber Shining Stars Gala

Feb. 28: The Chicopee Chamber of Commerce announced the recipients of its 2025 Shining Stars, recognizing individuals whose exceptional contributions strengthen and inspire the community. This year’s honorees are AJ Crane, owner of A. Crane Construction, as Citizen of the Year; Ashley Batlle, owner of Beauty Batlles Lounge, as Volunteer of the Year; the Springfield Thunderbirds as Business of the Year; and Health New England as Nonprofit of the Year. The Chicopee Chamber introduced Shining Stars in 1985 when Ernest Laflamme Jr. was recognized as the first Citizen of the Year. Recipients are selected by a nominating committee chaired by Laflamme and including Carol Campbell of Chicopee Industrial Contractors, Ted Hebert of Teddy Bear Pools, City Treasurer Marie Laflamme, Michael Siddall of Siddall & Siddall, P.C., and Jeffrey Sattler of Liberty Bank. The 40th annual Shining Stars Gala will take place from 6 to 10:30 p.m. at the Castle of Knights at 1599 Memorial Dr. Tickets cost $75 per person. To purchase tickets or inquire about sponsorships, visit www.chicopeechamber.org or call (413) 594-2101.

 

Second Chance Auction Gala

March 29: Second Chance Animal Services will host its 26th annual Auction Gala at the AC Marriott in Worcester. This is Second Chance’s most important fundraiser of the year, raising critical funds to help provide life-saving services to more than 56,000 pets in need. The evening will feature hundreds of silent auction items, raffles, and a small but exclusive live auction offering one-of-a-kind experiences. With a relaxed cocktail and dressy-casual dress code, the event is designed to be an enjoyable evening for all, combining great company with opportunities to make a meaningful impact. All proceeds will support Second Chance’s mission to transform the lives of pets by providing affordable veterinary care, keeping pets with their families, and finding loving homes for animals in need. Tickets are on sale now, and seating is limited, so early reservations are encouraged. Businesses and individuals can also support the event by sponsoring, which includes recognition in event materials, highlighting their commitment to supporting pets in need. Donations to the auction are another way to get involved, with unique goods, services, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences being especially popular. To purchase tickets, become a sponsor, or donate auction items, visit www.secondchanceanimals.org/dinner-auction or email [email protected].

 

Difference Makers Gala

April 9: Tickets are now on sale for the 17th annual Difference Makers awards gala, hosted by BusinessWest at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. The class of 2025 will be profiled in the Feb. 17 issue. Tickets cost $95 per person, and tables of 10 are available. They can be purchased at businesswest.com/eventcalendar/difference-makers-tickets. The 17th annual Difference Makers program is sponsored by Burkhart Pizzanelli, the Royal Law Firm, Trinity Health Of New England/Mercy Medical Center, and TommyCar Auto Group.

 

Hooplandia 2025

June 20-22: Registration is now open for Hooplandia, the third annual 3-on-3 basketball tourney and festival, at hooplandia.com. The event will take place at Eastern States Exposition (ESE) and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Games will be played at the ESE complex, with special games held at the Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2024, 75 basketball courts allowed accommodation for more than 650 games played by approximately 2,100 participants of all ages. Diverse divisions include young girls and boys, women, men, high-school ages, college level, OGs, veterans, and more. Players in the Special Olympics and Unified division can look forward to free registration, and those in the Hoops & Heroes division, such as active and retired first responders and military personnel, have access to discounted registration. Players are invited to build teams of four, create their own unique team name, design their uniforms, and register at hooplandia.com. Fees range according to age. Those that register before the end of the day on March 10 are treated to the 3 Point Perks package, which grants early teams access to limited-edition goodies. 3 Point Perks are not available after March 10, and registration prices increase after May 26 for late teams.

 

Agenda

By
Agenda

Royal Law Firm Seminar on Cannabis Regulation

Oct. 16: The Royal Law Firm will present a seminar on cannabis regulation from 8 to 9 a.m. at 33 Elliot St., Springfield. Attorney Elaine Reall will present a regulatory overview and discussion of the impact of cannabis on workplace rules and procedures. Some of the questions to be discussed include: is drug testing still relevant? Is using medical marijuana in the workplace acceptable? Where does the law now stand in regard to cannabis regulation? Can an employer prohibit the use of marijuana or hemp products in the workplace? And does the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protect the medical use of marijuana, or its derivatives, in the workplace? This seminar is ideal for human-resources professionals and anyone in a management position, as well as cannabis dispensary owners and managers. The cost is $30 per person. Checks should be made payable, and mailed, to the Royal Law Firm, 33 Elliot St., Springfield, MA 01105. Registration is required, and seating will be limited. Email Heather Child at [email protected] to register, or with any questions about the seminar.

