Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF-Sag Harbor) today announced that Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has appointment him as Chair of the New York State Assembly Task Force on University-Industry Cooperation.

“I am truly honored to be given this opportunity. Now, more than ever, as we rebuild New York’s economy, we must strengthen and enhance the relationships and collaborations between the private sector and higher education institutions. We need to allow industry to have access to our university laboratory facilities, while at the same time supplying them with well-educated, experienced students. This builds a sustainable industry, sustainable economy, and a sustainable New York. I thank Speaker Silver for the exciting and challenging journey ahead of me.”

The Task Force on University-Industry Cooperation has been in existence since the 1980’s. The role of the Task Force is to promote existing research and development initiatives as well as generate new ideas and goals for academic and high-tech university-industry partnerships. In recent years, the Task Force has focused on the development and use of alternative, sustainable energy technologies, leveraging federal funds for high-tech research and development, and expanding partnerships between universities and their communities.