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STRENGTHENING REGIONAL INNOVATION:

A PERSPECTIVE FROM NORTHEAST TEXAS

FIELD HEARING

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND 

TECHNOLOGY 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

September 14, 2009

Serial No. 111–50

Printed for the use of the Committee on Science and Technology

(

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.science.house.gov 
(II)

COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 

HON. BART GORDON, Tennessee, Chairman 

JERRY F. COSTELLO, Illinois 

EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas 

LYNN C. WOOLSEY, California 

DAVID WU, Oregon 

BRIAN BAIRD, Washington 

BRAD MILLER, North Carolina 

DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois 

GABRIELLE GIFFORDS, Arizona 

DONNA F. EDWARDS, Maryland 

MARCIA L. FUDGE, Ohio 

BEN R. LUJA ́ N, New Mexico 

PAUL D. TONKO, New York 

PARKER GRIFFITH, Alabama 

STEVEN R. ROTHMAN, New Jersey 

JIM MATHESON, Utah 

LINCOLN DAVIS, Tennessee 

BEN CHANDLER, Kentucky 

RUSS CARNAHAN, Missouri 

BARON P. HILL, Indiana 

HARRY E. MITCHELL, Arizona 

CHARLES A. WILSON, Ohio 

KATHLEEN DAHLKEMPER, Pennsylvania 

ALAN GRAYSON, Florida 

SUZANNE M. KOSMAS, Florida 

GARY C. PETERS, Michigan 

VACANCY 

RALPH M. HALL, Texas 

F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER JR., 

Wisconsin 

LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas 

DANA ROHRABACHER, California 

ROSCOE G. BARTLETT, Maryland 

VERNON J. EHLERS, Michigan 

FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma 

JUDY BIGGERT, Illinois 

W. TODD AKIN, Missouri 

RANDY NEUGEBAUER, Texas 

BOB INGLIS, South Carolina 

MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas 

MARIO DIAZ-BALART, Florida 

BRIAN P. BILBRAY, California 

ADRIAN SMITH, Nebraska 

PAUL C. BROUN, Georgia 

PETE OLSON, Texas 
(III)

C O N T E N T S 

September 14, 2009

Page 

Witness List ............................................................................................................. 2

Hearing Charter ...................................................................................................... 3

Opening Statements

Statement by Representative Bart Gordon, Chairman, Committee on Science 

and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives ............................................... 7

Written Statement ............................................................................................ 7

Statement by Representative Ralph M. Hall, Minority Ranking Member, 

Committee on Science and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives ......... 7

Written Statement ............................................................................................ 9

Witnesses:

Dr. Cary A. Israel, President, Collin County Community College District 

Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 13

Written Statement ............................................................................................ 15

Biography .......................................................................................................... 19

Dr. Dan Jones, President, Texas A&M University-Commerce 

Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 20

Written Statement ............................................................................................ 22

Biography .......................................................................................................... 24

Mr. Patrick Alan Humm, P.E., Chairman and President, Hie Electronics 

Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 25

Written Statement ............................................................................................ 27

Biography .......................................................................................................... 28

Dr. Martin Izzard, Vice President and Director, Digital Signal Processing 

Solutions R&D Center, Texas Instruments 

Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 29

Written Statement ............................................................................................ 31

Biography .......................................................................................................... 36

Mr. William C. Sproull, Vice Chairman, Texas Emerging Technology Fund 

Advisory Committee 

Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 45

Written Statement ............................................................................................ 47

Biography .......................................................................................................... 49

Mr. Tom Luce, Chief Executive Officer, National Math and Science Initiative 

Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 50

Written Statement ............................................................................................ 52

Biography .......................................................................................................... 54

Appendix: Answers to Post-Hearing Questions

Dr. Cary A. Israel, President, Collin County Community College District ........ 64

Dr. Dan Jones, President, Texas A&M University-Commerce ............................ 65

Mr. Patrick Alan Humm, P.E., Chairman and President, Hie Electronics ........ 66

Dr. Martin Izzard, Vice President and Director, Digital Signal Processing 

Solutions R&D Center, Texas Instruments ....................................................... 67

Mr. Tom Luce, Chief Executive Officer, National Math and Science Initiative . 67

(1)

STRENGTHENING REGIONAL INNOVATION: A 

PERSPECTIVE FROM NORTHEAST TEXAS 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2009

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 

McKinney, TX. 

The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 9:00 a.m. in the Ceremonial Courtroom, Collin County Courthouse, 2100 Bloomindale 

Road, McKinney, Texas, Hon. Bart Gordon [Chairman of the Committee] presiding.
2
3

1http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?recordlid=11463.

HEARING CHARTER

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Strengthening Regional Innovation: A Perspective 

from Northeast Texas

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2009

9:00 A.M.–11:00 A.M.

CEREMONIAL COURTROOM

COLLIN COUNTY COURTHOUSE

MCKINNEY, TX

1. Purpose 

On Monday, September 14, 2009, the Science and Technology Committee will hold 

a field hearing in McKinney, Texas, to examine the importance of regional innovation centers to the U.S. economy and global competitiveness, and the roles of Federal, state, and local governments in supporting such centers.

2. Witnesses

• Dr. Cary Israel, President, Collin County Community College

• Dr. Dan Jones, President, Texas A&M University-Commerce

• Mr. Patrick Humm, President, Hie Electronics

• Dr. Martin Izzard, Vice President and Director, Digital Signal Processing 

Solutions R&D Center, Texas Instruments

• Mr. Bill Sproull, Vice-Chairman, Texas Emerging Technology Fund Advisory Committee

• Mr. Tom Luce, Chief Executive Officer, National Math and Science Initiative

3. Overview

• In recent years, a growing consensus has emerged regarding the importance 

of science, technology, and innovation as the key driver of long-term economic 

growth and improved quality of life in America. Technological progress fueled 

by investments in research and development (R&D) is estimated to be responsible for as much as half of U.S. economic growth since World War II.

• In response to a request from the leadership of the House Science and Technology Committee, the National Academy of Sciences issued a report in 2005 

highlighting these linkages. The report, led by former Lockheed Martin CEO 

Norm Augustine and titled Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and 

Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future,1 emphasized the challenges facing the U.S. economy as a result of globalization and recent technological advances, stating: ‘‘A substantial portion of our workforce finds itself 

in direct competition for jobs with lower-wage workers around the globe, and 

leading-edge scientific and engineering work is being accomplished in many 

parts of the world. Thanks to globalization, driven by modern communications 

and other advances, workers in virtually every sector must now face competitors who live just a mouse-click away in Ireland, Finland, China, India, or 

dozens of other nations whose economies are growing.’’

• The report recommended that the Federal government renew its focus on and 

support for research and development and science, technology, engineering, 

and mathematics (STEM) education as a policy priority. Congress, led by 

House S&T Committee Chairman Bart Gordon (D–TN) and Ranking Member 

Ralph Hall (R–TX), responded by passing the ‘‘America COMPETES Act’’ 

(Public Law 110–69), comprehensive legislation aimed at strengthening the 

Nation’s scientific and technological enterprise in order to ensure it continues 

to lead the world in innovation and remains competitive in the 215 Century 

global economy.
4

02From the report ‘‘Clusters of Innovation: Regional Foundations of U.S. Competitiveness’’;

http://compete.org/publications/detail/220/clusters-of-innovation-initiative-rectional-foundationsof-us-competitiveness. 3http://www.compete.org/images/uploads/File/

PDF%2OFilesrCoClReglFoundlnationallcluster.pdf.

• Specifically, the America COMPETES legislation placed Federal investment 

at three key agencies that fund basic research on a path to double within the 

near term, and provided support for STEM education, authorizing multiple 

grant programs aimed at helping educate current and future teachers in math 

and science and education.’’

• In addition to the renewed focus on strengthening U.S. economic competitiveness through science and technology at the national level, there is also a 

growing interest in improving understanding of and support for the innovation ecosystem on a regional scale. The Council on Competitiveness, a Washington, D.C. think tank, has studied regional innovation as a driver in enhancing national competitiveness, concluding that:

‘‘National policies and national investment choices have much to do with 

the growth and capacity of the American economy. For innovation, however, 

the real locus of innovation is at the regional level. The vitality of the U.S. 

economy then depends on creating innovation and competitiveness at the 

regional level. In healthy regions, competitiveness and innovation are concentrated in clusters, or interrelated industries, in which the region specializes. The nation’s ability to produce high-value products and services that 

support high wage jobs depends on the creation and strengthening of these 

regional hubs of competitiveness and innovation.’’ 2

• To this end, the Federal government has a strong interest in promoting innovation based on regional strengths. While the aforementioned Federal investments and policies such as funding for R&D and STEM education-are critical, 

State and local governments, as well as higher education and industry, also 

play key roles in fostering a robust regional innovation environment.

• The Council’s final report identified the following factors and elements as 

most important to building and maintaining effective regional innovation 

foundations that advance U.S. competitiveness: 3

1. A strong physical and information infrastructure is a baseline requirement to establish and sustain a prosperous regional economy: Good quality roads, highways, airports, railroads, water, and 

power support the efficient movement of people, goods, and services as 

well as the quality of life of citizens.

2. A strong K–12 educational system is important for developing local talent and attracting outside talent: The quality of K–12 education is growing ever more critical because it establishes the baseline of talent for 

entry-level jobs and the pool of specialized talent critical to cluster development. It also helps in the recruitment of individuals and companies.

3. Universities and specialized research centers are the driving 

force behind innovation in nearly every region: Although companies and individuals do create a large number of innovations, universities and research centers institutionalize entrepreneurship and ensure 

a steady flow of new ideas.

4. Specialized talent and training are more important than abundant labor: It is not abundant low wage labor that attracts innovative 

companies, but rather highly talented, specialized, and often expensive 

labor.

5. Government can have a significant influence on the business environment, both positively and negatively: Government at all levels 

influences the business environment through policies and services that 

influence factor inputs, context for firm rivalry, demand conditions, and 

related and supporting industries.

6. Poor coordination among local jurisdictions impedes efforts to 

improve the business environment: Regional economies encompass 

many political jurisdictions. Efficient coordination among them is important for maintaining and improving physical infrastructure (e.g., road, 

airports, water ports, communications systems), creating strong K–12 

education, offering a business-responsive political environment, and promoting cross-cluster collaboration.
5

4 Adapted from information compiled by the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce: http://

www.dallaschamber.org/index.aspx?id=DFWFacts. 5 Adapted from information available on the Collin County government website: http://

www.co.collin.tx.us/business/numbers.jsp. 6http://science.house.gov/about/default.shtml.

4. Additional Background: Relevant information on the demographic, economic, and innovation environment of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area 

and Collin County

About the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area:4

 ̨ Has a workforce of more than 3 million people and is a national leader 

in population gains and job growth (1st and 3rd, respectively, in 2007).

 ̨ Has a gross metropolitan product of $315 billion, making it the 12th largest metro economy in the world.

 ̨ Has the second lowest cost-of-living among the country’s ten largest 

metro areas.

 ̨ Headquarters of 24 Fortune 500 companies, the fourth highest concentration in the United States.

 ̨ Is the sixth largest technology center among U.S. metros, with over 

225,000 technology jobs in four major areas: advanced manufacturing, information services, professional and technical services, and bio-life 

sciences.

 ̨ Has a diverse technology-based economy. Legacy industries include aerospace, electronics manufacturing, data/IT information processing, and 

telecommunications manufacturing and services, and emerging industries 

include bio-life sciences, medical-device manufacturing, and intelligent 

medical systems.

About Collin County: 5

 ̨ The fastest growing county in Texas, and one of the fastest growing in 

the country. Among counties with more than 500,000 people, Collin County has the highest sustained population growth in the U.S. since 2000—

52.1 percent. Additionally, 8 of the 10 fastest-growing cities in North 

Texas are in Collin County.

 ̨ Has relatively low unemployment (6.9 percent in July 2009, well below 

the nationwide rate of 9.1 percent).

 ̨ Has an educated workforce—47 percent of those 25 and older have a 

bachelor’s degree, double the national average.

 ̨ Ranked second in Forbes magazine’s ‘‘Best and Worst School Districts for 

the buck’’.

5. About the Committee on Science and Technology 6

House Science and Technology Committee Chairman Bart Gordon of Tennessee 

and Ranking Member Ralph Hall of Texas are tenured, knowledgeable and committed to careful oversight of the Committee’s far-reaching jurisdiction. 

That jurisdiction includes all non-defense federal scientific research and development (R&D) at a number of federal agencies, including (either completely or in 

part): NationalAeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Science Foundation 

(NSF), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Fire Administration, the 

U.S. Geological Survey, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the White 

House Office of Science and Technology Policy. 

The Committee is responsible for overseeing research and development programs 

at all of these federal agencies. 

The Committee was established in the wake of the Russian launch of Sputnik in 

1957 and in the beginning it was primarily focused on space exploration. In 1959, 

the Committee became the first new permanent committee established in the House 

since 1892. Over the years, the Committee’s jurisdiction grew to include almost all 

non-defense federal scientific research and development [House Rule X(1)(o)]:

1. All energy research, development, and demonstration, and projects there for, 

and all Federally owned or operated nonmilitary energy laboratories.

2. Astronautical research and development, including resources, personnel, 

equipment, and facilities.
6

3. Civil aviation research and development.

4. Environmental research and development.

5. Marine research.

6. Commercial application of energy technology.

7. National Institute of Standards and Technology, standardization of weights 

and measures, and the metric system.

8. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

9. National Space Council.

10. National Science Foundation.

11. National Weather Service.

12. Outer space, including exploration and control thereof.

13. Science Scholarships.

14. Scientific research, development, and demonstration, and projects thereof.

The Committee also has special authority to ‘‘review and study on a continuing 

basis laws, programs, and Government activities relating to nonmilitary research 

and development.’’ [House Rule X(3)(k)]

6. Questions for the Witnesses

In preparing their testimony, witnesses were asked by the committee to provide 

an overview of their organization’s technology, products, programs, or activities, and 

their role in and relationship to the Northeast Texas Innovation Economy. Additionally, witnesses were asked the following questions: 

[All witnesses] What do you see as the most important elements necessary to develop regional innovation capacity and grow the high-tech economy? Relatedly, what 

if any recommendations do you have to strengthen Federal policies, programs, or 

priorities in support of both regional and national innovation? How can State and 

local governments best contribute to and facilitate an environment conducive to innovation and competitiveness? 

[Dr. Israel and Dr. Jones] Please describe your experience with any Federal 

science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education or research 

programs or awards that the college participates in, including how such programs 

help to further the goals of your college and how they might be improved. 

[Mr. Luce] What priorities and recommendations do you have for Federal STEM 

education programs and funding?
7

Chairman GORDON. This hearing will come to order. I feel like I should say hear 

ye, hear ye since we’re here in this courtroom. I want to welcome everyone to today’s 

hearing entitled Strengthening Regional Innovation: A Perspective From Northeast 

Texas. 

We appreciate everyone’s attendance. And I’m certainly happy to be here with my 

friend and partner Ralph Hall. Ralph has heard me say this before, but it’s the 

truth. When I was growing up, my grandfather used to always tell me that every 

time the Grand Jury met in Tennessee, the population of Texas increased. 

Mr. HALL. Not so. 

Chairman GORDON. Since a lot of my relatives were a part of that migration, I’m 

glad to follow them here today. Ralph and I have been working together for years 

to improve American innovation and STEM education. 

He’s played an indispensable role in developing legislation in these areas. Our bipartisan relationship carries over to the rest of the Science and Technology Committee, and that’s why we’ve been able to get consensus and move forward on so 

many important issues. 

As a matter of fact, every bill that the Science and Technology Committee has 

reported out, every bill and resolution has been bipartisan. Most all have been even 

unanimous. So it’s really, unfortunately, an anomaly in Congress now. We’re trying 

to hopefully promote that in other committees and on the House floor itself. 

And as Chairman, I’d like to say that I don’t care whether or not the idea is a 

Democratic or Republican idea. I’m only interested in good ideas, and that’s why I’m 

here today, to see the good ideas that we can find here in Texas. 

Because we are holding this hearing in Mr. Hall’s district, I will now turn the 

gavel over to the distinguished Ranking Member Mr. Hall to preside over this hearing. 

[The prepared statement of Chairman Gordon follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN BART GORDON

Good morning, and thank you again Mr. Hall for inviting me to your district today 

to learn more about regional innovation in Northeast Texas. 

As we all know, we live in an increasingly competitive world, where manufacturing jobs are rapidly being outsourced and we are importing more high-tech products than we are exporting. Our country increasingly needs to compete with better 

skills and higher productivity. To maintain our nation’s high standard of living, we 

will need to sustain our world-class science and technology enterprise that creates 

innovative new products and high-paying jobs. 

In order to sustain this science and technology enterprise, we need a workforce 

that is prepared in a world-class math and science educational system. The day our 

universities are no longer the most sought after in the world, the day we see a brain 

drain because our best and brightest young scientists and entrepreneurs can’t get 

the funding to do their research and development here at home, is the day our innovation is outsourced. To help address this, last August the President signed into law 

the America Competes Act, which is comprehensive legislation developed by our 

Committee that seeks to ensure U.S. students, teachers, businesses, and workers 

will continue leading the world in science, innovation, research, and technology. 

Regional innovation clusters are also a key component of our national competitiveness. Through collaborations and partnerships between industry, regional and local 

government, community colleges and Universities, this region and others have been 

able to make the most of their resources and build a vibrant local culture of innovation that creates good jobs and boosts economic development. Today, I look forward 

to hearing from our witnesses the ways in which Northeast Texas has leveraged its 

resources to create a regional center of innovation. I also look forward to hearing 

testimony about how the federal government can best encourage and support such 

efforts across the Nation. 

I thank all of the witnesses for being here today and I look forward to your testimony.

Mr. HALL. How long can I keep it? Well, I sure thank you, Mr. 

Chairman. I’m honored to be here and all of the introductions and 

renewal of friendships with each of you. Thank you for being on 

this Committee. And I’m very proud of you. 

I could take the rest of the day to brag on the Chairman. I almost say that even if the Republicans took the chair back two 

years from now, I wouldn’t be at all put out if he stayed Chairman 

and I was second to him because he’s a great guy to work with. 
8

He’s totally completely honest. He’s bipartisan to the gill. And he 

has run the best committee of any Committee Chairman out there 

and that’s why we’ve passed bills together. And I’ve been honored 

to work with Bart. Good guy. Good Tennessee guy. You can’t beat 

one. 

And all of the introductions have been going here, you know, in 

Washington we’re accustomed to saying to the Congressman, will 

the defendant please rise. We’re glad to be here and not be defendants in the courtroom. 

Sam Johnson, I have not heard whether Sam is going to be on 

his way or not. Or is he on his way back to DC? But what a great 

guy he is and a lot of you here have him for your Congressman. 

He’s the person that’s suffering for us immeasurable years alone in 

a cell. Eight years. Half of that time by himself. 

He’s just a great Member of Congress. And he’s not I don’t say 

re-electing for that alone, but that’s enough. But he’s also really 

the heart and soul of the United States Congress because of his 

suffering for the country. 

And when we have differences about whether or not we’re gonna 

pull out of Iraq or we’re gonna tell them when we’re leaving or 

something like that, Sam tells them how he felt over there in that 

hotel there that they were all held in, how he felt when the nation 

was pulling out from under him. 

