Southern University and A&M News February 14, 2011 SU chosen for Department of Energy small business program Southern University has been chosen to participate in the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s small business “Mentor-Protégé Program. The Mentor-Protégé program is a DOE initiative designed to assist small businesses and minority institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, in an effort to enhance their capacity to perform subcontracts for the laboratory. Benefits to Southern’s faculty and students will include expanded access to individual and faculty-student team research opportunities at the Oak Ridge laboratory, visiting researchers and lecturers from Oak Ridge, and participation in Oak Ridge cyber-learning courses. Southern is one of five groups selected for the program. Entities eligible to participate in the program include HBCUs, small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned small businesses, and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. Southern is the only HBCU chosen for the 2011 class. “Through our mentor protégé program, small businesses are able to broaden their capabilities while competing for new contracts,” said ORNL Director Thom Mason. “It’s a guide for federal contracting and working with a national lab.” Dr. Michael Stubblefield, vice chancellor of the Office of Research and Strategic Initiatives, said, “We are pleased to join ORNL in creating a new energy workforce that addresses national and global priorities, providing significant exposure to our students and faculty in the process.” “It is this type of collaboration that blends academics, research, and business partnering and produces innovation at any institution,” said Stubblefield, who helped put the agreement in place. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.