Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute Set to Open in 2015, Create Jobs

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today was joined by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and leadership from UI LABS to break ground on UI LABS' future headquarters and the new Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII). The event is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to create jobs and drive Illinois' economy forward.

"I've made this facility a major priority for Illinois by personally making our case to both the White House and Secretary of Defense, as well as securing key private sector partners because I know how important this institution will be to revitalizing our manufacturing industry," Governor Quinn said. "The Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute will help keep Illinois' economic comeback going. I'm pleased to break ground on this facility that will solidify Illinois' position as a high-tech manufacturing hub, support our growing technology and innovation sectors and create jobs across the state."

The Governor personally petitioned the Secretary of Defense twice and made the case to key White House officials about the benefits and importance of DMDII. The Governor also worked to bring key private sector partners into the initiative, including CAT, Deere & Company, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and many more.

"Our U.S. industrial base is the engine that drives our economy and equips our soldiers, sailors and airmen. It is critically important that we maintain our technological advantage within a strong, adaptive and resilient U.S. industrial base,"  Andre Gudger, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy, Department of Defense said. "The Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute, along with the other pilot Institutes for Manufacturing Innovation, will provide this competitive edge to not only the Department of Defense, but to other federal agencies, industry, and the nation as a whole."

"DMDII will enable Illinois to lead the nation in a 21st century manufacturing renaissance, which is precisely why I worked hard over the past two years to help bring the Institute to our state," Senator Durbin (D-IL) said. "World-class partners from around the state and across the country?including General Electric, John Deere, Caterpillar and Boeing?will work to improve manufacturing efficiency to create new opportunities for businesses and workers. DMDII will make our small and midsize manufacturers more competitive globally by allowing them to integrate computing capabilities throughout design, testing and production. But most importantly, the Institute will be a great source of innovation, development and economic growth in our state and position us as a leader in the field for years to come."

"Manufacturing has been an important part of Chicago's past and we are making sure that the next generation of advanced digital manufacturing will play an even greater role in our future. This is an important milestone in a long effort and a larger strategy to put the City of Chicago front and center of the digital manufacturing revolution," Mayor Emanuel said. "The research that comes out of the Digital Lab will underpin the products, the patents, and the production of so many new technologies, create new companies and help us attract existing companies to Chicago, and most importantly, create and sustain a new generation of good-paying jobs right here in the City of Chicago."

Located on Goose Island, DMDII is set to revitalize America's manufacturing industries by enabling U.S. manufacturers to harness data to make their products better, faster and more cost-competitive. Leveraging a co-investment of $70 million from the U.S. Department of Defense and matching investment from industry, university and state and local government partners, the Institute will help U.S. manufacturers increase productivity through a more effective use of data across every stage of the manufacturing process.

"We are building the factory of the future - where business and academia will convene to tackle important manufacturing challenges," Caralynn Nowinski, Executive Director of UI LABS said. "At the same time, this facility will be the place where American workers - and the next generation of workers - will have an opportunity to see, learn and participate in the transformation of U.S. manufacturing."

Early support from the Quinn Administration was essential to the launch of DMDII. In March 2013, Governor Quinn approved the investment of $60 million in Blue Waters at the University of Illinois, which provides the supercomputing power for this initiative, and set Illinois' application apart from other contenders for the DMDII. The Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute will reduce development and deployment costs for U.S. manufacturers while creating billions of dollars in value for the industrial marketplace?spurring long-term economic growth and job creation. The facility is scheduled to open late in the first quarter of 2015.

"Advances in digital manufacturing are already improving companies' performance all across America," Dean Bartles, Executive Director of DMDII said. "DMDII is going to take these advances to the next level by bringing technical expertise and connecting the dots across America's supply chain."

DMDII demonstrates Chicago's increasing prominence as a national leader in advanced manufacturing. DMDII is a public-private consortium that brings together over 40 leading manufacturing and technology companies with more than 30 university, government and community partners, including: Boeing, Caterpillar, Dow Chemical, General Electric, Illinois Tool Works, John Deere, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Northwestern University, PARC, Purdue University, Procter & Gamble, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rolls Royce, Siemens, University of Chicago, University of Illinois and University of Texas-Austin.