So he’s great. I hope he gets here. And I wouldn’t brag on him 

that much if he’s here because he gets a big head every now and 

then. But I’m the oldest guy in the United States Congress, and he 

can’t tell me anything. 

Well, thank you all. And, Mr. Chairman, I want to thank your 

for taking time in your busy schedule to be here. I don’t just thank 

you for this trip. I lost my wife a year ago last Wednesday. He flew 

over from his hometown, canceled four situations there to be with 

me. 

That’s how good of friends we are. And you don’t forget things 

like that. When you’re hurting and you have friends that are hurting, it helps. So I thank you for your busy schedule, taking out and 

coming here and everyone else here that you brought with you. 

And I want to thank Collin County Judge Self. He’s gone to start 

the mission court off to go in there and his team here for letting 

us use his courtroom and those of you who agreed to it. 

Let me start by saying a few words about what Chairman Gordon and I do in guiding the work of the Science and Technology 

Committee. There’s no other Chairman that passed the legislation 

that he’s passed. And maybe some people think that’s not good, but 

basically it’s been toward competitiveness. That’s been the keyword 

that he’s—that’s his keyword in the Committee, and I support him 

wholeheartedly. 

We have a responsibility for oversight for the most of the, I 

guess, technology—the work of the Science and Technology Committee and for the Federal Government’s civilian science and technology programs and activities, all of NASA and our space program, all the research performed at the Department of Energy and 

its laboratories, federally supported research performed at universities, many other math and science education programs at both 

the K–12 level and at colleges and universities. 
9

Another issue we worked on that cuts across all the activities I 

just mentioned is competitiveness, and specifically, looking at ways 

to improve our long-term economic competitiveness by strengthening science, technology and our entire innovation system, so 

we’re still building on legislation. 

I think Chairman Gordon spent a lot of time this past couple of 

years trying to identify the right policies and investment priorities 

to do with competitiveness, the thrust that he had. And in August 

of 2007, we were successful in pushing into law landmark legislation in 2007 known as the America COMPETES Act. And Bart 

took, of course, the lead in that. 

So we’re building on that legislation, and today’s hearing is to 

give us an opportunity for us to learn more about the relationship 

between innovation and economic growth through the lense of 

Northeast Texas. And we listen to you all for that. 

I just know that it’s an opportunity for our Chairman and those 

with him that’s supportive of him to hear it firsthand from our 

local leaders at the State and local level, in industry and small 

business and in higher education. So there’s no better place to start 

then right here in Northeast Texas. 

I want to brag a little bit. Collin County, for example, is the fastest growing county in Texas and one of the fastest growing counties 

in the country. Unemployment here is under seven percent, well 

below the national average. 

And almost half the adults—and this is a major accomplishment 

here. Almost half of the adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree. More than twice the national average. And that’s thanks to 

Bob Collins, the President of our community college here. 

And I think when I was in the Texas Senate, we had a 16 to 15 

vote when they created the community college concept. I think it 

was the best act that happened there during my time in the Texas 

Senate. 

Almost all of the adults here 25 or older have a bachelor’s degree. 

And given data such as this, I think it’s no surprise that this is 

a great area for technology. And let me just hit one more lick there. 

This area is a technology powerhouse. The greater Dallas area is 

the sixth largest technology center in the country with over 225,000 

technology jobs. I may have more to say a little bit later. 

But I think the witnesses and organizations that we have here 

today represent the very best and the brightest of this area and are 

a very important reason why we’ve been relatively prosperous. And 

I look forward to hearing from them this morning. Mr. Chairman, 

I hand it back. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Hall follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE RALPH M. HALL

I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit us here 

in Texas, and welcome you and everyone else here this morning to beautiful McKinney. I also want to thank Collin County Judge Keith Self and his team here at the 

courthouse for their great support in allowing us to use this hearing room this 

morning. 

Let me start by saying a few words about what Chairman Gordon and I do in 

guiding the work of the Science and Technology Committee back in Washington. We 

have a responsibility for oversight of most of the Federal government’s civilian 

science and technology programs and activities. This includes, for example, all of 

NASA and our space program, all the research performed at the Department of En-
10

ergy and its laboratories, Federally-supported research performed at universities, 

and many math and science education programs at both the K–12 level and at colleges and universities. 

Another issue that we work on that cuts across all of the activities I just mentioned is competitiveness—specifically, looking at ways to improve our long-term 

economic competitiveness by strengthening science, technology, and our entire innovation system. Chairman Gordon and I spent a lot of time on this the past couple 

of years, trying to identify the right policies and investment priorities to do this, 

and in August of 2007 we were successful in passing into law landmark legislation 

in 2007 known as the America COMPETES Act.

We are still building on that legislation, and today’s hearing is an opportunity for 

us to learn more about the relationship between innovation and economic growth 

through the lens of Northeast Texas. It is also an opportunity to look at not only 

what the Federal government is doing and should be doing, but also an opportunity 

to hear first hand from our local leaders—at the State and local level, in industry 

and small business, and in higher education. 

I think it is especially important as we work our way through these tough economic times that we take the time to learn from how things are done at the local 

and regional level, and there is no better place to start that right here in Northeast 

Texas. We certainly haven’t been immune to the recession here, but we haven’t been 

hit as hard as a lot of regions, and our employment data and longer-term business 

growth trends are impressive. 

Collin County, for example, is the fastest growing county in Texas and one of the 

fastest growing in the country. Unemployment here is under 7 percent—well below

the national average—and almost half of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree—more than twice the national average. Given data such as this, it should be 

no surprise that this area is also a technology powerhouse—the greater Dallas area 

is the sixth largest technology center in the country, with over 225,000 technology 

jobs. 

To close, I want to share with you an interesting anecdote that illustrates our economic standing in a different way. Recently, some economists have suggested that 

U-Haul truck rental rates may be a good way to compare and even forecast the economic strength of two areas—the cheaper the rate, the stronger the local economy. 

The idea is simply that if an area’s economy is strong and growing, it will have a 

surplus of U-Haul trucks as a result of people moving into the area, and the excess 

supply of trucks leads to low rates. 

Well we put this to the test. The cost to rent a 26-foot U-Haul in Los Angeles 

and drive it here to McKinney is $2,000. But the cost to rent the same exact truck 

here and drive it back to L.A. would be only $600! 

Now that’s not scientific, but I think it’s another sign that we’re doing something

right. And in my biased opinion, I think that something has to do with how we foster the entrepreneurial spirit and the right kind of environment for technology and 

innovation, which we know over the long-term translates to jobs! 

The witnesses and organizations that we have here today represent the best and 

the brightest of this area and are an important reason why we have been relatively 

prosperous. I look forward to hearing from them this morning.

Chairman GORDON. Thank you, Mr. Hall. You know, when you 

mention that 16/15 vote, you didn’t mention how you voted. It reminds me of my—you know, the suffrage amendment that allowed 

women to vote passed by one state and by one vote in that state, 

and that was in Tennessee. 

And my grandmother took me—at that time, you had to be 21 

to vote. And she took me to register to vote. And she told me about 

that story and about all too long about the difficulties women had 

before that. 

And then she just said it passed by one vote. And her father was 

in the legislature at the time. And she didn’t say anything else. So 

I, you know, was a little hesitant. 

I finally asked, ‘‘Well, how did he vote?’’ And she said, ‘‘Well, he 

really wasn’t for it, but he was afraid to come home if he didn’t 

vote for it.’’ So Ralph, I’ll ask you, how did you vote that on 16/

15? 
11

Mr. HALL. Well, I tell you, we had two people from San Antonio, 

one named Professor Bernal. He was a little professor there. And 

the another was Red Barry whose claim to fame was he drove a 

car for Al Capone. 

And they hated one another. And they would never vote alike. 

And we ran that bill through them for the passage of the bill, final 

passage. And when Barry, one of them—you’ll have to do it alphabetically to know who comes first, Barry or Bernal. 

But whoever came first voted one way and the other one automatically voted the other way. We had to have them both. And we 

went over and rode out for Red how to say I move it to reconsider 

the vote by which the vote was taken. He had to read that off and 

finally, he did and we voted again and they did it again. The other 

one voted. 

We went through three votes. And, finally, I made them vote before I voted. And then I cast the last vote which was the 16th vote, 

and we got the community college concept. It’s been the very best 

thing for families and for youngsters. 

We have a wonderful facility here. We have higher education in 

one and this the other. We have all kinds of—we have Martin 

Izzard here who is—he’s here because he’s brainy, but he’s also a 

surfer from South Africa. He’s won titles over there. 

And I learned all this from Gray Mayes who is my contact to TI. 

Many times me and my wife’s folks didn’t have a job, and I just 

called her and sick her on them. She hadn’t ever hired one of them 

yet, but she sure has talked to them. 

But thank y’all for being here. Each of you have something very 

special about—Tom Luce who’s a legend here in my background. I 

have my own school Texas A&M at Commerce. When y’all did that, 

you put me to sleep with an Aggie. 

My wife, she graduated from there before. It was—it’s a great 

school. My mother went to Mayo College there in Sam Rayburn a 

hundred years ago. He came to my breakfast table to tell my mother why he couldn’t appoint me to the Naval Academy. 

He said there are three reasons, all three of them are his grades. 

But we’re all alike. Let me just go around another. We all have different thoughts and think a little bit different, kind of like the guy 

that was there watching his son—was studying while he’s watching 

TV and listening to music and doing a crossword puzzle and watching radio and everything. 

Father told him, he said, ‘‘When Abe Lincoln was your age, he 

studied books by the light of the fireplace.’’ And his son replied, 

‘‘Yeah, when he was your age, Dad, he was President.’’ So it come 

back on us. I do yield back and I look forward to the testimony we 

have. 

Chairman GORDON. Well, what did I start there? Let me——

Mr. HALL. I’ve got more. 

Chairman GORDON. Well, let me just right quickly conclude by 

saying again thanks to Ralph for his kind words, but the fact of 

the matter is that we really are partners in everything that’s been 

done, and that’s the reason we get things done. 

Let me tell you what I think is our really fundamental situation 

here in this country, and that is that there’s six and a half billion 
12

people in the world. Half of those that are working make less that 

$2 a day. 

And so if my eight-year-old daughter and your kids and 

grandkids are gonna grow up as generations before and experience 

the American dream of being able to inherit a national standard 

of living from their parents, then we have to make some real 

changes in this country. 

I’m sure you’re gonna tell us about our competitiveness, and Tom 

has talked a lot about that and how math and science education 

is a key component of that. And certainly we’re not just talking 

about a few Ph.D.’s. We’re talking about a work force. 

We’re talking about high school graduates, hopefully community 

college graduates and beyond in working that higher skill level because they’re making ten weeks to an hour in India or China. 

We’ve got it making 100 or 150 here. 

Not only that, we need to be inventing widget concepts and develop the machines here. So we’ve got a lot to do. And I think your 

cluster concept is something that I want to hear more about. My 

home is Rutherford County, Tennessee. We are the fastest growing 

county in Tennessee and one of the fastest in the nation also. 

And we have a university as well as some community colleges. 

And we’re just starting an effort to try to develop a high tech corridor. And so I’m anxious to learn more about what you’re doing 

here, how that can be replicated across our country so that we can 

have a stronger and more competitive nation. 

So, Ralph, I yield back to you, and we’ll move forward. 

Mr. HALL. Okay. Let me just thank you and your staff too. I 

think you have Robert Etter with you and Bess Caughran my staff 

works with daily up there, Dan Byers, Zac Kurz and Janet 

Poppleton who is my aide in both the Federal and the State 4th 

Congressional District. 

Chairman GORDON. Bess is a Texan and glad to come home. 

Ms. CAUGHRAN. Yep, I’m glad to be here. 

Mr. HALL. We have a witness list here and I will just go down 

through them. I tell you this, I got up at 4:30 yesterday morning 

to catch a 6:00 o’clock plane down here. I don’t know what time you 

had to get up to get here by 8:00. 

And I left a day before when we had 1,200,000 mad people in 

Washington, D.C. And they weren’t mad at me, but yet I got 45,000 

things of tea in my pickup back in my home garage there that they 

put on me. So that’s how mad they are. 

And even—they’re there and it was a great sight. And they were 

peaceful, and everybody was fine. The President spoke to us the 

other night. And Joe Wilson was kind of his self-appointed prompter, but he shouldn’t have. 

I think he’s sorry for it. But Bart will tell you he’s one of the 

nicest guys in the world. I don’t know why he blurted out like he 

did. You don’t interrupt the President no matter who he is and disagree with him a whole lot. 

I disagree with him a whole lot. But he is our President. And I 

wrote him the fifth day, Bart, after he was elected, and I said to 

you, Mr. President, the same thing Sam Rayburn and Lyndon 

Johnson said to General Eisenhower when he was elected. 
13

′′Mr. President, I didn’t vote for you. My district didn’t vote for 

you. My State didn’t vote for you. But you’re the President, and I’m 

gonna try to make you a good President.’’

I didn’t see him again until about four or five weeks later. We 

sat together at the table and he had all of the chairmen. 

Chairman GORDON. Yeah. 

Mr. HALL. You can’t be a chairman unless you’re a Democrat up 

there, and that’s not right. But it’s the law. And we sat at the same 

table there. He had us all over there. And I shook hands with him. 

He said, ‘‘I thought you were gonna try to help me?’’ I said, 

‘‘Well, you wouldn’t listen to me.’’ I said, ‘‘Do you want to know 

why I voted no eight times in a row?’’ He said no. 

He’s pretty sharp. He knew I was gonna tell him because there 

wasn’t a place to vote hell no. But he was good natured about it. 

I tell you how I really deep down feel about the President of the 

United States today. 

I believe he wants what’s best for this country. I believe he’s trying to do what he thinks he ought to do for this country. I just—

I appeal to him the same thing and he can say something if he 

wants to. 

But I just don’t think he knows the consequences of his either 

winning the battle for the bill he wants or losing the battle. I don’t 

know which would be worse, but I think either one of them are bad 

for our children. 

And Bart is a conservative Democrat that has a hard time supporting his own party and ideas for a lot of years there. And when 

I left, I didn’t demean anybody or run anybody down because I 

didn’t feel that way. 

But we have—and a lot of guys that are Texas Members are having to vote some votes that they really would rather not vote, but 

they’re trying to be good Members. 

And I just say rather than to shout out at them to be fair with 

them and try to understand what their situation is because they 

probably—I’ll say this. They’re probably the best Democrats that 

can be sent up there from their districts. And I’m not anxious to 

beat any of them. 

Chairman GORDON. Ralph, we better get on with our hearing 

here. We’ve got some folks that are——

Mr. HALL. All right. You want to go on with the witnesses. 

Chairman GORDON. Yes, sir. 

Mr. HALL. Dr. Cary Israel is the President of Collin County Community College. This is the man I can brag on for a long, long time. 

We recognize you for five minutes; but if you go over five minutes, 

we’re not gonna say anything. 

STATEMENTS OF DR. CARY A. ISRAEL, PRESIDENT, COLLIN 

COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT 

Dr. ISRAEL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and also Ralph—Congressman Hall. We appreciate it very much to have this opportunity to speak. I am Cary, current President of Collin County 

Community College district, and I am honored to share my 

thoughts today and to the Chairman of our board Robert Collins. 
14

And this year we’ll serve 46,000 students, to give you kind of a 

scope of our institution. Across the nation, as you know, most community colleges are experiencing record setting growth this fall. 

We’ve been growing rapidly for the last 10 years; however, we 

just witnessed a tsunami of new enrollment. We went up 18 percent. Some of this is the result of our economy, but I firmly believe 

that some of it is a sign of the power and effectiveness of local—

and I underline ‘‘local′′—regional assets, regional and local planning and collaboration. 

And so what I’d like to emphasize in my testimony is, local collaboration is the ideal venue to leverage resources for the benefit 

of our nation. If I look at the stimulus economic packages and some 

of the information coming out of Congress, it seems they are all 

very laudable and lofty initiatives. 

I applaud everyone for working in this direction. However, we at 

our institution are concerned about the plan that too narrowly defines the objectives and the processes. For example, the Administration supports a system for delivering a collegic education online 

for efficiency purposes. 

Our entire curriculum has been online for the last three years, 

and you can get a degree online at Collin. However, we were the 

first college in the nation for community college out of 12,000 and 

only one of the few still that you can get your degree on the weekend by going to weekend college. 

And, again, we have to use some technology on the weekend, but 

we served over 4,000 students on the weekend; taking an asset 

that’s not filled that we have to do 24/7 on security and heating 

and air-conditioning and filling it up. 

Now, we meet Friday, Saturday and after church on Sunday, not 

everyone can say that. And this is an efficient and, I think, very 

cost effective way so that we don’t have to continue to build new 

facilities. 

But as I look at the packages coming out and the legislation coming out, we would not get any funding for this. Again, it’s an innovative way, but it doesn’t meet just an online concept. 

We have a 10 university pre-admission partnership going, and 

it’s been going since 2000. Again, by collaborating with the universities and working better together, we can shorten time of the degree, so instead of four years—5.2 years to get a four-year degree, 

it takes four years. 

And, again, we don’t see the opportunity or the latitude to have 

some local innovation. We created the first alternative teacher certification by a community college in the United States also in 2000. 

There are now four hundred of those programs in community colleges across the country. More importantly, we are ranked one of 

the top 10 last year and got an Encore Grant from Metropolitan 

Life. 

And what we are doing? We’re taking 50-year-olds, 40 or 50-yearolds here, and we’re bringing them back to become science and 

math teachers. And there’s a great need, and we have a lot of the 

interest in the 50-year-olds. 

We have a wonderful—we have a wonderful Convergence Technology Center. This is an advance technology education ATE Re-
15

gional Center of Excellence. The National Science Foundation in 

2004 awarded us $2.46 million. 

There is a growing need in our country in skilled specialist in the 

area of convergence technology and home technology. This field 

didn’t exist. We created the curriculum for the country, and we’re 

very proud of that. In fact, we just got a continuation grant to 

make this green IT. 

Again, this happened at the local level without us being prescribed in what to do. We’re one of the six—only six community colleges of the Cisco Certified Training Center, Cyber Security, Center 

for Advanced Study in Mathematics and Natural Sciences and 

biotech all at a community college. 

We have our own Wide Area Network. We have a 54-mile loop. 

This county is looped in our network. Again, we don’t duplicate 

cost. I have a short amount of time period. 

I am going to end by saying that we are a leader in our 

healthcare field. Our nursing program was just named one of the 

top three programs in the State of Texas out of 90. 

We have a healthcare simulation Lab that’s been visited by physicians and nurses from Switzerland. And we’re becoming nationally known. And so what we would like to do, much like our alternative teacher certification, first in the nation, much like the convergence technology, first in the nation, we really would like to—

and, again, I don’t think it’s too bold, but we would like to become 

a Mayo or an M.D. Anderson for this region and to define a new 

campus in the eastern part of Collin County as it relates to 

healthcare, which is a growing need, and a shortage of physicians. 

Again, we would hope that we would have the latitude and the 

opportunity to innovate even though right now we don’t see that’s 

a possibility. Thank you for the opportunity of speaking before you. 

And my written testimony has been submitted. Thank you. 

[The prepared statement of Dr. Israel follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF DR. CARY A. ISRAEL

First and foremost, I would like to thank Chairman Gordon, U.S. Congressman 

Ralph Hall and other members of the Committee on Science and Technology for 

hosting this hearing. 

