2010 Prairie View A&M University FOCUSS Idea Competition Sponsored by Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM)

Enter the 2010 FOCUSS Idea Competition!

Overview

The presidios campus of Prairie View A&M University is the site of the FOCUSS (Framework for Opportunity Convergence and the Utilization of Sustainable Solutions) Idea Competition.

Created to stimulate constructive thought surrounding concepts of innovation and discovery, the FOCUSS Idea Competition provides students a unique opportunity to share and cultivate solutions to "real world" problem statements presented by sponsoring institutions. Competition is open to all current Prairie View A&M University students. The corporate Sponsor of the Prairie View competition is Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM).

Additionally, the first-, second- and third-place winners will have the opportunity to participate in a National FOCUSS Business Plan Competition.

For the Idea Competition, Prairie View A&M students are given the opportunity to address ONE of the following problem statements submitted by ADM:

A new process for cellulosic biofuel production is currently under development. This process will be required to produce less overall CO2 emissions than produced per unit mass when starting from crude oil. Note, the process must have a competitive capital investment.
- Which process developments should be prioritized and which ones delayed?
- How should biomass feedback be selected to maximize overall profits and minimize environmental impact?
- Considering that a number of biofuel options are possible, with different levels of oxygen content, what kind of biofuels should be targeted to have a firm footprint into the market?
Ethanol production is rising, but at the same time, a need exists to lower operating costs.
- Which areas in ethanol production should be targeted for cost reduction and environmental impact?
Biodiesel production through transesterification produces glycerol as a co-product.
- How can this material value be improved through further chemical processing by means other than the most conventional ones?

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Timeline and Explanation

Idea Portal Opens: 8 March 2010

Idea Portal Closes: 21 March 2010

Finalists Selected: 26 March 2010

A total of three (3) finalists will be selected from all of the initial submissions.

Live Competition and Awards Made: 4 May 2010

Finalists will present their "idea" to an audience of peers, faculty, entrepreneurs, and distinguished guests from ADM. Each finalist will have four (4) minutes to present their idea to a panel of judges who will then choose winners of the 2010 Prairie View A&M University FOCUSS Idea Competition, sponsored by ADM.

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Judging Process

Initial Submission: 8-21 March 2010

The initial idea submissions will be evaluated by a group of qualified individuals representing both the public and private sectors. Each submission will be judged on the following criteria:

Statement of the idea (solution) to resolve the problem. (Are the answers to the submission questions well written and clearly thought out?)
How innovative/original is the idea?
Does the idea provide a solution to a problem?

Finalist Presentations: 4 May 2010

The presentation will be four (4) minutes in length. Each presenter/presenting team should include the following in their remarks:

Restatement of the problem,
Statement of the idea (solution) to resolve the problem,
Statement of the associated costs, and
How the idea will benefit society.

The final presentations will be evaluated by a group of qualified individuals, representing both the public and private sectors. All three (3) finalist teams/individuals will be invited to the awards banquet/celebration hosted by ADM and will be recognized during the dinner.

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Prizes

First Place: $1,000.00

1st Runner Up: $600.00

2nd Runner Up: $400.00

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About Prairie View A&M University

Founded in 1876, Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) is the second oldest public instruction of higher learning in the state of Texas. With an established reputation for producing engineers, nurses and educators, PVAMU offers baccalaureate degrees in fifty academic majors, thirty-seven Master's degrees and four doctoral degree programs through nine colleges and schools. A member of the Texas A&M University (TAMU) System, the University is dedicated to fulfilling its land-grant mission of achieving excellence in teaching, research and service.

Prairie View A&M University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools as comprehensive public instruction of higher education authorized to award Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral degrees, and is a member of the Texas A&M University System. It is a land-grant university authorized under the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890

The University offers a broad range of academic programs through the following administrative units:

The College of Agriculture and Human Sciences
The School of Architecture
The College of Business
The Roy G. Perry College of Engineering
The College of Juvenile Justice and Psychology
The College of Nursing
The Graduate School
The Marvin D. and June Samuel Brailsford College of Arts and Sciences
Whitlowe R. Green College of Education

Leading the Idea effort at Prairie View A&M is A. Anil Kumar, Ph.D. Dr. Kumar heads the Department of Physics and is a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Since he joined PVAMU in 1985, Dr. Kumar has received and managed research during 1989-2008 from federal, state and private agencies. Dr. Kumar has contributed extensively to college-level and university-level research by authoring proposals in a variety of disciplines including education, manufacturing, radiation, and community economic development with specific emphasis on workforce development: education, training and retraining.