 

Healthcare Heroes

Oct. 17: BusinessWest and the Healthcare News will celebrate the eight annual Healthcare Heroes starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. The class of 2024, profiled in the Sep. 16 issue and at businesswest.com, includes Dr. Andrew Balder, attending physician, Baystate Mason Square Neighborhood Health Center; Lucinda Canty, associate professor of Nursing and director of the Seedworks Health Equity Program, UMass Amherst; Bernice Drumheller, past president, NAMI Western Massachusetts; Peta-Gaye Johnson, director of Healthcare Workforce Initiatives, MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board; Margaret King, occupational therapist, Baystate Medical Center; Alexa Mignano, director of School-Based Clinical Services, River Valley Counseling Center; Dr. Laki Rousou, chief of Thoracic Surgery, chief of Robotic Surgery, and medical director of the Lung Cancer Screening Program, Mercy Medical Center; and Janet Williams, professor of Biology, Elms College. Tickets cost $95, and tables of 10 are available. To purchase tickets, visit businesswest.com/healthcare-heroes-tickets. Presenting sponsors include Baystate Health/Health New England and Elms College. Partner sponsors include Trinity Health Of New England/Mercy Medical Center and Holyoke Medical Center.

 

Cancer Connection Harvest Dinner

Oct. 17: Cancer Connection will host its annual Harvest Dinner at Inn on Boltwood in Amherst, featuring a farm-to-table dinner, live jazz, a silent auction. Starting at 6 p.m., this festive evening will bring the community together and raise critical funds to bring Cancer Connection’s support groups, integrative therapies, and educational programs to a larger, more diverse population of cancer patients and their caregivers. Cancer Connection is the only independent cancer support center in the area. Visit www.cancer-connection.org/special-events to purchase tickets.

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook

Hot Plate Brewing Co. Receives National Recognition

PITTSFIELD — Hot Plate Brewing Co., a Latina-owned brewery opening in downtown Pittsfield in early 2023, was selected as one of the Imbibe 75 in the January/February 2023 issue of Imbibe. According to the magazine, the Imbibe 75 features “individuals, organizations, and businesses that are dedicated to creating a more positive, sustainable, inclusive, and equitable drinks world.” As a BIPOC- and women-owned business, Hot Plate was selected by Imbibe because of the company’s mission to make the craft-beer world more accessible and inclusive. According to the Brewers Assoc., less than 1% of all American craft breweries are owned by women of color, which makes Hot Plate stand out in a crowded, maturing marketplace. Beyond representation, Hot Plate also seeks to leverage its founders’ professional skillsets to execute on their brand promise in a data-driven way. With almost 40 years of combined experience in market research, brand development, and data analysis, founders Sarah Real and Mike Dell’Aquila plan on implementing tools and best practices to reach, inspire, and engage historically underrepresented consumers. In addition to its beers and marketing plans, Hot Plate also intends to make a tangible, positive impact in the Berkshires with its Community Line, which will feature collaborations with a rotating list of mission-aligned nonprofit organizations and raise money for a variety of causes; proceeds from these collaborative beers will go directly to the charitable organizations with whom they are partnering.

 

PeoplesBank Donates Record $2.3 Million in 2022

HOLYOKE — For a second year in a row, PeoplesBank set a new annual record for donations to civic and charitable causes. The bank tallied $2.3 million in donations for 2022, which is $1 million dollars more than last year’s record. Since 2011, the bank has donated well over $13 million to area causes. “Supporting the community is essentially what we were set up to do,” said Tom Senecal, president and CEO of PeoplesBank. “We are a mutual bank, chartered to serve our customers and the communities they live in. As a mutual bank, we do not have stockholders who would divert profits. Therefore, we are able to significantly support nonprofits and other community causes.” As a large regional employer whose values include community service, Senecal added, PeoplesBank is able to increase its support to the community and social-service organizations through volunteerism. “We have a lot of talent in our organization, and because of that, we have a significant presence on area nonprofit boards of directors. We also look for opportunities to roll up our sleeves and serve, and we spend thousands of hours each year doing that.”

 

Tighe & Bond Acquires WorldTech Engineering

WESTFIELD — Tighe & Bond, a Northeast leader in engineering, design, and environmental consulting, announced it has acquired WorldTech Engineering, a full-service transportation and civil-engineering firm. This strategic acquisition aligns with the firm’s vision of being a trusted advisor by offering clients a comprehensive, single-source solution to their engineering, design, and environmental-science needs. The addition of WorldTech’s staff bolsters Tighe & Bond’s transportation services across a complementary client base. Tighe & Bond’s current offices in Eastern Mass. offices are now augmented by WorldTech’s Woburn office, bringing the total number of offices to 13 across Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Maine.