My name is Cary A. Israel, and I am President of Collin County Community College District {Collin College). I am honored to share my thoughts and those from 

Chairman Robert Collins and our Board of Trustees about science and technology 

in higher education. The faculty, students, and staff of our college very much appreciate your attention to the cause of higher education.

Conquering Challenges Through Higher Education 

Across the nation, community colleges are experiencing record-setting growth this 

fall. Collin College has been growing rapidly for more than 10 years, but this year, 

we witnessed a tsunami of new enrollment. Certainly some of the 18+% growth is 

a result of our economy; but I firmly believe it is also a sign of the power and effectiveness of local/regional assets, planning, and collaboration. Regional and local collaboration is the ideal venue to leverage resources for the benefit of the entire nation. 

If we look at the economic stimulus package and proposals from the administration, we see many laudable and lofty initiatives. However, we are concerned that 

the plan too narrowly defines the objectives and the process, which ultimately could 

constrain innovation rather than encouraging it. We wholeheartedly agree that community colleges will play a key role in the nation’s economic recovery, but we ask 

leadership from Washington to outline goals without delineating the method. For example, the administration supports a system for delivering a collegiate education 
16

online for efficiency purposes. Online courses are a staple of American higher education today, but they are not the only means to put Americans back to work. 

Case in point: In 2005, Collin College launched Weekend College program, which 

allows students to earn an associate’s degree in two years by taking classes on Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday afternoon. This is ideal for individuals who work 

frill-time but want to re-train or re-career in new fields like engineering and the 

sciences. Weekend College is also an efficient way to expand capacity without building new facilities since campuses are usually vacant on the weekend, but the college 

still pays for utilities, security, etc. By adding Weekend College, we reached out to 

a population of students who otherwise would not be able to go to college and leveraged an asset that was not fully utilized. Now, total enrollment in Weekend College 

is 2,728 this fall-up from about 2,000 last fall. Our next step is to work with one 

of our University pre-admission partners to offer a baccalaureate degree on the 

Weekend. 

Collin College also created the nation’s first alternative teacher certification program at a community college, to respond to the critical shortage of classroom teachers. Nearly 500 individuals have graduated from the program, and today there are 

400 programs similar to ours. Last year, we were honored to be one of only 10 colleges or universities in the nation chosen for the ‘‘Encore Careers’’ Grant from Metropolitan Life to help re-career those from the math or science fields, who were 50 

years old and above to serve as classroom teachers. More importantly, the program 

has also been listed as one of the top 10 alternative teacher certification programs 

in the nation. 

All of this was accomplished through innovation at the local level, and this is the 

type of innovation we must encourage as we work on economic recovery. If the goal 

is to produce more engineers, teachers, scientists, etc., local elected and public officials in North Texas need the latitude to meet desired goals through hard work and 

ingenuity rather than a prescribed roadmap.

The Cutting-Edge of Science and Technology Education 

‘‘Creativity & Innovation’’ are among the Core Values at Collin College. We believe that advancement in science and technology begins in college classrooms and 

laboratories and libraries where individuals gifted with natural curiosity meet the 

professors who inspire them. Below are a few of our programs that have been recognized for innovation:

Convergence Technology Center, National Science Foundation

• The Convergence Technology Center is an Advanced Technology Education 

(Al E) Regional Center of Excellence originally funded in 2004 by a $2.46 million dollar four-year grant from the National Science Foundation to meet the 

growing need for skilled specialists in the area of Convergence Technology 

and Home Technology Integration. After September 11, 2001 and the ‘‘dot 

corn bust,’’ businesses and colleges in the North Texas region collaborated on 

this grant to reconstruct the landscape of IT/telecommunications education for 

the entire country to match the then emerging need for convergence technicians . These technicians install, maintain and operate systems of voice, data, 

video and image across a secure network.

• As of September 1, 2009, the Center has been awarded a new grant in the 

amount of $1.56 million dollars to focus on the emerging needs of Green IT 

convergence technicians. This grant will support modifying curriculum to include Green topics, creating updated online courses, training faculty to teach 

convergence and Green IT, targeting Hispanic students for recruitment into 

this field and mentoring at least six community colleges yearly to enable 

them to launch their own convergence degree and certificate programs.

• The seven partner colleges who launched convergence programs on their campuses have seen a jump in enrollment in their IT departments as a result of 

the new convergence offerings. Over the last year over 4,000 students were 

enrolled in IT courses at the seven partner colleges.

Cisco Certified Training Center

• Collin College has been designated as one of only six colleges to become a 

Cisco Certified Training Center in the United States, serving the eight-state 

Southwest region. Preston Ridge Campus in Frisco, Texas is the primary site 

of Cisco Training, but Cisco lasses are also offered at other campuses.

• Collin College’s Cyber Security program prepares/qualifies the student for the 

challenges faced by companies and government agencies in the areas of Cyber 

Security network management, system administration, technical support, 

hardware/software installation, and equipment repair. This program has 
17

worked with companies such as EDS, Perot Systems, and Raytheon. With an 

eye toward hard working professionals, three of the four classes required for 

certificate completion can be taken online, as well as in the classroom. Nearly 

1,000 students have participated in training over the past year in these vital 

fields.

Research and Innovation 

Collin College has asserted itself as a leader of undergraduate research.. Many 

of our science students are gaining valuable experience with expert faculty doing research that they would not ordinarily see until graduate school. The outcome of this 

innovation has exhibited itself in a number of capacities.

Center for Advanced Studies in Mathematics and Natural Sciences

• The Center for Advanced Studies in Mathematics and Natural Sciences 

(CASMNS) is a specialized program for highly motivated and talented students majoring in mathematics or the natural sciences. The Center offers opportunities for students enrolled in select courses in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics and geology to participate in a variety of undergraduate research activities.

• Last year, CASMNS student Helen Zhu and Chris Doumen, professor of biology, submitted the complete DNA sequence of a crawfish enzyme to the National Gene Bank. The enzyme, cytosolic manganese Superoxidase Dismutase 

(SOD), eliminates harmful free radicals produced when oxygen is used in 

cells. A local solution potentially solving worldwide problems.

Biotechnology

• Collin College’s biotechnology program has been equally proactive in providing venues for undergraduates to get graduate-level experience while 

learning scientific and laboratory method and etiquette.

• These experiences have helped our students get positions in biological research and industrial laboratories around the nation. Research done in the 

biotechnology program pertains to agriculture, medicine, pharmaceuticals and 

other applications that impact the world.

Wide Area Network (WAN)

• All campuses and future campuses at Collin College are linked to each other 

and the globe via a dedicated high speed network. This has enabled us to implement a VoIP communication system throughout our District. We also provide excess bandwidth for local governments so that they do not have to run 

the same fiber over the same poles thereby saving millions of dollars for taxpayers. Additionally, the system allows for coordination of emergency response protocols in the case of weather, HIN1, pandemics, etc.

Solutions in the Business World 

Today’s business owners—no matter how small or large—face a different challenge than they did 100, 50 or, even, 10 years ago. Small business owners are no 

longer limited to marketing in their immediate area. Instead, they can compete on 

a national and worldwide marketplace. 

During the last year the Collin Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has 

served 852 distinctive clients: 568 pre-venture clients; 136 start-up companies under 

one year in business; 148 established business clients; and 157 clients that were 

home based. The economic impact of these companies has totaled more than $5.6 

million in increased sales and $3.6 million in Small Business Administration loans, 

commercial loans and lines of credit and/or private investments. 

Of the 58 sciences and technology companies that the Collin SBDC has assisted 

this year, 13 of them are pre-venture, 20 of them are start-up ventures and 25 are 

established businesses. Eight of the science-type companies have produced or are in 

the process of producing products and 13 of the technology companies are in the 

same process.

Leading the Way in Healthcare 

As the population in Northeast Texas has grown substantially over the past 20+ 

years, so has the need for healthcare facilities. Collin College is meeting the need 

for more nurses, respiratory therapists, surgical technicians, health information professionals, dental hygienists, EMTs, firefighters and police officers. However, we 

have a vision to expand to an entirely new level. 
18

Collin College envisions being the home of a sophisticated regional hub for education and training in healthcare. We foresee a Center for Excellence in Healthcare 

equivalent to MD Anderson or the Mayo Clinic, for Northeast Texas. This would 

capitalize on the popular and award-winning programs already in place, but also 

take advantage of location and regional transit plans.

Intermoddal Facility

• The Collin County Commissioner’s Court has discussed bringing an intermodal logistics park to Eastern Collin County as a rail and trucking hub and 

possibly tying to airport facilities. The intermodal area would provide for 

truck to rail and rail to truck exchange in incoming goods from around the 

nation and abroad. The hub would be convenient to the impending outer loop 

project that is near the college’s future campus in northeast Collin County.

Award Winning Nursing Program

• Our nursing program is one of the top in state of Texas of the more than 90 

programs. It was one of three recently honored for graduation and licensure 

success in Texas. Also, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board gave 

our nursing program an exemplary rating and this year, Dr. Nell Ard, director of nursing, was one of 21 fellows inducted into the Nurse Educator Academy from the National League of Nursing. The nursing program also hosts 

refresher programs for those returning to the nursing field. The nursing program has increased enrollment ever semester since 2005 and it currently admits 48 students twice a year. To put that into perspective, about 250 students apply to our nursing program each semester. The nursing program has 

also expanded curriculum to include a Certified Nurse Assistant course and 

developed a marketable skills achievement award combining nurse aide certification, EKG tech skills and phlebotomy certification.

Healthcare Simulation Lab

• One tool that makes Collin College’s healthcare programs attractive is the 

state-of-the-art Simulation Lab, which operates five days a week and some 

nights and weekends to provide students from all programs the feel of caring 

for and attending to a real patient in a real hospital or emergency situation. 

This simulation lab is becoming nationally-known as innovative and has been 

visited by other programs, health facilities and even a physician and nurse 

from Switzerland. We are assisting METI, Inc. a provider of high tech mannequins, in developing computer-driven scenarios for their cutting-edge simulation mannequins. At our faculty’s suggestion, the METI company is developing interdisciplinary scenarios for use in health science programs.

Health Information Technology

• This new program currently already has more than 850 students enrolled. In 

the same manner that we created Weekend College and the alternative teacher certification, Collin College would like to lead the charge in providing 

health information technicians for our hospitals and clinics through a Health 

Information Institute and develop a model for the rest of the country. 

Collin College has expanded but there are still many needed areas that could not 

be implemented due to a lack of funding, such as radiology technology, imaging, etc. 

Again, local issues lead to local solutions that can be replicated and adapted around 

the nation and world.

Recommendations and Solutions 

As you know, over time our country has fallen behind in science, technology and 

engineering. Yet as we gaze at the competition beyond our borders, we have the 

power to not only turn the tide but to lead discovery, invention and innovation to 

new levels through collaboration. 

Centralized management certainly is needed as the situation demands. However, 

thoughtful rapid response and creative solutions should, as appropriate, be lead at 

the local level. We are presently exploring a new definition of the campus of the 

future for our East Collin County site. We expect this to result in another leap forward for higher education in our region. 

As Americans lose their jobs and fear the loss of their jobs, they-and their children are turning to the local community college for a solid education and a new career. Community colleges contribute to the local economy by raising the standard 

of education in the market. We also provide public safety and healthcare personnel 

to serve our constituents in their times of need. Our success is inextricably tied to 

the community and positioned to contribute to the national recovery. As Americans 

persevere through an historic challenge, community colleges look forward to being 
19

a part of the solution. With vision from Washington and innovative tactics at the 

local level we can accomplish great things.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

BIOGRAPHY FOR DR. CARY A. ISRAEL

Cary A. Israel is president of Collin County Community College District, a multicampus operation serving over 46,000 credit and non-credit students annually. 

Under his leadership, Collin County Community College is nationally recognized for 

its outstanding and innovative programs. The College was named a National Bellwether winner for its Learning Communities Program, received Campus Compact’s 

National Collaboration Award for outstanding partnerships with business and industry, earned (for the 10th consecutive year) the ‘‘Certificate of Achievement and 

Excellence in Financial Reporting’’ from the Government Finance Officers Association, and has received the coveted ‘‘Best of the Web’’ award from the National Center for Digital Government for its downloadable catalog/schedule system. 

The first dual admission agreements in the State of Texas were also signed between CCCCD and the University of North Texas, the University of Texas at Dallas, 

Texas Woman’s University, Texas A&M Commerce, Texas Tech University, Baylor 

University, Texas A&M College Station, Southern Methodist University, Dallas 

Baptist University, and Austin College. 

In response to the crises-level need for classroom IC–1.2 teachers, CCCCD was 

the first community college in the state to gain approval for their alternative teacher certification program (first in the nation also by a community college) and received a $689,347 grant from the U.S. Department of Education for their ‘‘Preparing 

Tomorrow’s Teachers’’ program. 

Also under Israel’s leadership, the District was designated as one of six CCNP 

(Cisco Certified Network Professional) Training Centers in the United States, 

named one of the first 18 campuses in the nation as a Microsoft IT Academy, designated an international CIW (Certified Internet Webmaster) Faculty Institute site 

by Prosoft Training and the National Workforce Center for Emerging Technologies, 

named the only Regional Academy for Security and Wireless training in the state 

of Texas, and chosen by Oracle Corporation to become a Workforce Development 

Program partner. In addition, under President Israel’s leadership, a 54.5-mile 48-

strand fiber optic network was constructed connecting all District facilities. Additionally, all campus facilities now have wireless capabilities. 

President Israel has also established the Collin Higher Education Center, Honors 

Institute, the Convergence Technology Program (funded by a $4 million grant from 

the National Science Foundation), Weekend College, the Center for Scholarly & 

Civic Engagement, the Center for Advanced Studies of Mathematics and Natural 

Sciences (CASMNS) Program, Destination College, the first and only Student Leadership 

Academy at a community college in Texas, and a model Academy for Collegiate 

Excellence (ACE) which is a rigorous leadership program designed to identify and 

cultivate leaders from within Collin County Community College District. 

In spite of the tremendous time commitment of leading one of the largest community college districts in Texas, President Israel finds time to contribute his talents 

as a leader on a national, state and local level. He is a founding member, previous 

Chairman, and current Board member of the Texas Campus Compact, a member of 

the Texas Association of Community College Presidents Executive and Legislative 

Committee, and serves on the University of North Texas Bill J. Priest Graduate Advisory Committee. President Israel is also on the Board of Directors of the Medical 

Center of Plano, the Plano Chamber of Commerce, the Plano Economic Development 

Board, and the Plano Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, he sits on the national 

SunGard Higher Education Advisory Board, the junior League of Plano, and is a 

member of the Plano Rotary club. 

Israel previously served as president of Raritan Valley Community College in 

New jersey, president of the Illinois Community College System (a 50 college system), and president of Front Range Community College in Colorado. He was named 

the CEO of the year by the American Association of Community College Trustees 

for the Eastern Region and last year was named the CEO of the year in the Western 

Region. Recently, he received the National Pacesetter of the Year Award from the 

National Council for Marketing and Public Relations. He has also received the National Leadership Award from the National Council for Continuing Education and 

Training. Additionally, he has received the Plano Community Forum’s Community 

Award, the Collin-County League of United Latin American Citizens’ Community 

Service Award, the Collin County Children’s Advocacy Center Mentor Award, the 
20

Special Award of Merit from the Plano Chamber of Commerce, and the Phi Theta 

Kappa Shirley B. Gordon Award for Distinction. 

Cary Israel received a Bachelor of Arts. degree with highest honors from Michigan 

State University and juris Doctorate from the University of Detroit Mercy Law 

School.

Mr. HALL. And I thank you. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank 

Bob Collins who is the Chairman for the Collin County Community 

College Board and is the guy that I couldn’t even start to represent 

this district without his support and friendship. And I thank him 

very much. 

I thank him also for working with young Barbara Goss who’s the 

President of the Barbara Bush deal. It teaches youngsters about 

politics other than educating them. Bob’s a great man, very valuable to us and very, very valuable to me as I represent you. 

Now, from my alma mater almost. My wife graduated there and 

my mother. My mother and my only wife graduated from there. I 

got a grandson over there right now. I hope you’re gonna look after 

him. He’s A much better student than I was because I made four 

Fs and a D one time and my dad punished me for spending too 

much time on one subject. Not as bad at school as I was. 

We have the President of Texas A&M University-Commerce Dan 

Jones. Good guy. 

STATEMENT OF DR. DAN JONES, PRESIDENT, TEXAS A&M 

UNIVERSITY-COMMERCE 

Dr. JONES. Thank you, Congressman Hall. And we are keeping 

an eye on your grandson, as we do all of our students. Chairman 

Gordon, Congressman Hall, other honored guests, we appreciate 

the opportunity to testify to this hearing on regional innovation in 

Northeast Texas. 

Our university, A&M Commerce, plays an essential role in the 

continuing development of science and technology in Northeast 

Texas through innovative partnerships with industry and effective 

collaborations with community colleges and public schools. 

These efforts are vital as we strive to support the economic vitality of this region. The key to the success of many of our initiatives 

is the constant support that Congressman Hall has extended the 

University for many, many years. 

With his support, we have been able to implement a number of 

initiatives and strengthen the ties between education and industry 

and which we believe will help fulfill both our mission as a university and the intent of the Committee on Science and Technology. 

As you are aware, universities nationwide are focused on science, 

technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM initiatives. At 

A&M Commerce, we have added another letter to this acronym; E 

for education in our project STEEM initiative. 

Project STEEM focuses on enabling teachers and students to enhance their science, technology, education, engineering and 

mathematic skills through project based activities with scientist 

and research faculty at our university. 

More than 300 students have been served in the summer programs, which have such exotic names as the X-Teems and the Infinity Institute, and more than 60 teachers from our rural districts 

have participated in these as well. 
21

Two of our project STEEM students have received full scholarships for four years to attend MIT. These are students from small 

rural communities in Northeast Texas. We tried to get them to 

come to Commerce, but when beckoned, we didn’t feel like we could 

hold them back. 

We will work this year to disseminate and replicate the STEEM 

model to bring more opportunity to rural areas. We have also secured grants from a number of Federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation, which focus on increasing the number 

of students, especially at the K–12 levels, who aspire to careers in 

STEM fields. 

Our faculty worked closely with K–12 teachers and students to 

expose them to cutting edge research and to inspire them with the 

benefits to society of their work. Fifty students are served each 

year in one of these projects and 35 teachers are pursuing a master’s degree in science or math through projects supported through 

these NSF initiatives. 

Surveys of student participants in both the STEEM and the 

M2T2 program—and there’s details about that in my written testimony—indicate that a greater number of students are now considering careers in STEM fields which will positively impact the 

STEM workforce in our region. 

Teachers report improved teaching strategies in STEM content 

areas as a result of their participation. Partnerships with industry 

also support our preparation in tomorrow’s STEM workforce. 

Through funding from L–3 Communications Integrated Systems 

in Greenville, our faculty have developed high-performance computing methods and capabilities which will provide our faculty and 

students with research and educational opportunities currently not 

available in the area. And I have some additional information on 

that project in the written testimony. 

I’d like to talk a minute about our partnerships with community 

colleges, including Collin College, because they’re extremely important to the work we do in Commerce. 

In the fall of 2008, only 18 percent of our bachelorette graduates, 

graduates to whom we awarded degrees in December 2008 entered 

the university as full-time freshman, while 82 percent had entered 

as transfer students. 