His educational experience spans teaching, mentoring and advising freshman to doctoral level students. He affected major changes in the physics curriculum and degree program making it more relevant to today's world. As a member of the Academy for Educator Development (Texas A&M University System's Regents' Initiative for Excellent in Education), he worked with several high schools on curricular alignment, teacher training and collaborative proposal development. For this effort he was one of five faculty members in the TAMU System to have received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Board of Regents. In March 2009, he was a recipient of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund's Outstanding Achievement Award for School Reform.

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About ADM

Incorporated in 1923, Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) is one of the world’s leading processors and distributors of agricultural products for food and animal feed, with additional operations in transportation and storage of such products. Its principal operations are in the processing of soybeans, corn and wheat, the three largest crops in the United States. ADM also products cocoa beans, milo, oats, barley, and peanuts. The company’s feed products are sold to farmers, feed dealers, and live stock producers, while its food products are sold to food and beverage manufacturers.

Among ADM’s better-known products are NutriSoy, a soy protein; Navasoy Isoflavones, an ingredient used in dietary supplements; xanthan gum, a thickening agent used in food products such as salad dressings; citric acid and lactic acid, both used as food additives in food and beverage products to increase their acidity; natural vitamin E; and ethanol, an additive made from corm that is added to gasoline to improve the fuel efficiency of vehicles.

ADM has 247 processing plants (including those owned, leased or operated in joint ventures) in the United States and 121 overseas.

Idea Competition leadership from ADM has been provided by John Taylor, Director Corporate and Supplier Diversity.John Taylor joined ADM in 1998. In his current role he is responsible for developing and administering the company’s diversity strategies and initiatives. John began with ADM as a grain merchandiser.

He most recently served as director of supplier diversity and was named director of corporate supplier diversity in 2002. Prior to joining ADM, he served as marketing director for two environmental firms. John received a Bachelor of Science degree in agribusiness from Ohio State University and a Master of Business Administration from Millikin University. He earned a diversity professional certification from Cornell University. John serves as a board member for Community Investment Corporation of Decatur, Diversity Information Resources, Millikin University Alumni Association, and ORC Worldwide. In 2007, he received the Eagle Award for Leadership from the National Eagle Leadership Institute.

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Contest Rules & Conditions

The FOCUSS Idea Competition is subject to these Official Rules. By participating, all entrants agree to be bound by these complete Official Rules. The following contest entry rules apply to the 2010 FOCUSS Idea Competition. The Competition is open to all current Prairie View A&M University students.

An idea can be submitted by a “team” (consisting of multiple people), but all team members must be current students of Prairie View A&M University.

Once submitted, the idea is finalized for that round. If the team/individual advances in the competition, the idea may be amended. But note, although amendments can be made, the fundamental idea cannot change from round to round.

Finalists must be physically present to participate in the 4 May 2010 final judging.

All decisions of FOCUSS and the event Sponsor are final and binding, and entrants agree to waive any right to claim ambiguity in the Competition or these Official Rules, except where prohibited by law. By competing in this Idea Competition, all participants agree to release FOCUSS and the event Sponsor, its attorneys, affiliates, together with the respective directors, employees, officers, licensees, licensors and agents of each, including without limitation, their respective advertising and promotion entities and any person or entity associated with the production, judging, or administration of the Contest, (collectively, the Releasees) from any and all liability, loss or damage arising from or in connection with awarding, receipt and/or use or misuse of award or participation in any award-related activities.

FOCUSS and the event Sponsor reserve the right to use the Contest for publicity purposes in any media, and to use the name, likeness, entry materials and hometown name and/or award information of Selected Entrants as part of that publicity, without any compensation or prior review unless prohibited by law.

