Posted on Apr 4, 2005

SuperPower Inc., Union College and Schenectady County Community Collegehave secured $5 million matching grant to train a work force that SuperPower said it needs as it ramps up production of its superconducting cables.

“As we go into commercial production, there's going to be hundreds of people added to our work force, depending on the success of our endeavors,” said Philip Pellegrino, SuperPower president.

SuperPower, located in Schenectady, makes superconducting cables used for transmitting electricity. It is already short of workers and has been recruiting globally to fill five openings.

“The big issue we have is sourcing a work force that is capable of addressing our unique needs,” Pellegrino said.

SuperPower, Union College and SCCC will train that future work force here, teaching students at both institutions how to manufacture and test the company's superconducting wire.

Sen. Hugh Farley (R-Amsterdam) secured the funds as part of the budget under the State University of New York capital funds for community colleges.

The money will go to SCCC, which will subcontract with Union and SuperPower, said David Smingler, Farley's spokesman.

The money will fund the creation of a new curriculum at SCCC and build and equip a cleanroom on Union's Schenectady campus in which engineers will test superconducting wire.

“We can become a test center for not only SuperPower, but for other companies within that energy cluster,” said Bill Schwarz, Union's director of corporate and government relations.

SCCC will train technicians on how to run a manufacturing operation and build superconducting wire. Student workers could be available within a year. SCCC created a curriculum to meet the work force needs of General Electric Co., but that program ended in the early 1990s.

“We're trying to help SuperPower move from an R&D phase to a manufacturing phase,” said Ed Baker, SCCC's dean of continuing education. “We'd like to see SuperPower become the distribution king of the world, where GE was the lighting king of the world.”

SuperPower, an $11 million subsidiary of Intermagnetics General Corp. (Nasdaq: IMGC) of Latham, expects to begin large scale production of its superconducting cables next year. The cables carry three to five times more power than traditional cables, and help reduce energy losses by up to 10 percent.

“I think this is unique in terms of collaborations between industry and academia in the Capital District because it's about work force development,” Pellegrino said.

Unlike other collaborations that focus on new research for future products, much of this collaboration centers on creating future workers for specific jobs, he said, adding that it could be a model that could be a model for other companies in the region.

Pellegrino expects his work force to increase from 50 now to 150 by 2010 and to 400 or 500 in the next 10 years. The manufacturing jobs would pay $40,000 a year and the engineering jobs would pay about $60,000.

There had been a threat that the funding might not be forthcoming. Assemblyman Paul Tonko (D-Amsterdam), chairman of the Assembly Energy Committee, wanted a guarantee that SuperPower will stay local if it receives state money.

Pellegrino said this has been a stumbling block with Tonko in the past when SuperPower sought state money.

“He wanted us to sign an ironclad agreement that we would stay forever and a day in the city of Schenectady,” Pellegrino said. “Frankly, our view of that is it's premature–not only premature but inappropriate.”

He said SuperPower had offered Schenectady the right of first refusal in the past if another city had made a bid to get SuperPower to relocate.

Farley's office said SuperPower's future plans were never an issue. Smindler said the proposal is centered on training local workers to do local work.

“The whole thing has a geographic focus in Schenectady or the Capital Region,” he said. “If SuperPower were to move to South Dakota they would lose all the training and trained people that would come out of the two Schenectady institutions. It seems there's a clear geographic synergy.”

The state provided funding to renovate SuperPower's headquarters when the company moved to Schenectady in 2000. That site also receives tax breaks for being in an Empire Zone.

SuperPower also has received $6 million for a $26 million project to run a 350-meter high-temperature superconducting cable between two Niagara Mohawk substations. But the new project is directly focused on manufacturing products in the Capital Region.

“As we go into commercial production, we have the need for technicians, engineers and scientists to join our program,” Pellegrino said. “We had to literally scour the globe to find the people who have the right core competency.”

The collaboration would help avoid the need to do that, he said. “We'd like to grow these folks right here in the Capital District rather than go outside the country,” he said.

Union alumnus John Kelly III, the region's highest ranking IBM employee and IBM's point man at the state University at Albany's Albany NanoTech program, supports the project.

He said the proposed program models a different type of relationship a business can have with local colleges. “It's very proactive,” Kelly said. “It's not waiting until you have a shortage of skilled labor.”