Fifty-six percent of these graduates have completed at least 30 

semester credit hours at a Texas community college. Because of 

these unique demographics, we have actively pursued grants to 

build the capacity of community college students to be successful 

when they transfer into our STEM programs. 

And through Dr. Cary Israel’s vision, we are embarking on another program that will enable students here in Collin County to 

receive a bachelor’s degree from A&M Commerce without having to 

go to Commerce through a partnership that will be implemented 

later this year. 

Our faculty members in physics, biology and chemistry receive 

additional research grants from NSF and other Federal agencies 

enabling a large number of both undergraduates and graduate students to engage in cutting edge research. 

This research experience has enabled these students to pursue 

doctoral degrees at prestigious institutions across the state and the 
22

nation. The point I want to emphasize is that regional universities 

are sources for regional innovation. 

Many tier I universities have wonderful research programs that 

target their efforts toward areas supported by large donors or the 

national research agenda. 

Regional universities, on the other hand, serve the vital role of 

building regional capacity for innovation by having a deep understanding of the communities, the education systems and the available resources of the regions they serve. 

Further investment in regional universities will allow our institutions to implement on a larger scale proven models for summer 

and school year programs that inspire students. In the case of students from small rural schools, these programs offer access to wellequipped classrooms and laboratories that their home districts simply cannot afford. 

Our rural districts are tremendous sources of talent and regional 

universities are in the best position to mine these rich veins of intellect and aspiration. 

We have also shown that investing in institutes and special programs for math and science teachers is important to help them 

renew their energy and to encourage them to persist in their teaching fields. 

In addition, more opportunities for internships are extremely important so that university students have the opportunity to apply 

the skills they are learning as they pursue math, engineering and 

science degrees. 

Incentives for industry to increase accessibility for these internships is important, especially as students in the regions are typically very much at home and plan on continuing their lives in this 

area and contributing to their local economies. 

As a result of our commitment to improving STEM education 

from kindergarten through graduate school, and through our aggressive pursuit of extramural funding, Texas A&M UniversityCommerce has increased the success of our citizens through exposure to cutting edge research projects, state of the art equipment 

and effective faculty mentoring. 

Each day we prepare new generations of scientists and engineers 

inclusive of all demographic populations to meet the STEM work 

force needs of our region, our state and our nation. Once again, 

thank you for the opportunity to share those thoughts with you 

today. 

[The prepared statement of Dr. Jones follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF DR. DAN JONES

Chairman Gordon, Congressman Hall, Committee Members, other honored guests, 

we greatly appreciate the opportunity to testify at this hearing on regional innovation in Northeast Texas. Texas A&M University-Commerce plays an essential role 

in the continuing development of science and technology in Northeast Texas through 

innovative partnerships with industry and effective collaborations with community 

colleges and public schools. These efforts are vital as we strive to support the economic vitality of Northeast Texas and our nation. Key to the success of many of our 

initiatives is the constant support that Representative Hall extends to the university. A number of initiatives have been successfully implemented at our university 

that strengthen the ties between education and industry and will help to fulfill the 

mission of our institution as well as the intent of the Committee on Science and 

Technology. 
23

Nationwide, universities and agencies are focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics or ‘‘STEM’’ initiatives. At A&M-Commerce, we have 

added another very important letter to the STEM acronym: E for Education, in the 

formation of our STEEM project. With funding from the Greater Texas Foundation, 

Project STEEM focuses on enabling teachers and students to enhance their science, 

technology, education, engineering, and mathematics skills through project-based 

activities with scientists and research faculty at the university. The project includes 

two summer camps known as the X-Teems Academy and the Infinity Institute. We 

are tracking participants to monitor college matriculation rates and persistence in 

STEM fields. Two of our STEEM students have received full scholarships for four 

years to attend MIT. These are students from small rural communities in Northeast 

Texas. We will work this year to disseminate and replicate the STEEM model to 

bring more opportunity to rural areas. 

We have secured grants from several Federal agencies, including the National 

Science Foundation, which focus on increasing the number of students, especially 

at the K–12 levels, who aspire to careers in STEM areas. Our faculty work closely 

with K–12 teachers and students to expose them to cutting-edge research and the 

benefits to society. In only its first year, the Maximizing Motivation-Targeting Technology (M2T2) project funded through NSF Innovative Technology Experiences for 

Students and Teachers (ITEST) initiative has increased STEM skills in middle 

school students and the motivation to excel in math and science. Video game technology is the motivation and high-level physics and other science concepts are explored in summer science camps. Fifty students are served each year in the M2T2 

project and 35 teachers are pursuing a master’s degree in science or math. Surveys 

of student participants in both the 

STEEM and M2T2 programs indicate that a greater number of students are now 

considering careers in STEM fields which will positively impact the STEM workforce in our region. Teachers report improved teaching strategies in the STEM content areas. 

Partnerships with industry also support our preparation of tomorrow’s STEM 

workforce. Through funding from L–3 Communications Integrated Systems, our faculty have developed high-performance computing methods and capabilities which 

will provide our faculty and students with research and educational opportunities 

currently not available in the area. In addition, high schools, middle schools, and 

charter schools in both Commerce and Greenville participated in Operation Spark, 

which aims to:

• foster an interest in math and science among students in grades 6–9,

• increase proficiency in math and science among students in grades 6–9, and

• increase teacher proficiency in math and science instruction.

There are five components to the grant: Strands, Math and Science Saturday, 

Family Math and Science Night, Professional Development, and Scholarship. The 

curriculum components of Operation Spark were developed through discussions between the A&M-Commerce project leaders and L–3 Communications Integrated Systems contacts. The Strands are taught to A&M-Commerce undergraduate and graduate students who then go into the local schools to demonstrate and teach the content to students in grades 6–12. Strands is based on the notion that college students 

majoring in math and science will positively impact middle and high school students 

due to their closeness in age and experience, which will foster both learning and 

a positive perception of math and science in these students. This concept is known 

as peer-led team learning. 

Community colleges are extremely important to A&M-Commerce. In the fall of 

2008, only 18% of baccalaureate graduates had entered the university as full-time 

freshmen, while 82% had entered as transfer students. Fifty-six percent of these 

graduates had completed at least 30 semester credit hours at a Texas community 

college. Because of these unique demographics, we have actively pursued grants to 

build the capacity of community colleges students to be successful when they transfer into our STEM programs. Four different projects funded through NSF support 

community college students, either while they are still enrolled at the community 

college or when they transfer to the university. These are: Course, Curriculum, and 

Laboratory Improvement (CCLI); Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, 

and Mathematics (S–STEM); Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI); and the 

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). Through these and other special 

projects, a great number of community college students have been involved in leading-edge research activities at our campus and have gone on to pursue bachelor’s 

and master’s degrees in STEM disciplines. 
24

Our faculty members in physics, biology, and chemistry have received additional 

research grants, enabling a large number of both undergraduate and graduate students to engage in cutting-edge research. This research experience has enabled 

these students to pursue doctoral degrees at very prestigious institutions across the 

state and nation. 

Regional universities are sources of regional innovation. Many Tier I universities 

have a wonderful research focus but target their efforts toward areas supported by 

large donors or national needs for research. Regional universities serve the vital role 

of building regional capacity for innovation by having a deep understanding of the 

communities, the education systems, and the available resources of the regions in 

which they are located. Further investment will allow regional universities to implement on a larger scale proven models for summer and school year programs that 

inspire students. In the case of students from small rural schools, these programs 

offer access to well-equipped classrooms and laboratories that their home districts 

simply cannot afford. Our rural districts are tremendous sources of talent, and regional universities are in the best position to mine these rich veins of intellect and 

aspiration. We have also shown that investing in institutes and special programs 

for math and science teachers is important to renew their energy and encourage 

them to persist in their teaching fields. In addition, more opportunities for internships are also extremely important so that university students have the opportunity 

to apply the skills they are learning as they pursue math, engineering, and science 

degrees. Incentives for industry to increase accessibility for these internships is important, especially as students in the region are typically very much ‘‘at home’’ and 

plan on continuing their lives in this area and contributing to their local economies. 

As a result of our commitment to improving STEM education from kindergarten 

through graduate school and through our aggressive pursuit of extramural funding, 

Texas A&M University-Commerce has increased the success of our citizens through 

exposure to cutting-edge research projects, state of the art equipment, and through 

effective faculty mentoring. Each day we prepare new generations of scientists and 

engineers inclusive of all demographic populations to meet the STEM work-force 

needs of our region, the state, and the nation. 

Thank you for this opportunity and I am happy to answer any questions.

BIOGRAPHY FOR DR. DAN JONES

Dr. Dan Jones is President and CEO of Texas A&M University-Commerce. Prior 

to his appointment, Dr. Jones served as Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Texas A&M International University in Laredo, Texas; and as Dean of University College at the University of Houston-Downtown. He began his teaching career as an instructor of English at Casper College, Casper, Wyoming. Dr. Jones 

earned his B.J. in Magazine Journalism (with highest honors) and B.A. in English 

(highest honors) from the University of Texas at Austin. He has an M.A. in English 

from Rice University, as well as an M.A. in American Studies from the University 

of Iowa. He received his Ph.D. in American Studies, also from the University of 

Iowa. He was a charter member of Phi Kappa Phi at the University of HoustonDowntown, where he was also given the Service Excellence Award and the Student 

Government Association award for Outstanding Faculty Member. He was also a 

charter member of Phi Kappa Phi at Texas A&M International University. His professional memberships include the American Studies Association, the Far West Popular Culture Association, the Popular Culture Association, and Phi Beta Kappa. 

Born in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, he is married to Jalinna Jones, and has two daughters: Allyson, 26, and Aislinn, 11. He enjoys running, traveling, and spending time 

with his family.

Mr. HALL. Thank you very much and also I want to thank Bill 

Whitfield, long time mayor who just returned from Europe on a 

trip selling Collin County for people were trying to—Mayor, are 

you still with us? Thank you very much for your service. You’re 

still working. 

Now, Jerry Madden, our State Rep—is Jerry here? Thank you, 

Jerry. Jerry was on the Commissioner Court here for a lot of years. 

Next we have Patrick Humm, President of Hie. Am I saying that 

right, H-i-e, Hie? Can’t hardly mispronounce that, can I? 
25

But I was just in the back there and looking with Judge Self and 

others at the TeraStack Solution and what you could do with that. 

I know you’re gonna talk about that a little bit. 

But I just thought back to when my first days as County Judge 

out in Rockwall County in 1950, I had a big chief tablet, a cedar 

pencil and now, look what you have, what you brought here for us. 

Tell us more about that. We’re honored to have you here. You do 

have five minutes. I appreciate it if you can stay within. 

STATEMENT OF MR. PATRICK ALAN HUMM, P.E., CHAIRMAN 

AND PRESIDENT, HIE ELECTRONICS 

Mr. HUMM. Thank you Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member 

Congressman Hall. It’s my privilege to testify before the House 

Science and Technology Committee this morning as well as sit at 

the table here with Dr. Israel and Dr. Jones, Martin Izzard, Bill 

Sproull and Tom Luce. 

My name is Patrick Humm, Chairman and President of Hie Electronics. Our company manufactures and sells the TeraStack Solution. There’s one in the next room which you can take a look at. 

Our product is intended for government, commercial and industrial 

users. 

Our system securely stores critical data for periods up to and beyond 50 years with high data integrity. Data storage is a huge and 

rapidly growing and expanding market which will have an annual 

spend of $55 billion a year by the end of the next decade. 

Because our product is an innovative, green and secure means of 

storing our nation’s data for such extended periods of time, our potential growth may result in as large as a $2.5 billion revenue business by 2017. 

TeraStack Solution is a unique hybrid combination of the latest 

technologies in computing. It’s a breakthrough for long-term data 

integrity, durability and reliability. While the data stored can vary, 

e-mails, electronic medical records, digitized documents, satellite 

imagery, video surveillance, data used in criminal records and 

criminal investigations and, in fact, we’re being looked at for the 

Hubble Space Telescope. 

The TeraStack Solution has one further advantage, it’s an energy 

efficient, green data storage product. As compared to current data 

storage systems, our product is up to 90 percent more energy efficient and operates with a nominal power draw of 500 watts which 

is the power of a single 110 wall outlet. Our product significantly 

lowers the energy consumption and cooling cost of data centers, reducing electronic waste of energy. 

We are actively involved in the Northeast Texas Innovation 

Economy, and have been for decades, its educational institutions 

and businesses. Our customers include architects, pharmaceutical 

companies, the U.S. Air Force and a Fortune 100 company. 

Hie Electronics currently has a 30 person staff, and we’re approximately $2 million a year in revenue, so we are an emerging 

tech company. We’re located here in McKinney. Our employees 

have decades of experience with Texas Instruments (TI) and other 

local tech companies. TI’s also one of our suppliers. 

One of the most important aspects of our startup is the ongoing 

generational transfer of engineering process, what I’ve heard called 
26

‘‘engineering voodoo knowledge’’ to the younger staff that we have 

employed. Hie Electronics is proud to employ veterans and an active duty military spouse. Our company also pays it forward with 

an intern program that employs some local college students, SMU, 

UTD, University of North Texas, A&M, Texas Christian and, yes, 

Collin College. Several of our interns have become full-time employees with the company. 

Hie Electronics is one of the companies that your Committee 

wants to see be successful. As a technology manufacturer and 

green job employer, we are developing a clean technology, contributing and maintaining our country’s competitiveness, and creating 

jobs for the future. 

The topic before us today is to identify regional innovation elements necessary for companies like ours to develop and grow the 

Nation’s high tech economy. Simply put, in the beginning, it’s a 

steady, available investment stream that helps launch a startup 

and then fuels the development of innovation and, ultimately, a 

competitive world market product. 

Early stage capital funding is critical to small high tech companies. Private funding from angel investors of high net worth typically starts the process and then it moves to private equity groups. 

Often at this stage a venture capital firm will come in, take 50 percent control, and exit the founders and flip the company. 

An alternative, state based funding like the Governor’s Emerging 

Technology Fund can provide capital with different requirements. 

We might also mention McKinney Economic Development Corporation at this time. 

Hard work by those who know the most about new technology 

can allow a company to fully contribute to the local economy. We 

actively seek support from all regional economic incentive vehicles 

and we’ll be working with the ETF and the MEDC. 

A thought for your Committee: consider how Singapore helps 

new technology companies with considerable tax incentives, double 

depreciation on first year capital expenses, perhaps giving tax deductions to angel investors who initially capitalize companies like 

ours and, of course, grants helping. 

Regarding national innovation, we heartily thank you for your 

role in developing ARPA-E opportunities as well in streamlining 

the cumbersome government procurement process. The reality is it 

takes generally two years to be vetted by government agencies for 

the purpose of contracting and certification, and then you’ve got to 

get by the beltway entities who have the contracts already in place. 

For every day a new technology waits in the wings of bureaucracy, the opportunity cost for the Nation increases, while our foreign competitions delivers products faster than we are able to. Viable contracts in capital funding for newly developed products are 

critical to our sustainment and growth. 

Hie Electronics wants to be a green employer, expand our American-based manufacturing, meet the increasing demand for green, 

secure long-term data storage, and contribute to our Nation’s effort 

to become energy independent. 

Thank you. Personally it’s humbling for me to have been asked 

to submit constructive input. We are persistent in our pursuit of 

excellence and need your help to deliver the promise of high tech, 
27

good paying jobs for our youth through local innovation. Thank 

you. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Humm follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF PATRICK ALAN HUMM, P.E. 

Thank you, Committee Chairman Congressman Bart Gordon and Ranking Member Congressman Ralph Hall. It is my privilege to testify before the House Committee on Science and Technology. 

My name is Patrick Humm, Chairman and President of Hie Electronics. Hie Electronics manufactures and sells the TeraStack© Solution. Our product is intended for 

government, commercial and industrial users. 

Our system securely stores critical data for periods up to and beyond 50 years. 

Data storage is a huge and rapidly expanding market which is expected to have an 

annual market spend of over $55B within ten years. 

Because our product is an innovative, ‘‘green’’ and secure means of storing our nation’s data for such an extended period of time, our potential growth may result in 

as large as $2.5B in revenue by 2016 or 2017. 

The TeraStack© Solution’s unique combination of the latest technologies is a 

breakthrough for long term data integrity, durability and reliability. While the data 

stored can vary; e-mails, electronic medical records, digitized documents, satellite 

imagery, video surveillance, or data used in criminal prosecution; the longevity remains the same. 

The TeraStack© Solution has one other fantastic advantage—it is an energy efficient, green, data storage product. As compared to current data storage systems, the 

TeraStack© Solution is up to 90% more energy efficient and operates with a nominal 

power draw of just 500 watts; the power of a single 110 wall outlet. Our product 

significantly lowers the energy consumption and cooling costs of data centers, reducing electronic e-waste. 

We are actively involved in the Northeast Texas Innovation Economy, its educational institutions and businesses. Our customers include architects, pharmaceutical companies, the USAF and a Fortune 100 company. 

Hie Electronics’ currently has a 30-person staff and approximately $2M in annual 

revenue. Our office and manufacturing facility is located in McKinney, Texas. 

Our employees have decades of experience at Texas Instruments and other local 

tech companies. TI is also one of our suppliers. One of the most important aspects 

of our startup is the ongoing generational transfer of engineering process—what I 

have heard called ‘‘engineering voodoo knowledge’’ to the younger staff. 

Hie Electronics is proud to employ veterans and an active-duty military spouse. 

Our Company also ‘‘pays it forward’’ with an internship program that employs local 

college students (Southern Methodist University, University of Texas at Dallas, University of North Texas, Texas A&M University and Texas Christian University). 

Several graduates have become full-time employees with the company. 

Hie Electronics is one of the companies that your committee wants to see be successful. As a technology manufacturer and green job employer, we are developing 

a clean technology, contributing to maintaining our country’s competitiveness, and 

creating jobs for the future. 

The topic before us today is to identify the regional innovation elements necessary 

for companies like ours to develop and grow the nation’s high tech economy. Simply 

put, at the beginning it is a steady, available investment stream that helps launch 

a startup, and then fuels the development of innovation and ultimately, world market competitiveness. 

Early stage capital funding is critical to small high-tech companies. Private funding from angel investors of high net worth typically starts the process. Traditionally 

the next stage comes from private equity groups and venture capital firms. Often 

at this stage the VC takes over 50% control, exits the founders and flips the company. 

An alternative, state-based funding like the Governor’s Emerging Technology 

Fund provides capital with different requirements. This funding vehicle allows technologies and companies to be built the old-fashioned way, hard work by those who 

know the most about the new technology, and this allows the new company to fully 

contribute to the local economy. 

We will actively seek support from all regional economic incentive vehicles. For 

example, Hie Electronics will be looking for support from organizations like the 

McKinney Economic Development Corporation. The MEDC is a Texas 4a community 

based non-profit which supports economic growth. 
28

A thought for your committee—consider how Singapore helps new technology companies with considerable tax incentives. For example double deprecation on first 

year capital expenses, or perhaps giving tax deductions to angel investors who initially capitalize companies like ours. 

Regarding national innovation, we heartily thank you for your role in developing 

ARPAE opportunities. We look forward to utilizing this streamlined process. We ask 

your committee to continue to expedite the cumbersome government contracting and 

product certification processes. It is the government sector who calls now for innovation, green and secure products like ours. The reality is, it takes generally two years 

to be vetted by government agencies for purposes of contracting and certification. 

