The Paul G. Rogers Society met with the CO federal delegation offices of Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) and Representative Betsy Markey (D-CO) on August 12th, 2009.
Pam Shaddock(left) inquires about Dr. Beaty's work over a cage of mosquitoes as Rigo and Karen listen intently outside the lab at CSU.
Rogers Society Ambassador Barry Beaty, PhD, hosted meetings in his office and lab, at Colorado State University's Infectious Disease Supercluster and Research Complex. He met with:
- Senator Mark Udall's Northeastern CO regional representative Pam Shaddock, and congressional intern, Rigo Rangel (8/12/09).
- Representative Betsy Markey's district director, Ken Bennett (8/12/09).
Ambassador Beaty demonstrated the value of global health research to CSU and to Colorado by showcasing his important research and enterprise endeavors at CSU, and the implications his global health research has on America's economy and well-being.
In meeting with Senator Udall's staff, Dr. Beaty shows Rigo (on right) and Pam (not pictured) the curtains his team is developing to protect people in their homes from disease-transmitting mosquitoes.
"While many people think of us in the lab, each one of us is a small business," said Dr. Beaty of the faculty at CSU. Regional and district representatives from Senator Mark Udall's and Representative Betsy Markey's offices discovered this for themselves at CSU's Infectious Disease Supercluster, an alliance created to bridge the gap between academia and business. When describing the Supercluster's enterprising arm, MicroRx, Dr. Beaty said, "We need to take discoveries in the lab and move them into the field. We know how to take viruses and mosquitoes apart, and industry knows how to make the product. We need to be able to connect to better health and use our research and public private partnerships to make a difference. Our model here at CSU is the key to building companies and high-paying jobs for CO. We want to start companies - a new company on I-25 is just as important as a new patent."
As an example of how research is an economic driver in Colorado, Ambassador Beaty touted the recent $85 million construction of the Research Innovation Center, $30 million for the on-campus CDC lab, $50 million for the Infectious Disease Research Complex, as well as funds for a USDA facility. And, because of CSU's public-private approach to research, each dollar the government spends will attract more businesses and create more jobs. "This small state university is immersed in so many innovative global health ventures - come see for yourselves!"
In the lab: Ken Bennett, Jennifer Chow, Karen Goraleski, and Barry Beaty in front of a mosquito cage.