 

MassDevelopment, PeoplesBank Complete Financing Package for New Girls Inc. Facility

HOLYOKE — The new Girls Inc. of the Valley headquarters and program center is one big step closer to reality thanks to a new financing package developed by MassDevelopment and PeoplesBank. Girls Inc. recently announced the closing of financing on a $2,275,000 MassDevelopment revenue bond for the new program center in Holyoke. PeoplesBank was the purchaser of the bond, continuing the bank’s longtime support of Girls Inc. of the Valley. MassDevelopment enhanced the bond with a $455,000 mortgage insurance guarantee. The newly renovated, 16,000-square foot facility will allow the organization to consolidate its programs at one location. It will include a cutting-edge STEM makers’ space, a library, two multi-purpose rooms, a teen lounge, a kitchen and dining area, and administrative offices.

 

ILI Awarded Five-year Grant for Free English Classes

NORTHAMPTON — In mid-December, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) announced the results of its competitive grant program to fund free English classes for immigrants and refugees across the state. The International Language Institute of Massachusetts (ILI), located in Northampton, was on the list. “We were thrilled to get the good news,” said Macey Faiella, director of ILI’s English programs. “The pandemic shed new light on the disparities that face immigrants and refugees, and we reassessed our program to include greatly expanded offerings. DESE responded positively — all to the benefit of the students.” For 34 years, ILI has partnered with the state to provide free English classes in Western Mass. The new award extends the partnership for an additional five years and funds about two-thirds of the overall program. ILI is responsible for the remaining costs, raised primarily from individual donors and local businesses and foundations.

 

Country Bank Grants $30,000 to Revitalize CDC

WARE — Country Bank, a full-service financial institution serving Central and Western Massachusetts, announced a $30,000 grant to support Revitalize Community Development Corp. (CDC) in Springfield. Revitalize CDC performs critical repairs, modifications, and rehabilitation on the homes and nonprofit facilities of low-income families with children, elderly military veterans, and people with special needs. In 2022, the organization served 826 households with 2,309 individuals across Springfield, Holyoke, and Chicopee, and completed 75 home repairs, nine owned by military veteran families.

 

AIC Receives Second Grant to Expand Scope of DEIB Objectives

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) announced it has received a $35,000 grant from the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation to support the college’s commitment to embracing diversity and fostering a sense of belonging. The grant will assist in establishing an Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) on campus to expand the breadth and scope of activities and initiatives that support the College’s DEIB objectives as outlined in AIC’s newly released five-year strategic plan, “AIC Reimagined.” On Dec. 6, the college also received a $30,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts to support the establishment of this office. With these grants, the creation of the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging will help AIC create and sustain an organizational environment and culture that readily acknowledges and celebrates DEIB by achieving a more diverse and inclusive undergraduate and graduate student body, faculty, and staff.

 

Bank of America’s Support for Massachusetts Food Relief Tops $1,175,000 in 2022

BOSTON — Bank of America announced a $275,000 donation to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, the Greater Boston Food Bank, Lovin’ Spoonfuls, and the Worcester County Food Bank to help address food insecurity in the state. The donation is part of a unique program to encourage bank employees to support the health and safety of their teammates and help address one of the most critical needs facing communities: food insecurity. As part of this program, Bank of America donated $50 to local hunger-relief organizations on behalf of employees who got their annual flu shot and an additional $50 donation for those who received and recorded their coronavirus vaccine booster before Nov. 23. The $275,000 donation builds on the bank’s first phase of the vaccine campaign, which resulted in $575,000 raised earlier this year. Along with other financial support, Bank of America has given more than $1,175,000 to help fight hunger in Massachusetts in 2022. The overall commitment is part of the bank’s longstanding efforts to address hunger relief and support the health and safety of its employees and community. As a result of these efforts, Bank of America has committed nearly $19 million to local hunger-relief organizations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, as well as to the World Central Kitchen and World Food Programme globally.

 

STCC Awarded $1.17 Million to Expand Adult-education Services

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) received $1,174,200 in state funding to expand adult-education services after submitting for a competitive grant. The Baker-Polito administration announced historic funding amounts to STCC and 73 other adult-education providers and seven correctional institutions in the state. The awards total $250 million over the next five years. Statewide, adult education services will expand to new programs not currently funded and provide 5,000 total seats for adult basic education students and more than 16,000 for adult English learners. The Workforce Development Center at STCC provides free adult education through the Springfield Adult Learning Center. The community can take classes to further their education by obtaining a high-school equivalency certificate, which includes preparing for a GED or HiSET exam; developing computer, email, or internet skills; learning English as a second language; or enrolling as a student at STCC after earning a high-school equivalency certificate. STCC will receive funding for fiscal 2024, which starts July 1, 2023.