For every day new technology waits in the wings of bureaucracy, the opportunity 

cost for the nation increases, while our foreign competition delivers products faster 

than we are able. 

Viable contracts and capital funding for newly developed products are critical to 

our sustainment and our growth. Hie Electronics wants to be a green employer; expand our American-based manufacturing facilities; meet the increasing demand for 

green, secure, and long-term data storage; and contribute to our nation’s effort to 

become energy independent and secure. 

Thank you, personally it is humbling for me to have been asked to submit constructive input. We are persistent in our pursuit of excellence and need your help 

to deliver the promise of high tech, good paying jobs for our youth, through local 

innovation.

BIOGRAPHY FOR PATRICK ALAN HUMM, P.E. 

SUMMARY: 

Patrick Humm is the Chairman and President of Hie Electronics, innovator 

and manufacturer of the TeraStack© Solution, a green data storage product. Mr. 

Humm manages all aspects of this private corporation including; investor relations, 

product development, business planning, recruiting, staffing and daily management 

of the 35-person team. He is an active, ‘‘hands-on’’ leader excelling in dynamic crossfunctional challenging work environments. 

Hie Electronics developed the TeraStack© Solution, an extendible 50 terabyte optical data storage product, for use in applications where robust, secure storage is 

required. The system significantly reduces typical data storage power consumption 

and cooling costs. Hie Electronics manufactures and sells its TeraStack© Solution 

to commercial users and government agencies for security applications, medical imaging and healthcare data, and long term data retention requirements. 

The versatile TeraStack© Solution currently provides enhanced security surveillance video management for a major government defense contractor, lifetime electronic document storage for the medical research industry, comprehensive hierarchical data storage management of 3dimensional design and constructional drawings to an international architecture firm and medical imaging storage for a military 

application. 

Mr. Humm is a recognized leader in several aspects of the information systems 

sector, global project management, business startups and turnarounds, joint venture 

management, business development, acquisition and divestiture and business strategy and process development. 

During a 30-year career at Texas Instruments, Mr. Humm acquired extensive 

program management and startup experience in the high tech sector with proven 

accomplishments in the management of complex, worldwide manufacturing operations and systems implementations. He has supervised the largest systems reengineering and capital expenditure projects in Texas Instruments history as the 

Worldwide Inventory Director and the Worldwide Information Technology 

Technical Director.

In addition, as MOSM Joint Venture Program Director, Mr. Humm directed 

monthly supervision of joint venture business plans, commercial partnerships product portfolios, new technology transition, capital expansion plans, and Board of Directors governance. His expertise included international business startups, turnarounds, strategy and process development, acquisitions, divestitures and 1PO process. 

Mr. Humm has a B.S. degree in Engineering Design and Economic Evaluation from The University of Colorado at Boulder and an M.B.A. from The University of Texas at Dallas. He has lived and worked in Japan, Italy, Singapore, 

Taiwan, Korea, and the United States.
29

Mr. HALL. And thank you very much. And what you said and 

what all of you are testifying to here will go into a record and be 

available to the other Members of Congress who really need to hear 

the things that you’re saying there. 

You can battle the destitute and nature over in South Africa, but 

you’re getting into something that they really need to hear and I 

know the entire board and committee there agrees with you. Thank 

you. 

At this time, I recognize Martin Izzard, Vice President and Director of Digital Signal Processing Solutions—I can hardly say it—

R&D Center of Texas Instruments. Great company. 

Sometime I’d like to talk to you about how Texas Instruments 

was started and how the great man that started it was going out 

to listen to it and see what we bought when he heard the Japanese 

were bombing Pearl Harbor. 

As an engineer he was great; but as for timing, he was really 

super. Thank you. We recognize you. 

STATEMENT OF DR. MARTIN IZZARD, VICE PRESIDENT AND 

DIRECTOR, DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING SOLUTIONS R&D 

CENTER, TEXAS INSTRUMENTS 

Dr. IZZARD. Thank you. Thank you so much. Chairman Gordon, 

Ranking Member, all, thank you for the opportunity to testify 

today. It strikes me being in this courthouse. The last time I was 

in a courthouse like this was when I was sworn in as a U.S. citizen 

in 2002, so it’s nice to be back. Those are good memories. 

Representing TI, I’d like to say TI appreciates the leadership of 

your Committee on so many critical issues, particularly the America COMPETES and the National Nanotechnology Initiative 

Amendment Act. TI also applauds the strong research investments 

provided in the stimulus and thanks you for your continued leadership on research funding. 

TI has a nearly 80-year history of innovation. While our products 

have changed over the years, we remain essentially a company of 

engineers and scientists. We’ve always looked to the future by investing in research and development to the tune of 15 percent of 

sales in 2008. 

My role at Texas Instruments as I direct the Digital Signal Processing Solution R&D Center—yes, it is a mouthful—which is a core 

technology that enables continuous real world signals, analog signals such as voice or images, to be converted into digital form and 

interpreted. 

Our research focuses on communications, medical, video, vision 

and imaging, audio and voice and other applications that run in 

our integrated circuits. I also oversee our Kilby Labs which is a 

new and exciting initiative at TI with selective researchers. 

Engineers currently in the company and folks from university research programs can work full-time on high risk, high reward 

projects for several months to a year. 

Several projects are focused on power management critical to energy and medical applications, from chips that can better harvest 

the energy from the environment to ultra low power chips that are 

suitable implantable devices. 
30

The research involves the collaboration beginning with university 

professors and graduate students. I’ll focus my comments today on 

the partnership TI has formed with the North Texas Innovation 

Eco-System. Quite simply, regional innovation capacity boils down 

to talent. 

A STEM educated workforce is essential to the success of companies like TI and to overall U.S. competitiveness. University research is essential for training graduate students and enabling 

breakthroughs by private sector innovations. In 2005, the State of Texas created a $200 million Emerging 

Technology Fund which we believe has been a wonderful tool for 

encouraging research and innovation in Texas. 

Recently the State Legislature approved new resources to grow 

additional in-state Tier 1 research capacity. Seven institutions 

were identified and received State funds to match other research 

sources such as those from TI. 

On September 1, the University of Texas at Dallas announced it 

had received 16 philanthropic gifts totaling more than 16.8 million 

that were motivated in part by the availability of matching funds 

under this program. 

In greater Dallas, TI has tremendous research capacity right in 

our backyard. TI has provided financial and technical support with 

medical and electronics research involving UTD, UT Southwestern, 

and UT Arlington. 

In fact, we’ve sponsored research at UTD that has resulted in 

wireless medical sensors that are now being commercialized in a 

start-up company. Another example is TxACE, a $16 million collaboration between the Center at UTD that focuses on research in 

analog and radio frequency technology to address challenges in 

such areas as energy efficiency, healthcare and public safety. 

TI lead the effort to establish the Center and has endowed the 

director, analog design chair, and graduate student fellowships and 

has committed $2.7 million for research over three years. The 

Semiconductor Research Corporation also provided $1.2 million per 

year for three years. UTD and the UT system are providing 3.7 

million with the State ETF matching 4.5 million over three years. 

This collaboration of academia, industry and state government is 

an excellent example of how regional innovation is created. In addition to our research efforts, TI has a strong history and involvement in K–12 education and efforts in Dallas. A full catalog was 

submitted for the record. 

Last week the TI Foundation announced a $3 million grant to 

support teacher effectiveness for current math and science teachers 

in the Dallas area and to augment the UTeach Program to encourage math and science majors to enter teaching. 

So in TI’s experience, the model research collaborations involve 

not only industry and university, but are greatly enhanced by the 

engagement of federal agencies and state governments. 

The most important step Congress can take is to provide regular, 

predictable, and sustained investments in basic physical science 

and engineering research, particularly at NSF, NIST, DOE, Office 

of Science, and job help. 

In STEM education, there must be an effort to scale programs 

with demonstrated results citing student achievement. There 
31

should be an emphasis on the fundamental math skills needed to 

succeed as STEM builds. As we build a STEM pipeline, we must 

also address immigration reform for highly educated professionals. 

Nearly half of the master’s degree and over 70 percent of the 

Ph.D.’s in electrical engineering from U.S. universities are granted 

to foreign nationals. I came to the U.S. on an H1B and received my 

green card in 1991. 

Today hundreds of innovators at TI are stuck in multi-year 

works for green cards limiting the commercial potential and making international travel difficult. This process must be reformed if 

we are to attract and retain the world best’s minds, especially 

those graduating from U.S. universities. I say again, especially 

those graduating from U.S. universities. 

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. TI looks forward 

to continuing our close working relationship with this committee. 

Thank you, sir. 

[The prepared statement of Dr. Martin Izzard follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF MARTIN IZZARD

Chairman Gordon, Ranking Member Hall, thank you for the opportunity to testify 

today on Strengthening Regional Innovation. Texas Instruments appreciates the 

leadership of the Science and Technology Committee on so many critical issues, but 

particularly the landmark America COMPETES legislation and the National 

Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act.

TI also applauds the strong research investments provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and 2009 omnibus and thanks you for your continued leadership on research funding. Historically, the federal government has 

been the primary source of basic research funds for universities and plays an especially important role in supporting higher-risk, exploratory research for which the 

economic benefits may not be realized for decades. 

TI has a nearly 80-year history of innovation. While our products have changed 

many times over the years, we have always fundamentally been a company of engineers and scientists. We have always looked to the future by investing in R&D. 

Based in Dallas, TI is the second largest U.S. semiconductor company and the 

world’s fourth largest. While our headquarters and substantial manufacturing are 

located in Texas, TI derives 85% of its sales from overseas markets. 

TI is focused on developing new electronics that make the world smarter, 

healthier, safer, greener and more fun. We make chips that can improve energy production, distribution, and consumption—such as applications for renewable sources, 

smart meters, and energy efficient appliances. 

In 2008, TI invested 15% of sales in R&D. Like most other high-tech companies, 

much of this was geared towards shorter-term product development, but this figure 

does include significant investments in longer-term research both in-house and in 

collaboration with universities. 

I will focus my comments today on the research and education partnerships TI 

has formed within the North Texas innovation ecosystem. Quite simply, regional innovation capacity boils down to talent. A workforce educated in science, technology, 

engineering and math (STEM) is essential to the success of companies like TI and 

to overall U.S. innovation in a globally competitive environment. University research is a lynchpin for training graduate students and for enabling the breakthroughs vital to private-sector innovation.

TI Internal Labs

I direct the Digital Signal Processing Solutions R&D Center, which is the core 

technology that enables continuous real-world analog signals such as voice or images to be converted to digital form and interpreted. Our research has applications 

in communications, medical, video, vision and imaging, audio and voice. TI also recently launched in-house lab efforts focused on solar and light-emitting diode (LED) 

technologies. 

I also oversee Kilby Labs—an exciting new initiative at TI. In conjunction with 

the 50th anniversary of the invention of the integrated circuit in 2008, TI launched 

Kilby Labs as a center of innovation designed to foster creative ideas for break-
32

1 UT Arlington, UT Dallas, University of North Texas, Texas Tech, UT El Paso, UT San Antonio, and University of Houston. 

through semiconductor technology. The new labs build on IC inventor Jack Kilby’s 

legacy of revolutionizing our lives through chip innovation. 

The lab allows selected TI researchers to work full time on a high-risk, high-reward project for several months to a year. The research often involves collaboration 

with university professors and several graduate students are assigned to the lab 

through TI’s co-op program. A board of business unit technical experts selects 

projects on a competitive basis from TI employee submissions. Selected projects 

must have financial sponsorship from a TI business unit. Currently, there are 7 

projects selected from over 90 submissions. Several of the current projects are focused on power management critical to energy and medical applications, from chips 

that can better harvest energy to ultra-low power chips suitable for medical 

implantable devices.

Texas University Engagement

TI has special relationships with Texas universities. TI founders Eugene 

McDermott, Cecil Green and Erik Jonsson helped establish the University of Texas 

at Dallas (UTD) in 1969 by providing the vision of a local science, technology, and 

research institution and donating the land for the campus. In 1986, UTD’s engineering school was named in Erik Jonsson’s honor. In 2003, TI announced it would build a new $3 billion manufacturing facility in 

Richardson, Texas. Although incentives were offered by sites around the world, one 

of the key factors was commitment by the State of Texas to invest $300 million at 

UTD to further develop research and engineering capacity and improve the innovation ecosystem of North Texas. Since that time, UTD’s graduate engineering program has risen 20 spots in the US. News and World Report rankings, 20 new faculty have been added, and annual research expenditures have nearly doubled to $65 

million. 

In 2005, the State of Texas created a $200 million Emerging Technology Fund 

which has been a wonderful tool for incentivizing research and innovation in Texas. 

The fund has three goals: invest in public-private endeavors around emerging scientific or technology fields that are likely to enhance the competitiveness of the 

state; match federal and other sponsored investment in science; and attract and enhance research talent superiority in Texas. 

In addition, the State of Texas Legislature recently approved resources to grow 

additional Tier 1 research capacity in the state, which TI strongly supported—The 

Texas Research Incentive Program (TRIP). Tier-1 is defined as a non-medical research university that supports more than $100 million annually in research expenditures. Texas currently has three Tier-1 research universities: UT Austin, Texas 

A&M, and Rice. The Legislature identified seven Texas universities 1 that have 

made good progress towards this Tier-1 goal, and plans to make $25 million available to these institutions to match research gifts they receive. This mechanism enables these universities to leverage state funds based on new gifts that TI and others provide. As a result, these institutions will be better able to drive expansion of 

their own capabilities. 

On September 1, the University of Texas at Dallas announced it had received 16 philanthropic gifts, totaling more than $16.8 million that were motivated in part by 

the availability of matching funds through TRIP. 

In greater Dallas, TI has a tremendous resource in the research community right 

in our backyard. TI has provided financial and technical support for medical electronics research involving collaboration among UTD, UT Southwestern, and UT Arlington. We also are working closely with Baylor Health and Texas Health Resources. An early success story comes from UTD, where TI-sponsored research resulted in wireless medical sensors that are now being commercialized through a 

start-up company. The sensors use wireless technology to remotely monitor vital 

signs and transmit data. The larger MobileLab project on wireless health care at 

UTD has now received follow-on funding from Ericsson, Research in Motion, 

Samsung, and Apple.

Semiconductor Research Corporation

The Semiconductor Research Corporation is a consortium of semiconductor companies that collaboratively funds pre-competitive university research in semiconductor 

technology and design. 

TI participates on technical advisory boards, routinely attends university research 

reviews and adds technical relevance to research efforts. TI’s annual contributions 
33

in the past five years averaged well over $10 million, enabling SRC to fund more 

than $70 million of semiconductor research and support more than 1,000 science 

and engineering graduate students annually. I will highlight three SRC programs 

as model collaborations: 

TxACE, the Focus Center Research Program, and the Nanoelectronics Research 

Initiative (NRI).

TxACE 

TI led an effort within SRC to establish a $16 million collaboration center at UTD 

that focuses on research in analog and radio frequency technologies to address challenges in such areas as energy efficiency, health care, and public safety, which are 

uniquely reliant on analog technology. The center involves Southern Methodist University, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, and UT Austin, as well as universities outside 

Texas including Stanford and UC Berkeley. 

TI is providing $1 million to endow an analog design chair to serve as TxACE Director, is providing $500,000 to endow an analog design graduate student fellowship 

for the program, and has committed $2.7 million for research projects over three 

years. The SRC is providing an additional $1.2 million per year for three years, 

UTD and the UT System providing $3.7 million over three years with the State 

Emerging Technology fund matching $4.5 million over three years. This collaboration of academia, industry, and government is an excellent example of how regional 

innovation is created.

Focus Center Research Program 

The Focus Center Research Program is a partnership between the semiconductor 

industry and the Defense Department (DARPA) to fund university research on semiconductor technology challenges at 38 institutions nationwide. All funding goes directly to universities, and supports research centered on the key technical challenges to extending and moving beyond current chip-making process technology 

(CMOS). Federal funds are leveraged through an industry match, which is very rare 

for a basic research program. Participating Texas schools include UT Austin, UTD, 

and Texas A&M.

Nanoelectronics 

As my colleague Bob Doering testified before this Committee in April 2008, the 

NRI is recognized as a model collaboration that leverages funding and expertise 

from industry, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institute of 

Standards and Technology (NIST), and contributions from state and local governments. 

NRI supports basic university research in nanoelectronics at four regional centers 

involving 35 universities across 20 states. NRI efforts are primarily focused on finding a new switch with improved speed, energy efficiency, and/or cost compared to 

the field-effect transistor, which is today’s workhorse for processing information. 

The NRI started as a result of the U.S. semiconductor industry recognizing that 

university research in nanoelectronics must be accelerated to retain technical leadership and capture the economic benefits. In 2005, six semiconductor companies, including TI, agreed to provide industry funds to form a consortium that would fund 

university research in nanoelectronics. From the beginning, it was clear that the 

scope of the challenge and basic science questions involved would require engagement and resources from the federal government, and conversations began with the 

NSF and NIST. 

The third regional NM center, the Southwest Academy of Nanoelectronics (SWAN) 

is based at UT Austin and involves UTD, Rice, Texas A&M, as well as other universities outside Texas. In establishing SWAN, the State of Texas, the University of 

Texas System, and Texas industry collaborated to establish a complementary package of leveraged support. The resulting $30 million of matching funds is focused on 

attracting and supporting top academic researchers in nanoelectronics. Specifically, 

this is a three-way match, with the State of Texas contributing $10 million from 

the Emerging Technology Fund, the University of Texas System matching with $10 

million, and the remaining $10 million being contributed by Texas industry for endowed chairs, including $5 million from TI. 

The other regional NM centers provide similar state and local leverage to industry, NSF, and NIST funds. While the states have provided these resources to the 

four regional NRI centers, it is important to note that the regional centers are ‘‘virtual’’ and involve researchers from several universities outside these states, thus the 

local investments benefit research on a national level.
34

STEM Education

Talent is needed to sustain innovation in Northeast Texas—whether at TI, other 

innovative companies, or at our local campuses. It is critical that we both welcome 

talent from around the world and build the pipeline of U.S. students in the STEM 

disciplines. 

Education is the highest priority for corporate philanthropy at TI—a heritage of 

involvement that traces back to the company’s founders. Each year, TI and its corporate foundation make financial contributions totaling millions of dollars in grants 

and other gifts to schools, educational programs, and universities. TI seeks opportunities for fundamental change by developing and supporting programs with measurable success that can be replicated elsewhere. A full description of TI’s community 

education involvement is attached to this testimony in Appendix 1 & 2. I’d like to 

highlight a recent announcement and a promising initiative in mathematics.

Teacher Effectiveness 

Last week, the TI Foundation announced a $3 million investment to advance the 

effective, innovative teaching of STEM subjects. Two major grants of $1.5 million 

each will go to proven, successful programs:

• Laying the Foundation (LTF), to provide training and professional development for current math/science teachers in three Dallas-area school districts 

(Dallas, Richardson and Garland school districts), and

• UTeach, to train new certified math/science teachers, in conjunction with the 

National Math and Science Initiative and three area universities (the University of North Texas, UT Arlington and UTD).

LTF is a non-profit that provides a comprehensive pre-Advanced Placement training program including resource and planning guides, in-district training, summer 

institutes, conferences, and online resources. The goal is to support teachers as they 

prepare students in grades 6–11 to excel in AP and other college-level courses. 