Posted on Apr 4, 2005

In Albany, the partnerships between universities and high-tech companies are mostly in research. That's well and good, but ideally you also want partnerships that lead to jobs where people actually make things. A $5 million state grant obtained by Sen. Hugh Farley will allow for just such an arrangement in Schenectady – involving SuperPower, Union College and Schenectady County Community College. This is very good news.

SuperPower is the Intermagnetics General subsidiary that was lured to Schenectady in the late 1990s with various state and local inducements. It was a good investment. Not only did it allow for the renovation and reuse of the old, derelict Maqua Building along I-890 (one of the first structures a visitor sees upon entering the city), but Super-Power is doing cutting-edge work with commercial applications in the electricity transmission field. 

One of its projects is a device that protects the grid against surges, an event that caused the blackout of summer 2003. 

But SuperPower's potentially most important project, both for itself and the country, has to do with a process called superconductivity. Specifically, the company can produce a superconducting wire that, through low temperature, allows for transmission of electricity with very little or no loss to resistance.

SuperPower is about to start a demonstration project using this technology with Niagara Mohawk in Albany. (The project would have been delayed a year if Sen. Charles Schumer in January hadn't got the federal Department of Energy to restore $1.5 million for it that had been cut in last year's budget.)

And now it will start the collaboration with the two colleges in Schenectady, which will lead to new equipment at the company, new labs and other facilities at the schools, and a two-year degree program at SCCC that will train students in specialized technologies. (SuperPower currently must recruit abroad because there's a lack of trained workers here.)

Perhaps the best thing about the partnership is that it makes it much more likely that SuperPower will stay and grow in Schenectady, as company officials have always said

Posted on Apr 4, 2005

Spring Family Weekend is May 6-8, 2005!  This is a wonderful weekend that is a combination of Steinmetz Symposium (Friday) and Prize Day (Saturday) plus a few other surprises.  A variety of activities have been planned, and all parents are encouraged to take advantage of them.

On Friday, the Charles Proteus Steinmetz Symposium highlights the breadth and depth of students' creative, scholastic, and research achievements.  Upperclass students do a majority of the presentations, but all parents are invited.  The evening features a concert by the Union Orchestra and Choir. For more information, visit www.union.edu/Steinmetz.

Throughout Saturday we will continue to emphasize life at Union.  In the morning, our Parents Association meeting will feature Tom McEvoy, Dean of Residential and Campus Life, who will give an update on the Minerva House System and answer any questions. Prize Day ceremony and reception will follow later in the morning.  In the afternoon, all parents are invited to join President Roger Hull as he closes out his tenure here at Union College.  The President's Reception will be held at Grant Hall. This is a great opportunity to connect with parents and students. All faculty and staff members are invited to attend as well. The evening will close out with “Destination Desserts”, international desserts, music, family and friends, sponsored by U-Program.

The weekend concludes on Sunday with the Mother's Day Brunch in Upperclass Dining Hall.  Dining Services always plans an exceptional brunch for mothers and all other family members!

For a complete schedule for the weekend, please visit our website at www.union.edu/Parents/FamilyWeekend, or call our office at 388-6601.

Posted on Apr 1, 2005

If you've gotten a grade report or a paycheck from the College, you can thank Vera Shutter.

The tireless custodian of the College's memory banks for nearly four decades is retiring with more than a few memories of her own.

— Like the time her visiting four-year-old daughter, an aspiring keypunch operator, picked up a stack of punch cards and "helped" with a professor's project.

— Or the time a false fire alarm brought an ax-wielding fireman to her office door.

— Or the time in the early 70's when she moved her operation to make room for students who were staging a sit-in.

— Or the time she found a live bat in her wastebasket.

She readily admits that she has often finds herself in some unusual situations. "Everyone thinks I'm kidding," she says of some of her stories. "It's just that I'm telling the exact truth and they don't believe it."

Started with punch cards

Fresh from a job as a keypunch operator at New York Telephone, she joined the College's Data Center on January 10, 1966. She collected, entered and sorted data on punch cards in the basement of Silliman Hall. She did most of her work for the annual fund and payroll offices.