 

Westfield State Receives $1 Million in Community Project Funding

WESTFIELD — Westfield State University was included in community project funds secured by U.S. Rep. Richard Neal. Of the $20,367,800 included in the final 2023 appropriations government-funding package for the 1st Congressional District of Massachusetts, $1 million will go toward supporting Westfield State University’s training capacity for nursing and health science students and providing a space for healthcare practitioners from both academia and practice sectors to explore, design, and prototype solutions to current healthcare gaps. Funding will be used to expand and enhance Westfield State’s simulation spaces, including the development of a new ‘Easy Street’ simulation space that will allow healthcare students to apply concepts of home-based and community care in their learning.

 

Franklin-Hampshire CASA Receives $31,000 Grant

NORTHAMPTON — Franklin-Hampshire CASA has been awarded a $31,000 needs-based grant from the National Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian Ad Litem Assoc. for Children (CASA/GAL). Franklin-Hampshire CASA recruits, trains, and supports volunteers who advocate for the best interests of children who have experienced abuse or neglect. The national CASA/GAL needs-based grants are designed to help sustain the capacity of local programs to recruit, screen, train, supervise, and retain CASA/GAL volunteers while maintaining quality advocacy and supporting initiatives to increase the number of children served. The $31,000 grant will enable Franklin-Hampshire CASA to focus on sustaining service to qualifying children in Franklin and Hampshire counties. Friends of Children was formed as a nonprofit child-advocate organization in 1990 to address the needs of high-risk children who are not readily supported by systems designed to protect them and encourage their full participation in society. Friends of Children has provided child-advocacy services to more than 15,000 children, 99% of whom are low-income.

 

STCC Receives $75,000 State Grant to Help Close Achievement Gaps

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) received a $75,000 state grant to increase the faculty’s core equity competencies and knowledge about racial equity, social justice, and structures that have an impact on student success. The Massachusetts Higher Education Innovation Fund grant from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education will support professional development for 20 faculty members. The goal of the project is to help underserved and underrepresented students — especially students of color — succeed along their academic journey, from applying to STCC to graduation. With the funding in hand, STCC plans to recruit faculty who will join a core coaching group known as Equity Leaders & Guides who will train in equity-minded practices. At the conclusion of their work, they will share their discoveries with STCC colleagues. The faculty will work together to discover new teaching techniques and will attend workshop training with the Collaborative for Educational Services in Northampton. In addition, they will engage in a virtual book club, among other tasks. STCC, which has a technical focus in all its programs, is designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution. About 30% of the student body are Latino, Latina, or Latinx.

 

HCC Grant to Expand Outreach to Formerly Incarcerated

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) has been awarded an $81,605 Bridges to College grant from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education to expand community outreach to adult learners who have been previously incarcerated. Specifically, the money goes to Western Mass CORE, an HCC program that works in partnership with the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department to facilitate pathways to education for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals. CORE stands for community, opportunity, resources, and education. The program was founded in 2019 by two HCC professors, Nicole Hendricks (criminal justice) and Mary Orisich (economics). The Bridges to College grant will allow Western Mass CORE to expand office hours, advising services, and information sessions at the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department’s AISS facility, located in the WW Johnson Life Center on State Street in Springfield. AISS stands for Al Inclusive Support Services (formerly After Incarceration Support Services). The grant will also support the hiring of a new community-navigator position to lead this outreach work. This is Western Mass CORE’s third Bridges to College grant as project lead. The grant also will provide funding for Western Mass CORE to host a series of community events, including a monthly children’s story hour at the Holyoke Public Library for parents who have been previously incarcerated and their children, and community coffee hours at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute on Race Street. In the meantime, Western Mass CORE will continue its work inside the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow and the Western Massachusetts Regional Women’s Correctional Center in Chicopee. This spring, at the Ludlow jail, Hendricks will teach a criminology course, while Orisich will lead an economics class. HCC theater professor Patricia Sandoval will teach a fundamentals of acting class at the women’s jail.