UTeach is an innovative teacher preparation program that recruits, prepares, and 

retains STEM majors to become qualified math, science, and computer science 

teachers. The grants will fund additional master teachers at two existing UTeach 

programs at UNT and UTD and will establish a new program at UTA, bringing the 

total number of UTeach universities to 14 nationwide. 

This local investment will increase the output and effectiveness of qualified math 

and science teachers required in the Dallas area now and in the future.

MathForward 

Math is the fundamental skill for science and engineering. It is easy to get students excited about science and engineering, but this opportunity to attract students 

is wasted if they cannot do the math. TI’s Education Technology business developed 

and implemented MathForward, a research-based program that combines instruction, professional development, curriculum integration and classroom technology to 

help middle and high school students build confidence and achievement in mathematics, particularly focused on algebra and algebra readiness. The intervention program has proven successful in significantly raising the test scores of students who 

previously failed state math assessment tests. Most pilot participants were AfricanAmerican or Hispanic and most were from economically disadvantaged circumstances. First launched at a junior high in the Richardson Independent School 

District, today more than 40 schools from eight states participate.

Community Colleges 

Community colleges are an important element of the economic development, workforce, and educational ecosystem of our community and should be contemplated 

when developing national strategies for creating climates conducive to economic 

growth. 

One of the essential roles community colleges have historically played in North 

Texas regional workforce development is providing manufacturing technician training. TI’s manufacturing facilities, or ‘‘fabs’’ require technicians to have an associate’s 

degree. Fab technicians perform technical tests and engineering experiments, and 

need to be able to apply advanced math skills and pass a test on basic electronics, 

applied physics, and basic chemistry. 

The community colleges serving Dallas and Collin counties (Texas)—Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) and Collin Community College District 

(Collin)—have combined to receive over $27 million in workforce training grants 

from local, state and federal sources in 2008–09. Those investments have been de-
35

2 American Association of Community Colleges (2005). 

3Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. 

ployed to establish and implement a variety of training programs that range from 

English as a Second Language to Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma. 

Increasingly community colleges also serve as a critical pathway to a bachelor’s 

degree. Community colleges serve close to half of the undergraduate students in the 

United States.2 Currently, more than 600,000 students are now enrolled in community colleges in Texas; that enrollment represents 75 percent of all freshmen and 

sophomores in Texas and 78 percent of all minority freshmen and sophomores as 

well.3

To increase college going rates, the TI Foundation, since 1999, has supported Rising Star scholarships to enable Dallas County students in the top 40 percent of his 

or her high school class to attend any Dallas County community college. Rising Star

scholarships go to students who might not otherwise be able to afford college, and 

include tuition, fees and books for the two-year degree. More than 9,000 Rising Star 

students have enrolled in the Dallas County Community College District since the 

program’s inception. Additionally, TI created a $1 million endowment for Collin College in 2004 for the Science, Math, Advanced Research and Technology (SMART) 

Educational Initiative. SMART provides scholarships for academically qualified community college and high school students who intend to continue pursuit of four-year 

degrees in engineering or related fields or to take college-level coursework. The goal 

is to fuel a pipeline of highly skilled professionals in careers in science, math and 

engineering disciplines. By the end of 2008, approximately 32 scholarships had been 

awarded.

Recommendations

As illustrated by TI’s experience, model research collaborations involve not only 

industry and universities, but are greatly enhanced by the engagement of federal 

agencies and state/local government. One of the most important steps Congress can 

take is to provide regular, predictable sustained investments in basic research. NSF, 

NIST, DOE Office of Science, and DARPA are the key agencies that fund physical 

sciences and engineering research-critical disciplines for the semiconductor industry 

that unfortunately have been relatively underfunded for decades. 

Industry can play an important role in establishing the translation of basic research into commercialization by providing insights on appropriate goals and needs 

for both ‘‘directed’’ basic research and its potential commercialization. This input is 

provided through advisory panels, consortia, and various industry advisory liaisons’ 

input into federal agency merit review processes. For example, I serve as an industry advisor on NIST’s Technology Innovation Program, which supports translational 

projects in areas of national need such as energy, security, infrastructure, and medical. Direct agency partnership with pre-competitive industry consortia is also a very 

effective mechanism to achieve close industry-government collaboration and facilitate commercialization of promising research. 

State governments also play an important role in leveraging federal funds and facilitating commercialization from universities to industry. Several states like Texas 

have mechanisms to support these efforts. In addition, state governments are also 

critical in supporting public research universities from an overall budget perspective. 

While both Congress and many states have focused on the importance of STEM 

education, there must be an effort to scale programs that are demonstrating results 

tied to student achievement. In particular, there should be an emphasis on the fundamental math skills needed to succeed in STEM fields. 

Finally, we must address immigration reform for highly-educated professionals. 

Nearly half of the master’s degrees and over 70% of Ph.D.’s in electrical engineering 

from U.S. universities are granted to foreign nationals. While we continue to grow 

the U.S. STEM pipeline longer term, we must retain this talent. I came to the U.S. 

on an H–1B and received my green card. Today, hundreds of innovators at TI are 

stuck in multi-year waits for green cards, limiting their promotion potential and 

making international travel difficult. This process must be reformed if we are to attract and retain the world’s best minds, especially those graduating from U.S. universities. 

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. TI looks forward to continuing our 

close working relationship with this committee.
36

BIOGRAPHY FOR DR. MARTIN IZZARD
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Mr. HALL. Thank you. I know you’ll express our appreciation to 

Eric Johnson and his family and Gene McDermott. Who was the 

other one that was such a great leader at TI? Milton——

Mr. IZZARD. Cecil Green. 

Mr. HALL. Cecil Green, great man, University of Texas at Dallas. 

They all hook in there and made major contributions to establishing that facility here in the Texas area. Thank you. 

Next we’ll hear from Bill Sproull, Vice Chairman, Texas Emerging Technology Fund Advisory Committee, and we’ve asked him to 

kind of go into describing the Texas Emerging Technology Fund 

and its objectives and also talk to us about the most important elements that are necessary to develop regional innovation capacity 

and grow the high tech companies. 

That’s the basic thrust of why we’re here, is to point that out and 

to see how we can do it better and how we get recognition for what 

we also do. Thank you. 

Mr. SPROULL. I’ll try to do it in my five minutes. 

Mr. HALL. All right, sir. 

STATEMENT OF MR. WILLIAM C. SPROULL, VICE CHAIRMAN, 

TEXAS EMERGING TECHNOLOGY FUND ADVISORY COMMITTEE 

Mr. SPROULL. Chairman Gordon, Congressman Hall, thank you 

for inviting me here today to talk to you about two subjects I’m 

deeply passionate about: ETF, as it’s known, and regional innovation. I’ve made a career out of professional economic development 

on both the local and regional level and interestingly was Economic 

Development Director of this town, here in McKinney back in ’96 

to 2000. 

Chairman Gordon talked about fast growth. This town was about 

30,000 in population. I think we’re at about 125,000 now. It’s 

grown rather quickly. And you also spent time in Dallas and Kansas City and other places. 

Most of my professional career the last few years has been focused on technology of economic development, and that’s how I got 

involved with our Governor Rick Perry back in 2005 in helping create the Texas Emerging Technology Fund. 

It really has three purposes. The first is to invest in early stage 

companies that have potential to create jobs and wealth in Texas. 

The second is to make grants to research consortiums composed of 

industry, government, universities and others to apply research 

that leads to commercialization. 

The third to make grants to public universities to recruit world 

renowned or nationally ranked researchers who will take basic research from the bench, take it to applied research and commercialize that by creating new companies and patents that can be utilized. Much of the impetus for the creation of this fund had to do 

with this fact. 

Back in about 2005, Texas public universities were prolific at 

drawing down Federal research finance and private research contracts. In fact, at this time, we’re funding—operating about $2 million per biennium in externally funded research. 

But unfortunately, the licensing revenue that got patents that 

had produced all that research was only about 20 or $30 million 
46

a year. And it just seemed like we were not getting the bang for 

the buck out of all this research. 

So there wasn’t a significant collaboration occurring with industry trying to commercialize those results. So in 2005, the Texas 

Legislature created this legislation. The ETF put $200 million in 

the bank for us to use. 

The legislation prescribed that we create regional centers of innovation and commercialization that are really the entry points for 

the fund. We have seven of those in different regions of the state 

and one statewide for life science companies. 

But there’s a 17 member advisory board—I’m the vice chair currently— that would take applications from regions, get them and 

then recommend to our trustees for approval as trustees of the 

Governor, Lt. Governor and Speaker, and they have to unanimously approve an investment out of the fund. 

So what’s the result today? Since 2005—and the legislature, by the way, has appropriated an additional $275 million into the 

funds, so we’ve had close to a half a billion dollars. We funded a 

total of 106 projects, early stage company investments, research 

matching grant consortiums and research talent acquisitions. They’ve been awarded over $240 million of ETF money with an- other 31 projects in the pipeline worth almost $60 million. By 

year’s end, we’ll probably have about 100 companies in our portfolio that I would say were in an area that some of us describe as 

that ‘‘valley of death’’ of pre-revenue growth where they are trying 

to commercialize their technology. 

Others that are more optimistic call it the ‘‘mountain of opportunity’’. And I think that we’ll have a number of great successes 

out of that. We’ve also landed 45 world class researchers on our 

teams and 14 public universities and we’ve invested $74 million to 

recruit those teams. 

And industry has followed on—as an example that TI gave, of adding another $200 million on top of that. So we know that we’re 

leveraging private dollars in the amount of seed money that we’re 

putting through public dollars. 

We’re technology agnostic. It can be semiconductors, biotech devices. We just want the best opportunities to create wealth, and as 

you said, Mr. Chairman, really raise the standard of living for all 

Texans. We’ve had over 1,000 seasoned experts helping to get these 

proposals that volunteer their time like I do on the board or on regional centers around the State. 

And every company that we fund has to have a collaborative relationship with one of the institutions of higher education in the 

state, so we really make sure that we’re leveraging that research 

step. And in North Texas, we’ve had almost 30 products worth $60 

million that we’ve funded out of there. 

So I can safely say I think this has been a great catalyst for 

wealth creation, job creation in our state. It’s helped to create new 

cultural entrepreneurials in the state, particularly in our universities. 

I want to use the remaining couple of—a minute just to talk 

about regional innovation and capacity very quickly. Clearly Dr. 

Izzard referred to the importance of continued Federal funding for 

science. He referenced the fact that we recently passed legislation 
47

to create more Tier 1 research universities in Texas to have a 

matching grant formula for that. 

It continues to be important that we have an entrepreneurial culture that tolerates risk and rewards success, that we have developed state funding. But I want to underscore one thing that he 

mentioned about high skilled immigration. 

There’s a tsunami out there in industry. My paying job is that 

of leading the largest trade association in Texas. And I can tell you 

that a lot of our employers, they’re facing a massive amount of 

pressure over the next couple years with baby-boomers retiring out 

of the work force. 

And it’s a number game. Where are we gonna get the workers 

from? The high school, folks, and clearly part of that solution has 

to be a better way to handle high school immigration to this country to make it easier to retain talent that we’re educating in our 

own universities. 

And then the other piece that Mr. Luce talked about that is vitally important is inspiring more U.S. born kids to university 

STEM disciplines. So I thank you for allowing me to come here and 

talk with you for a few minutes this morning. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Sproull follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF WILLIAM C. SPROULL

Chairman Gordon and Congressman Hall, good morning. It is my honor and 

pleasure to have been asked by you to come and testify at this field hearing of the 

House Science & Technology committee. You have asked me to describe the Texas 

Emerging Technology Fund, its objectives, activities and successes, and its role in 

and relationship to the North Texas innovation economy. You have also asked me 

to tell you what I see as the most important elements necessary to develop regional 

innovation capacity and grow the high-tech economy. I am happy to answer both 

these questions and others you might ask of me today. 

It might be important for you to know a bit about my background as it relates 

to the topics I’ll cover this morning. I’ve been in the career of professional local and 

regional economic development ever since I graduated from college. Much of my professional focus over the last several years has been on technology-led economic development, the innovation eco-system, and entrepreneurship. 

Interestingly, I used to work as President of the McKinney Economic Development 

Corporation, the community we’re in today. At the time I started here in 1996, 

McKinney was just about 30,000 in population, and now has grown quickly to over 

125,000. I’ve also worked in much larger cities, like Kansas City, where I began my 

career, and in Dallas, where I ran a large regional economic development organization. Today, I head a trio of organizations, of which the one most pertinent to today’s discussion is the Metroplex Technology Business Council. It is the largest 

membership based trade association for technology companies in the state of Texas. 

Because of my background in economic development and technology, I became involved with our Governor, Rick Perry, in the creation of the Texas Emerging Technology Fund back in 2005. It is an economic development fund whose purposes are:

• To invest in early stage technology companies who have the potential to create jobs and wealth in our state;

• To foster research consortiums between industry, universities, the federal 

government and non-profits to do applied research leading to commercialization of new products; and

• To make grants to public universities in Texas to recruit world-renown or nationally ranked researchers who will translate basic into applied research in 

their given domain expertise and help launch new products and companies.

Much of the impetus for the creation of this fund had to do with the fact that 

Texas universities, who have a prolific ability to draw down federal and private research dollars, have by and large failed to capitalize on their massive research 

spend in terms of translating that into intellectual property with the potential and 
48

support to become commercialized in the private marketplace, thus creating new 

jobs and wealth. To give you a sense of the depth of this problem at the time, our 

universities were performing almost $2 billion of externally funded research per biennium, yet the licensing revenue from the patents produced was only in the tens 

of millions of dollars. In addition, few universities had the infrastructure, culture 

or incentive to foster an entrepreneurial climate in and around them. 

So, in 2005, the Texas Legislature approved Governor Perry’s vision by passing 

legislation to create the Emerging Technology Fund, or ETF as it’s known, and initially fund it with $200 million. Since then, the legislature has twice met and appropriated an additional $275 million into the fund. The legislation also called for the 

establishment of regional centers of innovation and commercialization that would 

take applications to the fund and build an entrepreneurial ecosystem. There are 

now 7 regional centers throughout the state and one state-wide center just for life 

science companies. The legislation also established an advisory committee, or Board, 

of 17 people, on which I have served since its inception in 2005, and for which the 

Governor just reappointed me to serve as the Vice-Chairman for the next two years. 

This advisory board considers applications that make it through the regional innovation centers, considers them, and recommends which ones should be approved by 

the Fund’s Trustees, namely, the Governor, Lt. Governor and Speaker of the House. 

A decision to make an investment out of the fund requires the unanimous support 

of all three Trustees. 

So, what have been the results?

• A total of 106 projects (early stage company investments, research matching 

grant consortiums, & research talent acquisition) have been awarded over 

$240 million in ETF money, with another 31 projects worth almost $62 million in either the contract or final approval stages.

• By year’s end, we’ll easily have over 100 early stage companies in our portfolio, making the ETF the most active early stage investment fund in the 

country, and creating a global competitive edge for Texas. National recognition has given to the fund as a model to be replicated on both the federal and 

state levels.

• Also since the creation of the fund, 45 world class researchers and their 

teams with the experience and culture to commercialize their research have 

been recruited from around the world to 14 Texas public universities. Today, 

the fund’s investment of over $74 million to recruit those teams has resulted 

in attracting over $200 million additional dollars from private and federal 

sources into those institutions . . . and we’re still counting.

• The fund is open to all technology sectors for investment and currently has 

a very diverse portfolio of medical devices, energy, nanoelectronics, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, IT, biotechnology, robotics, 

nanomedicine, defense, aerospace telecommunications, and software.

• Over 1,000 seasoned experts (investors, entrepreneurs, economic developers, 

researchers, and industry representatives) volunteer their time on the state 

advisory committee and the 8 regional centers around the state to evaluate, 

coach, mentor and select quality investment opportunities for the state to invest in.

• The innovation capacity of the state’s rural areas has been dramatically improved since the inception of the fund. Those areas have seen significant success which has resulted in investments into multiple companies and universities in those regions. Additionally, angel investment funds have formed in 

these regions to invest in early stage technology companies that didn’t exist 

before.

• Every company receiving an investment from the ETF has a collaborative relationship with one or more Texas institutions of higher education. Thousands 

of entrepreneurs have been counseled through the ETF process.

• In North Texas, the ETF has funded 28 projects to the tune of over $60 million, which has been matched by private and other public investments in the 

millions of dollars. Our universities have a greater capacity for and relationship with the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and cutting edge applied research 

is being done in conjunction with industry in areas such as advanced semiconductors, atomically precise manufacturing techniques, and nanomaterials 

and nanoelectronics. Better linkages now exist between the 9 incubators in 

our region, the universities and our angel and venture capital communities.

I can safely say that the ETF has been a catalyst for the creation of new companies, a new entrepreneurial culture in our universities, and new wealth and jobs in 
49

our state, at precisely the time when we have needed it the most since the dot-com 

bust in the early part of this decade. The ETF model leverages federal research and 

private investment dollars with a relentless focus on commercialization of intellectual property. 

You’ve also asked me to comment on the requirements for regional innovation capacity and how to grow the high tech economy. The other speakers today certainly 

will address some of these items in more detail than I, however, let me lay out in 

short order the key components I see as necessary, and then we can have a more 

in-depth discussion on any or all if you like. 

Regional Innovation Priorities for Growing the High-Tech Economy in North 

Texas.

• Continued federal leadership in funding basic research, and regional leverage 

of federal and private research in a collaborative model that stresses basic 

and applied research science as well as commercialization results.

• Knowledge intensity—creating more tier one research universities in North 

Texas, which the state laid the groundwork for this past legislative session 

with the passage of House Bill 51. It creates a system of incentives for those 

7 public universities in Texas, 3 of which are located in North Texas, to get 

awarded state dollars for successfully competing for federal and private dollars, so that they can grow faculty, research and facilities.

• Maintaining and enhancing an entrepreneurial culture in both the public and 

private sector, one that is tolerant of both risk and failure, and rewards success.

• The availability of early stage funding for companies. While the ETF and the 

angel investment community in North Texas have made a difference, the venture capital model here and throughout the country is undergoing a transition 

of funding availability, exit strategies, and pricing expectations, with the result that there is a shortage of this type of growth capital now. It is interesting to note that 20% of all Americans work for a company that was at one 

point funded with venture capital.

• The continued need for high-skilled immigration. With a growing number of 

baby-boomers retiring out of our technology industries over the next 10 years, 

and the fact that we don’t have enough U.S. born kids in the pipeline today 

to fulfill our workforce needs, even in this current economic climate, the tech 

industry needs to have the ability to recruit from abroad.

• A workforce development program that gets more U.S. kids interested and engaged in science, technology, engineering and math, and adequate numbers 

of teachers to teach and inspire them. You’ll certainly hear some great ideas 

and initiatives on this from Mr. Luce.

I hope the comments that I have shared with you today have been helpful and 

will assist you in continuing to craft and support a progressive federal policy on innovation. I want to particularly thank the Chairman, Congressman Gordon, for his 

leadership in passing the America Competes Act, and for Congressman Hall’s persistent support of federal science and technology policy and for his constituents here 

in North Texas. 

I would be happy to answer any questions you might have, and thank you for having me here today.