Since 1968, she has worked in the large computing room of Steinmetz's Peschel Computer Center. When ITS quarters were renovated two years ago and her colleagues took up temporary residence in North Colonnade, she stayed behind to run the equipment.

Shutter's small office in the computer center has a view of the room where behemoth machines used to whir and click and hum. Much has changed in 40 years. The machines have gotten quieter and more powerful.

Mostly, though, things have gotten smaller. Shutter recently took a visitor to the ITS "dump room" and pulled out a stack of tapes, state-of-the-art data storage devices until the late 1980s. Today, the common pen-sized 256 MB thumb drive can hold what used to require six or seven of the 10-inch tape reels.

But the job – manipulating data and producing reports, paychecks and grades – has not. Once you get the concept of running the programs, she says, it's just a matter of learning a new machine every few years. "I've never been uncomfortable with the changes. But each time has been a challenge."

Shutter was feted just before her retirement on April 1 – no April Fool's joke, she assures – and colleagues presented her with the final printouts and nameplates of machines long gone. She also got a "death certificate" for one troublesome machine.

"Vera was at Union at the beginning of computing," said David Cossey, chief information officer, who went on to praise her for her early morning arrivals, the quantity of material she handled and her versatility at working with everything from the early IBM punch card accounting machines to the modern windows servers.

Bruce Senn, senior system manager and a close colleague, recalled the way she cared for the large number of student workers, many of whom come back to visit.

Retirement plans

She plans to enjoy time with her four children – Dawn, Cheryl, Chuck and Eve – her three grandchildren – Richard, Heather and Stephen – and great granddaughter, Alexis. She also plans to volunteer as a "cuddler" in a neonatal unit, or perhaps return to her work as a clown and face-painter at children's events.

Whatever she does next, she promises to make it a long-term commitment. "I'm a long-timer at everything I do," she says. "I don't jump in and jump out."

Posted on Apr 1, 2005

Schenectady-based SuperPower, Inc., a world-leading high temperature superconducting technology (HTS) company, Union College and Schenectady County Community College have been awarded $5 million in the 2006 Legislative Budget to develop a highly skilled local workforce to enable SuperPower to successfully achieve its goal of manufacturing scale-up and commercial production of second generation (2G) HTS wire beginning in 2006. Funding is contingent on the final approval of the New York State budget.

When cooled to very low temperatures, certain materials called superconductors can conduct electricity without losses from resistance. 2G HTS wire is able to carry 3-10 times the power of conventional wire conductors such as copper or aluminum. This allows for lighter, smaller, and more environmentally friendly electrical equipment such as generators, motors, power cables and transformers. SuperPower has received the number one ranking among its peers in 2G wire development programs funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the past two years.

New York State Senator Hugh T. Farley, who led efforts to secure legislative funding for the project, described the collaboration as transformational and reflective of Schenectady's history of innovation.

“This initiative is the twenty-first century equivalent of Thomas Edison's original investment in Schenectady,” said State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R,C- Schenectady).  “Not only will the world's first production second-generation high temperature superconducting wire be manufactured in Schenectady, but the people who know how to design and build this leading-edge product will learn their skills in Schenectady. I am honored to help ensure Schenectady's position in the global high-technology community.”

New York State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno stressed that this collaborative approach is a powerful complement to New York State's recognized efforts to drive technology development in the region.

“This collaborative approach represents another step forward in the Capital Region's transformation into a high-tech global leader in the 21st century,” said Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno.  “With this funding, SuperPower Inc. will be able to harness their know-how with the expertise of the Schenectady intellectual community to produce cutting-edge technology direct to market while at the same time creating new jobs for the area.  I am pleased to be able to work with Senator Farley to improve the quality of life and the economy in the Capital Region and across New York State.”

According to SuperPower, Inc. president Philip J. Pellegrino, the award will provide funding for capital equipment, which historically has come exclusively from SuperPower's parent company, Intermagnetics General Corporation (Latham, NY). To date Intermagnetics has invested about $65 million in HTS R&D. The capital equipment provided through the State funding will be used to establish state-of-the-art quality control tools and processes for 2G HTS wire manufacture. This will, in turn, support internships to develop locally the specialized science and engineering graduates needed to manufacture 2G wire. Having that workforce available locally will help to ensure SuperPower's success.

Further, Pellegrino added that the funds will provide for state-of-the-art capital equipment and facilities upgrades for each of the partner organizations.