Briefcase

By
Briefcase

Unify Against Bullying Accepting Grant Applications

SPRINGFIELD — Unify Against Bullying Executive Director Christine Maiwald announced that the organization is accepting grant applications online. The organization will be awarding $15,000 in microgrants, which can be anywhere from $500 to $2,000. Paul Mitchell and its Neon product line will award an additional $1,000 grant. “Our number-one goal is to inspire youth of all ages and to ignite their ideas as to how to prevent bullying,” Maiwald said. “We encourage parents, guidance personnel, teachers, administrators, and charity partners to also apply. Their programs must be dedicated to anti-bullying education and furthering the Unify mission: to bring an end to bullying through the celebration of true diversity.” In addition to providing the seeds for children to come up with ideas on how to prevent bullying, Unify’s high-school students attend events and are given the opportunity to speak with younger students on the value of celebrating differences. The students are also bringing education to their younger peers in school to explain what bullying is and the effects it has on an individual. The organization has a committee of volunteers who will select the applicant initiatives that best reflect and advance the organization’s mission.

Opioid Overdose Deaths Decline in Massachusetts

BOSTON — Opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts have fallen steadily over the past three quarters even as the presence of fentanyl in overdose deaths reached an all-time high. The presence of fentanyl in the toxicology of those who died from opioid-related overdose deaths rose to nearly 90% in 2018, underscoring its impact as the driving force behind the opioid epidemic in Massachusetts, according to the latest quarterly opioid-related deaths report released by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). The report illustrates the changing nature of the epidemic, with cocaine now surpassing heroin in the toxicology for opioid-related deaths, beginning with the fourth quarter of 2017 (October through December). DPH officials reissued a June clinical advisory to all medical providers to warn them about the increase of fentanyl in cocaine. Overall, 2017 saw a 4% decrease in opioid-related overdose deaths from 2016. The data also shows that the Commonwealth has experienced a 30% decline in opioid prescriptions since the launch of the Massachusetts Prescription Monitoring Program (MassPAT) in August 2016. Between April and June 2018, searches by registered prescribers to MassPAT increased by 100,000 searches over the previous quarter, making it the largest increase in searches conducted in a single quarter.

Teach Western Mass Awarded License to Certify New Teachers

SPRINGFIELD — Teach Western Mass (TWM) was recently ​approved as a sponsoring organization for teacher licensure ​by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to train and certify new teachers in the region through the Teach Western Mass Residency. ​TWM completed a rigorous program-approval application process that demonstrated it is able to meet all the requirements for teacher-preparation programs, ​and expects to certify 20-50 aspiring special-education and ESL teachers annually to serve in partner schools in Holyoke and Springfield. Launched in 2015, TWM represents a network of 29 schools serving more than 11,000 students in Western Mass. Collectively, TWM and partner schools work to recruit, prepare, and support effective teachers in the region. The TWM Residency was established in 2018 in partnership with the nonprofit education organization TNTP and funded by a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help build high-quality, diverse teacher pipelines for hard-to-fill teaching positions. An accelerated, affordable alternative to traditional certification programs, the program targets recent graduates, career changers, and professionals already in the education sector, including paraprofessionals and substitutes, seeking to earn their initial teacher certification. Once accepted into the program, participants will complete an intensive summer training and teach in classrooms under the guidance of an experienced coach. Their training is focused on the most important skills they’ll need to be successful in their first year of teaching and beyond. Only those who show that they’re on the way to mastering those core instructional skills at the end of training will be recommended for certification. The application for the 2019 cohort launches on Nov. 1​. Aspiring teachers can apply for the program by visiting ​www.teachwesternmass.com​.

Institute for Applied Life Sciences Boosts Industry Relationships

AMHERST — In addition to directing the Human Testing Center at UMass Amherst’s Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS), Michael Busa is managing the new class of research relationships emerging for the state’s largest public university campus, with corporate partners in biotech and healthcare. “It’s a new world for research academics,” said Busa, “because, even though we are a public university, when companies come to us looking for research support, they want to retain their intellectual property. There are new rules, and we now have an example of successfully navigating those new rules and relationships.” He is referring to a recent collaboration with Novartis that will see IALS researchers use the Human Testing Center’s living-science, sleep-monitoring, human-motion, and other facilities to evaluate behavior- and movement-monitoring technologies now in development. He says it is the first of what he expects to be many “big collaborations” between IALS and biotech and healthcare firms. Specifically for the Novartis collaboration, IALS researchers will assess the validity of a Novartis device in capturing detailed aspects of human motion and behavior such as walking, balance, and sleep. Busa, who has a Ph.D. in kinesiology and training in mechanical engineering, exercise physiology, biomechanics, and physical activity, will work with kinesiologists Katherine Boyer, John Sirard, and Stuart Chipkin; neuroscientist and sleep expert Rebecca Spencer; and 10 supporting students and staff.