BIOGRAPHY FOR WILLIAM C. SPROULL

Sproull is President and CEO of the Richardson Chamber of Commerce, 

Metroplex Technology Business Council and the Richardson Economic Development 

Partnership. This unique and complex set of organizations he runs has two separate 

Board of Directors and a City Council to whom he reports. 

He has led the revitalization of Richardson’s tech based economy through focus 

on diversification and technology start-ups. Sproull is credited with bringing two of 

the largest economic development projects announced in the U.S. to Richardson: A 

5,000 employee Countrywide Financial operation in 2004, and a $3 billion Texas Instruments semiconductor factory in 2003. He also helped lead a statewide coalition 

that got legislation passed in 2005 to create the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, 

a half-billion investment fund. 

Previously he held the senior economic development positions at the Greater Dallas Chamber, the McKinney Economic Development Corporation and at the EDC of 

Kansas City, Missouri. Sproull is a graduate of Baylor University, where he received 

a B.A. degree with a double major in Economics and Political Science. 
50

Sproull is on the Boards of Directors of the International Economic Development 

Council, the University of Texas at Dallas Development Board and the North Texas 

Commission. He was reappointed by Texas Governor Rick Perry in 2009 to the 

Board of the Texas Emerging Technology Fund for his third two-year term and 

serves as Vice-Chair. 

Sproull’s industrial recruitment experience was recognized by the editors of Site 

Selection magazine when they selected the $3 billion Texas Instruments project as 

the Top Development Deal nationally of 2003, and in 1996 when he was recognized 

for the establishment of Blockbuster’s 818,000 square-foot North American Distribution Center in McKinney. His teams have been selected three times by Site Selection as one of the top 10 development groups in the U.S. in 1994, 1997 and 2004. 

He is also a two-time recipient of the American Economic Development Council’s 

‘‘Best of Class’’ marketing award.

Mr. HALL. I thank you very much and thanks for answering the 

questions that we asked you to answer that were very, very important. And we’ll now hear from Tom Luce. I don’t have enough time 

to describe Tom. He’s just a legend. 

And he and his family and friends are major players in everything that’s good for this county and this part of the country and 

very, very helpful to me when I got under way in my political 

goals. And I still thank you again and again. 

I don’t know if you did—you did me a wonderful lot of favors. I 

don’t know if you did much for the country. We recognize you. 

Mr. LUCE. Well, I did by helping you, Mr. Congressman. 

Mr. HALL. Well, I needed it. Thank you. We recognize you, Tom. 

STATEMENT OF MR. TOM LUCE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, 

NATIONAL MATH AND SCIENCE INITIATIVE 

Mr. LUCE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Congressman Hall. 

Thank you for the opportunity. And I want to set the stage to talk 

about how do we leverage what’s happening regionally and locally 

which we all know needs to be happening, but how do we then 

make that happen across the country because we have a national 

competitiveness issue. 

When I started on education reform in 1983, a report had just 

come out that said we were a nation at risk, a greater risk from 

the decline of our education system than we were from communism. And at the time, we were number one in the world in 

high school graduation rate and college graduation rate. 

Today, 25 years later, we are 14 and 15, and we said we were 

at risk in 1983. We won the Cold War. Capitalism prevailed. And 

we have three billion new competitors, and they are running very 

fast, and we are falling behind, period, paragraph. 

That to me is a national competitiveness issue. The issue we 

must confront is that we are trying to educate 55 million children 

in our public schools. 55 million. 

So when we have a local success which we have here in North 

Texas, and we have a program that works, and it helps 5,000 students or 20,000 students, that’s fantastic, but we have to learn how 

to help 55 million students. 

And the way we do that is by scaling proven programs. I like to 

say and I would say in addressing your specific question, one of the 

worse violators of this is the Federal Government. We have lit 

more pilot fires in this country, but we’ve never lit the central heat 

and air-conditioning system. 
51

We fund pilot program after pilot program after pilot program and yet we’ve got to stop and say, look, we’re spending $3.5 billion 

to help K through 12 in math and science, but we’re doing that 

through 125 programs. 

And we haven’t stopped and said which are the best programs 

that we can take the 55 million kids. It may have to be implemented in a different way at Middle Tennessee and A&M Commerce, but what did we learn about the best way to educate, let’s 

say, math and science teachers. 

So what we’re about at the National Math and Science Initiative—my real nickname for our foundation is Scale Up, Inc. We 

want to scale proven programs. We’ve started with two; one is 

UTeach, which is a new way of training math and science teachers 

so that they have a true content degree in four years in the college 

of natural sciences and math. And they get a teaching certificate 

all in four years. 

You know, the question was raised, well, will other universities 

replicate a program started at another university? Well, we answered that in the first round of grants when the University of 

California at Berkley applied to replicate a University of Texas at 

Austin program. 

I can assure you that’s an unnatural act for them to apply to replicate a University of Texas program. And yet we had 53 universities apply to replicate that program which is recommended in the 

America COMPETES Act which you all passed, but there’s not separate funding for that program. 

Through private sources, we have now taken that program 

thanks to TI, ExxonMobile, the Gates Foundation, the Dell Foundation—the private sector has invested $140 million, and we’re taking that program now to 17 universities. But we have another 40 

who have applied to do that; and if we could fund those 40, we 

could reach the goal that was in Rising Above the Gathering Storm

of 10,000 teachers, we could do it. 

On our own in the 17, we’ll produce 3,000. So the goal of 10,000 

is doable if we can get Congress to consolidate and focus on a few 

proven programs. In the high school arena, we’re doing one program that encourages particularly minority students and convergent students and rural students to take and pass AP exams in 

math and science. 

In our first year of operation, we produced an increase in individual schools in six states, a 53 percent increase in the number 

of students taking and passing AP math and science courses in one 

year. The minority increase went up 123 percent. Why did it go up? 

Because we trained the existing teacher core to teach Advance 

Placement courses that are higher standard, critical thinking skills. 

And the data shows that if a high school student takes and 

passes one AP course, one in any subject, the college graduation 

rate for Hispanic students goes from 15 percent to plus 62 percent. 

African American students, 17 percent to plus 60 percent. 

So we must concentrate on raising standards, raising expectations to produce the K–12 pipeline, and then we must produce the 

next generation of teachers. If there’s one thing your Committee 

could do, it would be to urge NSF, Department of Energy, Department of Defense, all of these agencies to help with their funding 
52

for K–12 to get behind some of these programs and add their 

weight and help do it. 

For instance, the regional labs could have these UTeach teachers 

there in their summer program. They could have the AP students 

there. We’ve got to find a way to leverage the money that’s being 

spent behind some volume, if you will, so that we can catch up 

quickly. We’re falling behind very, very quickly. 

So that’s what I would urge you to consider doing. We’ve proven 

that scaling works in our UTeach programs. From grant to enrollment of the first class only took three months for a university. 

Now, I think most people would agree if you give a grant to most 

universities, they’ll spend a year or two forming a committee to decide the curriculum. We gave them the whole course and they enrolled 1,100 students in three months. 

That’s the kind of quick progress we need to make and those are 

the kind of numbers that we need to address by finding out the 

best operating programs all over the country and scaling them with 

the help of Federal resources because if you invest $1 in the National Math and Science Initiative, the private sector’s already investing, our state government is investing and your state, as you 

know it, Tennessee, the State of Tennessee is gonna pay to have 

two universities start the UTeach program. 

So the Federal Government has an opportunity to leverage state 

dollars, private dollars and local business dollars such as TI if we 

get behind and collaborate on some programs. Thank you very 

much. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Luce follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF TOM LUCE

Mr. Chairman and Committee Members, thank you for the honor and the opportunity to testify before you today on the topic of innovation. I commend you on your 

leadership on this issue as well as your commitment to identifying best practices 

in business and education that will foster innovation, which is so essential to maintain our country’s competitiveness in today’s global economy. 

Brainpower has always been key to American economic power—from the cotton 

gin to the telegraph . . . from the light bulb to synthetic fabrics . . . from miracle 

drugs to the microchip. We have surged ahead for the last two centuries on the 

strength of our education system. 

But times have changed. Just 25 years ago, the U.S. led the world in high school 

and college graduation rates—today we have dropped to 14th in high school graduations and 15th in college graduations among industrialized countries. 

Today U.S. students rank behind Canada, Japan and Western Europe in math 

and science—behind emerging Eastern European countries like Slovenia, Estonia 

and even tiny Liechtenstein. 

What has happened? 

Some of you may be tennis fans and followed the recent U.S. Open competition—

for the first time since they’ve had rankings in that premier tennis championship, 

there was only one American in the quarter finals. Was that because American tennis players have gotten worse? No, it’s because other countries have gotten better. 

The same thing applies to education—we now face more competition from people in 

the former Soviet bloc and from people in the rising countries that used to be called 

Third World countries. We now are faced with billions of new competitors who are 

vying to beat us at our own economic game. 

The warning signs are all around us: In the 1990s, the U.S. economy created 

around 2.2 million jobs a year. But from 2000 to the end of 2007, the rate dwindled 

to only 900,000 a year. Our growth engine is running out of fuel. Nearly 60 percent 

of U.S. Patents in information technology now originate in Asia. Only six of the top 

30 companies in the world for solar power, wind power and battery development are 

American. Just as science and technology are fueling new growth around the world, 
53

the number of American engineers and scientists graduating has declined-by 20 percent. 

As one of my colleagues put it the other day, we are producing more science in 

the world today than ever before-but we are teaching less science in the U.S. than 

ever before. 

We must do better. We believe the key ingredient to improving innovation—and 

stimulating high-value job creation—in the U.S. is improving the math and science 

education our young people receive. If you think about it, almost every major innovation that we need to pursue as a nation—medical breakthroughs, economic 

growth, renewable energy sources, homeland safety and security or space exploration—requires the new standard of literacy in STEM fields: science, technology, 

engineering and math. As a result, we need a vastly increased pipeline of highly 

qualified math and science teachers and students who are excited about science, 

technology, engineering and math, to keep the U.S. from losing ground to its foreign 

competitors. 

Two years ago, we established the National Math and Science Initiative to address this critical need. We identified specific programs with proven results that 

would directly and significantly improve math and science education in the U.S. We 

then leveraged the investment of both the public and private sectors to replicate the 

programs across the country. And we have already seen tremendous results. 

The Advanced Placement Training & Incentive Program is based on a model that 

was initiated in Dallas more than 12 years ago. This program focuses on bringing 

more rigorous coursework to more students as well as increasing teacher effectiveness and student achievement. And we know it works. 

Last year, we implemented this program in 67 high schools in six states, including 

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts and Virginia. In just the 

first year, we have dramatically increased the number of public high school students 

enrolling in college-level courses, as well as those taking and passing AP exams in 

math, science and English.

 ̨ Our Year One data, which was released last month, demonstrated a 52 percent increase in AP exams passed in the 2008–09 school year. This is more 

than nine times the national average.

Equally important, the results show that NMSI has helped close the achievement 

gap in math and science, particularly among under-represented students.

 ̨ For example, we recorded a 134 percent increase in AP math, science and 

English exams taken by African American and Hispanic students, in addition 

to a 72 Percent increase in AP exams passed by these students.

We have essentially helped to eliminate the barriers to entry to rigorous 

coursework, which bodes well for American students. Passing AP exams is directly 

correlated with a significant increase college graduation rates. 

The UTeach program is based on a model developed by the University of Texas 

at Austin. UTeach is an innovative teacher preparation program that transforms the 

way colleges and universities recruit, prepare and inspire new math and science 

teachers. 

In the 2008–09 school year, NMSI partnered with colleges and universities in 13 

states to enroll more than 1,100 math and science undergraduate majors in the 

UTeach program. We anticipate that this first cohort of future math and science 

teachers will impact more than one million students over the course of their teaching careers. 

In Texas, NMSI is proud to partner with and implement the UTeach program at 

the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of North Texas, the University of 

Texas at Tyler and University of Texas at Arlington. We know that this innovative 

program will produce outstanding math and science teachers who can transform 

education here in our own state and contribute to our region’s and state’s long-term 

economic growth and prosperity. 

We believe this kind of public-private model that NMSI has put together is the 

way of the future. We are grateful to have corporate support for our work—including Texas Instruments, Exxon Mobil Corporation and the Michael and Susan Dell 

Foundation—and to have strong support from state agencies such as the Texas Education Agency and national organizations like the National Council on Teacher 

Quality. These public private partnerships have allowed us to leverage limited resources to achieve incredible and sustainable gains in a short time. 

Going forward, it will take continued collaboration and dedicated resources on a 

national level to multiply this success, and we commend federal legislators and policymakers on making STEM education a priority. The federal government has a 

leading role to play in turning the tide in STEM education in our country. You can 
54

fund educational programs with a proven record to create regional centers of excellence and innovation like we’re working to build here in North Texas. 

Taking proven educational programs and replicating them nationally will require 

a significant commitment. But we must be prepared to invest in the next generation. This is not a theoretical issue, it is about changing lives and giving the next 

generation the survival tools to compete in today’s global marketplace. 

You can’t put a price tag on that. We must do what it takes to educate a modern 

workforce, keep our country competitive, and provide a quality of life for our children and their children. 

NMSI is proud to be part of the solution by tapping into the unrealized math and 

science potential of our young people. With your leadership, we are confident we can 

equip our young people with the education they need, help our country work smarter and help America lead the way again in innovation. 

Thank you for focusing on this urgent challenge, and I look forward to answering 

your questions.

BIOGRAPHY FOR TOM LUCE

Tom Luce is the CEO of the National Math and Science Initiative, a non-profit 

dedicated to expanding programs with a proven impact on math and science education in order to help the U.S. maintain its leadership position in the global economy. Mr. Luce served as United States Assistant Secretary of Education for Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development from July 1, 2005 until September 1, 

2006. At the department, Mr. Luce championed policies that would enhance American competitiveness. 

An attorney, Mr. Luce received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from 

Southern Methodist University and has been honored with the SMU Law School 

and University Distinguished Alumni Awards. He was a founding partner and managing partner of the law firm of Hughes & Luce, LLP until his retirement from the 

firm in 1997. 

In addition to his law practice, at various times Mr. Luce has served on the 

boards or as guest lecturer at a number of schools of higher education, including 

the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and the LBJ School of Public Affairs 

at The University of Texas at Austin. 

Following his resignation from the Department of Education, Mr. Luce rejoined 

the board of Dell Inc. He previously served on the Dell board from 1991 until 2005. 

He also has served on the boards of the Texas Education Reform Caucus and multiple community and charitable organizations. He served as a member of the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future and on the Executive Committee of the Dallas Citizens Council, an organization composed of CEOs of Dallas’s 

largest businesses. In addition, the United States Senate appointed Mr. Luce a 

member of the Library of Congress Trust Fund Board where he served until 2005. 

Mr. Luce also has been appointed five times to major posts by Texas governors, 

including Chief Justice pro tempore of the Texas Supreme Court. He is perhaps best 

known for his role as the Chief of Staff of the Texas Select Committee of Public 

Education, which produced one of the first major reform efforts among public 

schools in 1984. 

Mr. Luce was a co-founder of the National Center for Educational Accountability 

and served as Chairman of the Board from its inception until 2005. He also founded 

Just for the Kids and served as its Chairman until 2005. In 1995 Mr. Luce wrote 

Now or Never How We Can Save Our Public Schools, a book that defined his educational philosophy and outlined a preliminary plan for educational reform that 

called for broader support for public education. His second book, Do What Works, 

was published in December 2004 and received numerous positive reviews. 

Mr. Luce and his wife Pam live in Dallas, Texas. Together they have three children and seven grandsons.

Mr. HALL. Mr. Chairman, that completes the testimony. That’s 

the major purpose that we’re here was to extract from you the 

knowledge that made you successful and cause us to look to you 

for leadership here. Mr. Chairman, I yield to you. We have 15 minutes. We have to be on an airplane. 

Chairman GORDON. Okay. Let me then—I’ll try to—let me make 

a quick statement, then I have a couple questions. Interestingly, 

Mr. Luce, we are on the same wavelength in a lot of ways. 
55

I certainly agree with you in terms of scaling out successful existing programs. For over a year now, we’ve had a fellow on the Committee that’s been working to try to ferret out the various math 

and science programs across at least those areas of the jurisdiction 

we have. 

If you just go to the budget line and look under math and science 

education or somewhere, you find it’s just the tip of the iceberg. We 

have found a number of programs with little or no coordination 

whatsoever. 

So we’re continuing our effort to try to inventory those, at which 

time we then want to come out as we did with nanotechnology and 

some other areas where we’re looking at a coordinating council 

across all agencies that is—we might even potentially give them 

some priorities. 

The main thing is, let’s coordinate. Where is all this money? How 

is it being spent? Can it be incorporated in a better way? Can we 

be focused in a better way? A part of making a larger investment 

in the math and science is spending the money that we do better. 

So we are undertaking that. 

I think you will see if not the remainder of this year, certainly 

first of next year we will have an initiative that will settle that umbrella operation. 

Dr. Izzard, let me ask you—first let me say that you are an example of why we want to continue to bring the best and brightest 

around the world here to create more jobs for us. I think we all recognize that getting a continuing education beyond high school provides a variety of benefits, but with unemployment approaching 10 

percent, one of those benefits is a job. 

Now, from your standpoint, what are the skills, you know, working with our higher education institutions, what do they need to be 

providing in terms of work force? What are the skills that you need 

so we can have the jobs for our kids when they’re coming out? 

Dr. IZZARD. You know, I think that actually when I look at the 

STEM program—I recently got involved in it maybe a year or ago 

myself. I think those are the fundamentals. To me, if I look at the 

STEM program, it hits—and actually, often mathematics is left at 

the end of the acronym, and I prefer to put it near the front. Mathematics I think is the fundamental model that we use to understand the world around us and, you know, engineering is built on 

top of mathematics, and science is built on top of mathematics. 

And I think that if we focus on that, on giving people the language the technologies are built on, if we give people a strong 

grounding in mathematics, I think that’s the key and engineering 

and science and technology follow. 

So in my part of the world and my view of the commerce, it’s all 

technology or Internet. The folks who we need to have fit into our 

work force fundamentally are people with a good fundamental understanding. And that begins at school. That begins in K through 

12. 

And, you know, I hear the commentary about somebody who 

gets—passes one AP class has tremendously increased execution in 

college. That doesn’t surprise me. You know, in my view, success 

breeds success. People are successful early, it gives them the confidence to run faster and faster. 
56

You have to catch them early when people are missing any piece 

of the underpinning. And a lot of the time it’s mathematics, then 

they lose the confidence to continue to grow faster and faster. 

Chairman GORDON. Well, one thing that Mr. Luce noticed and 

has awakened us to recognize and that is, you have to have your 

teachers on STEM education and math courses who better understand those courses. 

My father was a good example. He was a farmer. He went to 

World War II. And when he came back, he wanted to be a better 

farmer. So he went on the GI bill to MTSU in my hometown and 

got a degree in agriculture. 

When my mother—when I was born, she was working in a cafeteria. And she lost her job and so my father had to get a second 

job. So he applied to teach high school, and he got the last teaching 

job at Smyrna High School. 

Since he was the last one hired, he was required to teach high 

school science and coach the girls’ basketball. And I’m not sure 

which he knew the least about. You know, we’re trying to make 

some changes now, and we know we’ve got to get to those teachers. 

But I guess the question that I have I’ll to ask Mr. Luce and all 

of you, we understand and it’s fairly easy, I guess you would say, 

just putting money behind it, taking existing teachers like my father and bringing them back to school and helping them to get a 

better core education but—and we know we’re setting up programs 

for those new teachers, the next generation that will go into math 

and science and education degree to teach. 