FOCUSS and the event Sponsor may cancel the contest for any reason, at their sole discretion. This Contest is void everywhere such contests are prohibited or restricted by law, and subject to applicable federal, state provincial and local laws.

FOCUSS and the event Sponsor reserve the right to disqualify any entrant it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or violating these Official Rules. The Releasees shall not be liable for: (i) late, lost, delayed, misdirected, incomplete unreadable, inaccurate, garbled or unintelligible entries, or communications; (ii) broadband, cable, telephone system, telephone or computer hardware, software or other technical or computer malfunctions, lost connections, disconnections, delays or transmission errors; (iii) data corruption, theft, destruction, unauthorized access to or alteration of entry or other materials; (iv) any injuries, losses or damages of any kind caused by acceptance of the award or resulting from acceptance, possession or use of an award, or from participation in the Contest; or (v) any printing, typographical, administrative or technological errors in any materials associated with the Contest.

FOCUSS and the event Sponsor disclaim any liability for damage to any computer system resulting from participating in, or accessing or downloading information in connection with this Contest, and reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to cancel, modify or suspend the Contest should a virus, bug, computer problem, unauthorized intervention or other causes beyond FOCUSS and Sponsors' control, corrupt the administration, security or proper play of the Contest.

FOCUSS and the event Sponsor may prohibit an entrant from participating in the Contest or winning award if, in its sole discretion, it determines such entrant is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest in any way by cheating, hacking, deception, or any other unfair playing practices of intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other contestants or Sponsor’s representatives.

Disputes regarding these Official Rules and/or this Contest will be governed by the internal laws of the State of Wisconsin. Any and all legal actions or claims arising in connection with this Contest must be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction within Wisconsin, and entrants agree to jurisdiction and venue in the courts of Wisconsin.

Entrant acknowledges and agrees that FOCUSS and the event Sponsor reserve the right to amend, modify or terminate the competition at any time.

CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE FOCUSS, SPONSORS AND/OR CONTEST-RELATED WEB SITES OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND WILL RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION FROM PARTICIPATION IN THE CONTEST. SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, FOCUSS AND SPONSORS RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SEEK REMEDIES AND DAMAGES (INCLUDING ATTORNEY FEES) TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS: FOCUSS and the event Sponsor shall not be involved in any dispute and shall be held harmless and free of any liability in any dispute regarding intellectual property rights. By entering this Competition, Entrant warrants that Entry does not infringe on the Intellectual Property rights of others.

PRIVACY: All personal information collected by FOCUSS and the event Sponsor will be used for administration of the Contest. In addition entrants specifically opt in to receive e-mail correspondence from, or on behalf of FOCUSS and the event Sponsor, subject to FOCUSS and the event Sponsor’s privacy policies.

FOCUSS and the event Sponsor comply with Federal CAN-SPAM guidelines and entrants may subsequently opt-out of receiving further e-mails. Any questions regarding privacy matters should be directed to the address set out below.

FOCUSS
P.O. Box 8577
Madison, Wisconsin 53708-8577

DISCLAIMER: All decisions of FOCUSS and the event Sponsor are final and binding. By submitting an entry, you agree that FOCUSS and any other party authorized by it shall have permission to publish any material contained in the submission. Award entry material is on the public record and no content will be treated confidentially. Preexisting understandings or conversations are not considered to be a part of this agreement. Thus, FOCUSS and the event Sponsor will only be responsible for written stipulations.

Notice to Entrants

It is the intent of those involved in sponsoring this contest that all intellectual property rights relating to the entries be retained by the entrants. Therefore, Prairie View A&M University, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Council Enterprises, Inc./Wisconsin Central Illinois and Iowa Minority Supplier Development Council, Business Management Seminar, Inc./ Framework for Opportunity Convergence and the Utilization of Sustainable Solutions and all their personnel involved in the contest expressly disclaim any and all rights in the entries, including the right to exploit or disclose the content or intellectual property of the entries.

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Registration

Click HERE to register online.

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