“We are exceedingly grateful for Senator Farley's and Senator Bruno's leadership support of this innovative collaboration,” Pellegrino said. “These funds will enable the partners to drive commercialization and workforce development at an accelerated pace – the critical component to ensure that SuperPower achieves a first-to-market competitive advantage. The partnership reflects what is possible when business, education and government share a common goal. The funds provided will enable SuperPower to hit commercialization milestones, continue our growth in the Capital District, and ultimately, provide technology solutions that help to meet the daunting global energy challenges we face.”

According to DOE, more than 7% of the energy generated in the U.S. is lost during transmission and distribution. The DOE estimates that half of this loss could be eliminated by the application of HTS technology. The savings could amount to $16 billion per year, reducing the use of fossil fuels and reducing the generation of greenhouse gasses and pollutant emissions. Liquid nitrogen, which is non-flammable, inexpensive and environmentally benign, is used as the cooling medium, rather than oil, which can burn or explode.

“Union College is proud to partner with SuperPower and Schenectady County Community College to support the next generation of electrical transmission and distribution here and around the world,” Roger H. Hull, president of Union College noted. “Thanks to Senator Farley, each of us is now that much stronger in the incredibly competitive academic and corporate marketplaces.”

“We couldn't be more pleased with today's announcement,” said Gabriel J. Basil, president, Schenectady County Community College. “The partnership with SuperPower and Union College affords us the opportunity to strengthen our own technology programs while pursuing an economic development initiative that holds great promise for Schenectady.”

The partnership is expected to begin immediately following final New York State budget approval.

Funding will support:

SuperPower ($2.3 million)

Procurement of quality control equipment for all steps of 2G wire manufacturing

Development of new, specialized quality control tools and processes

Related facility upgrades

Union College($1.7 million)

Mechanical and microscopy testing equipment

Design and installation of quality control testing equipment

Facilities upgrades, including clean room and characterization laboratory space

Internship and professional development programs

Schenectady County Community College($1 million)

Acquisition of microscopy and spectroscopic testing equipment

Facilities upgrades

Curriculum development in HTS manufacturing processes

The collaboration will, according to the partners, provide additional benefits, including:

• Retention of the 50 jobs established since 2000 and more than tripling the number of jobs at SuperPower by 2010, with further growth in high tech manufacturing jobs as the market fully develops during the next decade


• Enhancing student and faculty recruitment efforts at Union and SCCC


• Retaining graduates in the region to address the “brain-drain” issue


• Establishing high-tech manufacturing in an Empire Zone of Schenectady


• Providing tax benefits to the local economy (payroll, sales tax, etc.)


• Developing training opportunities for local employees on state-of-the-art equipment in high-tech fields


• Providing benefits to local and other New York State-based vendors


• Supporting the emerging cluster of high tech companies in the region – business-to-business relationships, supply chain relationships, strengthened industry ties with academia, teaching exchanges, and a locally supplied high-tech workforce.

SuperPower, Inc. (www.igc-superpower.com), awholly-owned subsidiary of Intermagnetics General Corporation (NASDAQ: IMGC), created in March 2000 to address the emerging market for high temperature superconductivity, uses core capabilities in materials, cryogenics and magnetics to develop fault current limiters, 2G wire and related electric power components for application to power cables, transformers, motors and generators,

Union College,(www.union.edu) founded in 1795 as the first college chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, offers programs in the liberal arts and engineering to 2,000 undergraduates of high academic promise and strong personal motivation. Union has a long history of blending liberal arts, the sciences and engineering, and the college's Converging Technologies initiative is further bridging these disciplines and graduating students who are comfortable and prepared to live and work in today's diverse world. Union's latest College-wide innovation is the Minerva Houses, which bring together students and faculty for intellectual and social exchange through affiliation with seven campus “living rooms.”

Schenectady County Community College: (www.sunysccc.edu) One of the 30 community colleges in the State University of New York system, the nation's largest comprehensive system of higher education, Schenectady County Community College in upstate New York has over 4,500 full-time and part-time students. SCCC offers 41 career degree, transfer degree and certificate programs. The College opened its doors for classes in 1969 and continues to provide affordable comprehensive higher education and adult educational opportunities in response to local educational needs.