But what do we do to encourage those students when they’re 

freshman or sophomores to get into these programs before they 

teach? 

Mr. LUCE. Well, one thing they do under UT’s program, which 

has been remarkably successful, is they simply—and that’s one of 

the things we fund—they say to an interested student who comes 

to College of Natural Sciences or Math, ‘‘we’ll give you a free twohour course,’’ which is in effect practice teaching. 

They take them into the classroom the freshman year. They get 

a free two-hour credit because we want them to be exposed to the 

classroom. But we also find—and this has fantastic results in UT’s 

program—what is remarkable is all the graduates in the past 11 

years from the UT Austin program, 85 percent are still teaching 

five years later. 

In other words, they stay in the classroom. The reason they stay 

in the classroom is they’re not frustrated. They’ve learned content 

knowledge. They can make a youngster’s eyes light up, so they get 

excited about it because it is a basic, you can’t teach what you don’t 

know. 

And if you’re trying to stay a day ahead of the student, it’s very 

hard to inspire students in math and science and, therefore, producing teachers that have content knowledge is terribly important. 

I think the other thing that happens, Congressmen—it’s hard to 

prove this with data. The students are more likely—this younger 

generation wants to serve. Well, having the security of having a 

STEM degree, if they don’t like teaching, gives them great confidence to go try teaching because they know if they decide to drop 

out of teaching, they can go get a job at Hie or TI. 
57

But with that content degree, they have the confidence and they 

end up liking to stay in the classroom. 

Chairman GORDON. Dr. Jones, have you had any success or any 

models on getting, again, those freshmen and sophomores that 

want to go into these programs? 

Dr. JONES. I think one of the best investments you can make to 

increase both the production and retention of young teachers is to 

invest in summer programs, because typical students who are coming through as undergraduates, you know, they go for the year and 

then in summer they go off and try to find a job at McDonald’s or 

something so they can earn enough money to come back for a better job. 

But we have a couple of programs, the research experience for 

undergraduates, where we pair faculty members with undergraduate students and they engage in actual research projects. And 

it’s not make-believe research. It’s not kind of meta-gospel research. 

It’s pairing them as research assistants at an early point in their 

academic career. And that raises their aspiration level. It raises 

their imagination. It stimulates the imagination. And there are 

some programs out there. 

A wonderful program we’re applying for this year from NIH, it’s 

called Bridges to the Baccalaureate. And it’s aimed at tackling one 

of the most vexing problems that we face and that is how do we 

get students to start at Collin College, get their associate’s degree 

and encourage them to transfer and complete their bachelor’s and 

even go on for masters. 

And this program targets those students. It gives them positive 

summer experiences. It pairs our faculty with community college 

faculty. And it produces results. The problem is only six new programs are being funded this year in the current cycle. 

So this is an example that some of my colleagues here have testified, if we want to go with proven programs, this is one that works. 

It creates positive summer experiences for undergraduates. It turns 

them into scientists and engineers and teachers in those fields and 

with additional funding, we can scale it. 

Chairman GORDON. Just for your information, there are some 

programs being set up now with national labs for both high school 

teachers as well as—both for the teachers to come in, hopefully get 

excited about what they’re doing and then take that excitement 

back home, and then also for undergraduates to come in to the national labs to see what’s going on. 

Dr. ISRAEL. Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. HALL. Yes, sir. 

Dr. ISRAEL. I’d like to look at something we might be missing. I 

don’t know if the UTeach program is in any community college, but 

we’d really like UTeach to be at Collin County Community College. 

The pipeline for higher education in this country is the community 

college. 

Chairman GORDON. Well, in the COMPETES field, we recognize 

that, and there are some specific programs for it. 

Dr. ISRAEL. Right, I understand. But what we’re talking about, 

we have a Center for Advanced Studies in Mathematics and Nat-
58

ural Sciences that specializes in highly motivated students in math 

and natural sciences. They do undergraduate research. 

Our institution, when I came here 10 years ago, we couldn’t even 

offer any type of degree in teaching, and now in the State of Texas 

we can have an Associate of Arts in Teaching. Seventy percent of 

all undergrads in Texas started at community college freshman 

and sophomore. 

Seventy-eight percent of all minority undergraduates started at 

community college. Nationwide we’re approaching 50 percent. We 

don’t start linking community colleges a little bit better with some 

of these major wonderful initiatives that have been talked about, 

I think we’re going to have a problem getting the people at this 

level because we’re talking about K–12. 

We’re talking about universities, but we’re missing the boat and 

that’s the community colleges. And how can you create a two plus 

two plus two so that we can get all these individuals to have the 

STEM degrees that we’re working on. 

Mr. LUCE. Mr. Chairman, I would just point out that our program at the University of Kansas has formed an alliance with a 

community college in Kansas. They will be part of the program this 

year. So we recognize what you said in the America COMPETES 

Act.

Mr. HALL. Mr. Chairman, with your permission, we’d like to 

leave the record open to where we might want to—with these 

bright youngsters that we have with us today, I think some things 

that we’ve missed and inquire where we can put them on the 

record. Can that be done. 

Chairman GORDON. Certainly. 

Mr. HALL. And I just say to Tom, thank you for your discussions. 

And for the amount of money you’re asking for with the huge 

amounts that they’re playing with up there now, more money than 

I’ve ever seen in any vision of government, like the bailout, that 

first bailout, $800 billion. 

They lose more money than you’re talking about going from doggone committee room to the next up there. And it’s a shame that 

we can’t tie into them. And you tie into them with information that 

y’all have provided here. That’s the way we write bills based on 

what people smarter than we are and more intelligent than we are 

to give us the information. 

And I want to thank you for that. I guess that’s probably——

Chairman GORDON. Well, I’d like to open up one more little area, 

if I could, please. Mr. Humm, you had talked about the difficulty 

in getting through, for lack of a better term, bureaucracy, in terms 

of different types of plans at DOE. 

And maybe you and Dr. Izzard could give us some suggestions. 

On the one hand, we certainly want to be and we have the responsibility to be good stewards on the taxpayer dollars, and so we can’t 

just say here’s a check, you know. 

How do we mix that combination of trying to be good stewards 

while at the same time not overburdening those individuals, 

whether through RFPs or whatever it might be, to be able to come 

in with a good idea and to get funding. 

Mr. HUMM. Well, thank you very much for the question, Chairman Gordon. Our efforts over the last really three years have been 
59

focused on getting, you know, what’s know as DIACAP/NIACAP 

certification from the Department of Defense as well as Federal 

networks. 

Now, to typically get into that certification process, you have to 

have a customer on the inside who wants to pull the product in. 

And that gateway may be controlled by a large defense contractor 

who’s got a capability contract, and so you’ve got to engage with 

that guy who’s got a trench dug across his profit line and he’s not 

gonna let you cross for hell or high water. 

So we finally were able to get through that barrier by engaging 

with the Air Force Surgeon General on a very important project associated with traumatic brain injury research for our returning 

Iraq wounded. 65 percent of the Iraq wounded have had their head 

shook up. 

Chairman GORDON. So once you sort of breakthrough, get the 

certification in one area, it goes for everything——

Mr. HUMM. It’s still so slow. 

Chairman GORDON. So what’s the better way to do it? 

Mr. HUMM. Personally it would help our company to get a green 

technology fast-track certification that relies on Federal agencies, 

very similar to how the hybrid automobiles were selected for the 

Federal agencies. 

There was a core group of product that was certified. They went 

in to the GSA schedule and the other procurement processes as 

being authorized or certified. 

And so if we’re going to beat this energy stranglehold that’s been 

placed on us by energy consuming data processing products that 

may consume 24,000 watts an hour and probe 44,000 BTUs a piece, 

you have to have two V16 diesel generators——

Chairman GORDON. Let me—I’m trying to get to more—thank 

you. I don’t mean to——

Mr. HUMM. No, you’re fine. 

Chairman GORDON.—be disrespectful. But how about, Dr. Izzard, 

do you have any kind of bureaucratic horror stories in any way 

that anything we might do to be able to streamline this process to 

make you more efficient. 

Dr. IZZARD. A few comments and, you know, I guess that I’d start 

by saying that how to access government research money right now 

is an active discussion inside TI, but I’ll be also completely honest 

and say that, you know, we wring our hands about it because over 

the years that we focused on being a diversified company with both 

systems and semiconductor components, we’ve become more and 

more of a focused semiconductor company. 

We’ve consciously relied or found ourselves relying on our own 

funding of research and development. I told you some of the numbers. We very much appreciate the government tax credit for the 

research and development that we do. 

But actually accessing direct funding is something that only the 

reason is the debate given the availability of stimulus funding. And 

we are examining actively, but we have only very small programs 

in place right now and that is because we found that it’s really necessary for us to work as sub-contractors to folks who already have 

the appropriate certification or mechanisms in place working with 

government funding. 
60

So I don’t have any specific recommendations to you; but if it 

could be made easier to do, I think we’d certainly be interested in 

it, you know. 

Chairman GORDON. Well, I guess one area in particular comes to 

mind with you as I mentioned earlier, we passed the National 

Nanotechnology Initiative. There’s about $3.5 billion dollars being 

spent on nanotechnology across six different agencies. We want to 

better focus that. 

One of the things that we did was to talk about nanotechnology 

in the next, you know, once they’re going to come after the citizenship. So I would hope that we can make that public/private type 

of effort together. 

Dr. IZZARD. And I’ll add a comment that you remind me of about 

the Nanotechnology Initiative. I also really appreciate the darker 

support of the Semiconductor Research Corporation, something I 

am involved in in a way in which government funding can be 

brought to bear on helping private funding, provide research dollars. 

And, you know, for me also specifically I’d like to comment that 

while many people are concerned about the high risk side of research because often research doesn’t directly produce technology, 

or by definition high risk, means not many times does your research money turn in to revenue money. But one of the things I 

want to comment on is that one of the guaranteed offerings of research programs—we saw it come up in our education discussion. 

One of the guaranteed offerings of research money is well-educated people. So while we should continue on focusing towards getting innovations out of our research, we should remember that 

even when projects fail, it provides really well-educated people for 

us. 

Chairman GORDON. Well, thank you. Mr. Hall’s telling me that—

I guess some of you are old enough to remember Bulla Bufford. I 

think Bulla has passed. But we want to continue these discussions. 

I mean, but to me, what I see here as the common denominators 

is that there does need to be a public/private partnership to create 

that work force. There does need to be a public/private partnership 

I think in the research area and that there are some things that 

are basic research that you’re gonna have to have some federal 

help to get started. 

But we need to get the private sector involved early enough so 

whether it’s the mountain or the valley, that we get over that. And 

the sooner we get them involved, the easier it is to make that application on out to jobs is what we want in the work force format. 

So thank you all for this stimulating conservation and, again, we’ll 

continue that. 

Mr. HALL. Yeah. And thank you for your very valuable time. I 

wish we had more time. Dr. Israel, you helped on my question 

about the primary goals of the COMPETES Act and what you’re 

doing about that. We could go into that at length. 

I’d like some time to know more about why we’re not producing 

as many engineers; seven to one from China or three or four to one 

from India and others. Those are things that maybe we’ll go in to 

the next time we get a group like this. 
61

Maybe you come to DC and testify for us at the Chairman’s invitation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you and thank you again. 

And thank everybody that appeared here. 

[Whereupon, the Committee was adjourned.] 

(63)

Appendix: 

ANSWERS TO POST-HEARING QUESTIONS
64

ANSWERS TO POST-HEARING QUESTIONS

Responses by Dr. Cary A. Israel, President, Collin County Community College District

Questions submitted by Representative Ralph M. Hall

Q1. You mentioned in your testimony the importance of community colleges in supporting a strong technical workforce. We hear a lot in Washington about the importance of producing more scientists and engineers with advanced degrees, but 

there is a tendency to overlook community colleges. How is the Federal government—and the National Science Foundation in particular—doing at targeting 

programs and activities in this area, and is there anything that can be improved 

upon?

Q2. One of the primary goals of the America COMPETES Act was to get more students interested in and prepared for pursuing math and science degrees at the 

college level. In your observations, are we doing a better job at this and are the 

Federal government’s programs helping? Do you recommend any policy or program changes to improve upon these efforts?

Q3. One of the issues that we have been considering in Congress is the affordability 

of higher education, and student loan programs in particular. Please share your 

thoughts on the challenges you face in keeping your tuition costs affordable and 

any advantages or disadvantages you have as smaller schools in keeping costs 

down and attracting students.

Dr. Israel had not submitted responses by the time the hearing report went to press.
65

ANSWERS TO POST-HEARING QUESTIONS

Response by Dr. Dan Jones, President, Texas A&M University-Commerce

Questions submitted by Representative Ralph M. Hall

Q1. One of the primary goals of the America COMPETES Act was to get more students interested in and prepared for pursuing math and science degrees at the 

college level. In your observations, are we doing a better job at this and are the 

Federal government’s programs helping? Do you recommend any policy or program changes to improve upon these efforts?

A1. Data provided from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board indicate 

our institution has increased declared majors each year from 2007 to present in 

mathematics, biological sciences, and physical sciences. Therefore, I believe we are 

doing a better job and that the Federal government’s programs are helping, although whether this is a causal relationship is difficult to determine without further 

analysis. I do believe our institution needs to be more aggressive in securing funding provided through this legislation. The only policy or program change I would 

recommend is an investment in more programs similar to Project STEEM that targets middle and high school students from rural school districts. I completed the 

Project STEEM final report and can send that to you if you would like. The major 

finding is that bringing high aptitude students together and providing a peer support network is critical to motivating students from rural school districts to pursue 

STEEM degrees.

Q2. One of the issues that we have been considering in Congress is the affordability 

of higher education, and student loan programs in particular. Please share your 

thoughts on the challenges you face in keeping your tuition costs affordable and 

any advantages or disadvantages you have as smaller schools in keeping costs 

down and attracting students.

A2. The full Federal Pell grant award of $5,350 for the 2009/2010 academic year 

at our university completely covers tuition and mandatory fees for an undergraduate resident student enrolled as a full-time student (12 credit hours). However, 

many of our students are nontraditional and are responsible for also providing for 

themselves and families. STEM courses are often difficult and require additional 

study and research. Many capable students shy away from these majors and look 

for the shortest path to the degree. Subsidized and unsubsidized loans are not adequate to supplement income and provide for families. Independent students qualify 

for up to $9,500 ($3,500/$6,000 unsubsidized) for their first year. Dependent students qualify for $5,500 for their first year. The amount increases to a maximum 

of $12,500 for third year and beyond for independent and $7,500 for dependent students (with a lifetime limit of $31,000 for an undergraduate dependent and $57,500 

for an independent). Increasingly, we are seeing many students who do not qualify 

for Federal financial aid benefits because their parents choose not to complete the 

FAFSA and, yet, these students are responsible for all of their living expenses. The 

U.S. Department of Education considers a student a dependent up until the age of 

24 except in certain circumstances. 

Small institutions struggle with maintaining a tuition and fee structure that is 

affordable for its student population and providing financial resources to attract and 

retain quality students capable of being successful in the STEM disciplines. 

Competition for outstanding faculty in areas such as science and business is intense. The supply of experienced professionals with terminal degrees is small. This 

drives up human resources costs as universities compete for the best people.
66

ANSWERS TO POST-HEARING QUESTIONS

Response by Patrick Alan Humm, P.E., Chairman and President, Hie Electronics

Questions submitted by Representative Ralph M. Hall

Q1. You outlined some very high goals for Hie Electronics in your testimony, and 

you talked about some of the challenges you face as a small startup company 

trying to raise capital and sell your product. What are the most important next 

steps for your company to be successful and grow to the next level?

A1. One of the most important next steps is to gain additional capital for product 

manufacturing, product marketing, and further product development. 

As the administration seeks to build green jobs, Hie Electronics, an Americanbased manufacturing company with 35 employees, is exactly what the country is 

identifying as important to our nation’s economy. As a green job provider in an energy management technology, we would like to be considered for Federal small-business hiring and investment incentives. This could be key to our growth over the 

next five years as we move from the start-up phase to small business. 

One possible example for Congress’ larger consideration is how Singapore helps 

new technology companies with considerable tax incentives, including double depreciation on first year capital expenses. 

Tax policy favoring investment by individuals in companies like ours can help in 

the formation of capital. In this economy, stimulus matching funds equal to the 

amount of private equity invested in ‘‘Emerging Technology Development’’ or ‘‘Green 

Tech’’ could go a very long way towards the creation of jobs in this sector. Tax deductions or double investment incentives given to companies after they purchase 

Green Data Storage devices are another idea. 

An additional example relevant to your committee, while ARPA–E promotes national innovation in the energy sector, our hope is that ARPA–E’s scope will move 

to fully include technologies like ours which will reduce national energy consumption (our TeraStack Solution can reduce data storage power consumption from 60 

to 90%). We look forward to attending the ARPA–E conference scheduled in March 

to learn more.
67

ANSWERS TO POST-HEARING QUESTIONS

Response by Dr. Martin Izzard, Vice President and Director, Digital Signal Processing Solutions R&D Center, Texas Instruments

Questions submitted by Representative Ralph M. Hall

Q1. Please elaborate on the high risk research ‘‘Kilby Labs Initiative’’ that you mentioned in your testimony? We sometimes hear that companies are moving away 

from high-risk research as a result of the short-term pressure to turn a profit. 

Is it difficult to justify an investment like this on the balance sheet, and how 

will you measure the success of this initiative given the high-risk nature of the 

research?

A1. The justification in financial terms for a high-risk initiative is difficult, but we 

achieve this by keeping the effort affordable (about 1% of our technical workforce 

is employed at any one time in the initiative) and by observing that, while the 

chance of achieving a breakthrough is small, the payoff can be large, and so we 

should not ‘‘do nothing.’’

The success will be measured in two ways: impact on products both existing and 

new and development of the workforce. While the first outcome is uncertain, the second outcome is almost guaranteed since we will use a mechanism of rotating engineers who wish to try a high-risk idea in and out of the Labs and during their tenure, they are bound to learn and get new perspectives.
68

ANSWERS TO POST-HEARING QUESTIONS

Response by Tom Luce, Chief Executive Officer, National Math and Science Initiative

Questions submitted by Representative Ralph M. Hall

Q1. One of the primary goals of the American COMPETES Act was to get more students interested in and prepared for pursuing math and science degrees at the 

college level. In your observations, are we doing a better job at this and are the 

Federal government’s programs helping? Do you recommend any policy or program changes to improve these efforts?

A1. We are doing a better job but are far from accomplishing the preparation of a 

sufficient number of students in the K–12 pipeline who are prepared to pursue math 

and science degrees at the college level. It is our experience that the most efficient 

and effective way to increase this pipeline is to replicate the Advanced Placement 

Incentive and Training Program into more high schools in our country. The National 

Math and Science Initiative has demonstrated that replication can work and the 

limitation to expansion at this time is money.

Q2. You noted in your testimony that your goal is to replicate the success of the National Math and Science Initiative nationally. Aside from funding, what are the 

biggest obstacles and/or most important elements to achieving this?

A2. Aside from funding, the biggest obstacle is the lingering belief that our students 

cannot achieve at higher standards, notwithstanding the evidence to the contrary 

achieved by the National Math and Science Initiative.

Æ