Prior to the official groundbreaking ceremony, guests took a tour of the 94,000-square-foot facility. Dignitaries viewed renderings of the soon to be completed space by architecture firm Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM). The building is located at 1333 Hickory Ave. on Goose Island, an industrial zone in the heart of the city that is rapidly becoming an "Innovation Island."

SOM's design for the DMDII space plays on the idea of transparency by adding glass storefronts and window bays to the existing building's exterior. Glass walls, exposed plumbing and mechanical systems reinforce the theme and foster an open, collaborative environment. The completed building will include a manufacturing floor for demonstrations, classrooms, a lecture hall and collaborative meeting rooms.

###

Tour Day Part of Alzheimer's Awareness Month in November

DAVENPORT, IA (October 30, 2014) - Senior Star at Elmore Place is partnering with the creators of the Virtual Dementia Tour® (VDT), Second Wind Dreams®,to support national Take the Tour Day, November 6, to help build support for Alzheimer's Awareness Month in November.

Taking the VDT® is important as, according to the Alzheimer's Association website, every 69 seconds someone in the United States is diagnosed with Alzheimer's.  The VDT® is a creative tool that helps people understand the challenges of those facing dementia.  The VDT® guides participants through completing everyday household chores while facing some of the same challenges those with Alzheimer's encounter - blurred vision, difficulty hearing, interrupted concentration and more.

Each tour takes about 15-20 minutes and is led by the experienced associates of Senior Star at Elmore Place.  Associates at Senior Star provide compassionate and innovative care to those facing Alzheimer's making this team well prepared to address participants' questions.

This real-life experience is also important as persons first diagnosed with a form of dementia are often cared for by a family member.  The VDT® experience is an eye-opener for caregivers to better understand the challenges those with Alzheimer's face.

Tours are being conducted on November 6 at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.  Each tour is limited to 16 participants.  To take the VDT®, RSVP no later than November 5 by calling 563.484.5114.  If you're unable to participate on this date, call 563.484.5114 to arrange a private tour with the associates of Senior Star.

For more information about Senior Star at Elmore Place or to tour the community, call 563.484.5114.

About Senior Star at Elmore Place

Senior Star at Elmore Place, a Senior Star community, features 236 modernly decorated apartments spanning across 20 acres of beautifully landscaped property with many customized amenities to offer its residents three distinctive living experiences:  independent living, assisted living and memory care.  For more information, visit www.seniorstar.com.

###

Daytime tours will be offered, Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; and, Sundays, noon to 3:00 p.m. Tours begin on the hour except on Saturdays and Sundays when they begin on the half hour. Admission for daytime tours is free to Brucemore members, $7 per adult, and $3 per child. Tickets can be purchased the day of the tour in the Brucemore Store located in the Visitor Center. Space is limited to 15 people per tour; please show up early to purchase tickets. Groups of 20 or more are required to make a reservation at least two weeks in advance. Evening tours will be offered as part of the Thursday Night Lineup; visit www.brucemore.org or call (319) 362-7375 for more information. Brucemore will be closed on Mondays as well as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Experience Brucemore, an unparalleled blend of tradition and culture, located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the heart of the historic 26-acre estate stands a nineteenth-century mansion filled with the stories of three Cedar Rapids families.  Concerts, theater, programs, and tours enliven the site and celebrate the heritage of a community.  For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org.

FORT WAYNE, Ind., Oct. 30, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer announced that it has raised a total of $3.2 million for Breast Cancer Research since November 1, 2013. All funds support breast cancer research at the Indiana University (IU) Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center in  Indianapolis, a nationally ranked cancer center. The Foundation recently pledged an incremental $15 million to the IU cancer center, and the $3.2 million will be the first payment toward this pledge. To date, the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer has donated just over $23 million, with a goal to eradicate breast cancer.

"The work the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer funds is truly remarkable, and I'm proud that each year this research brings us closer to a cure," Barbara Bradley Baekgaard, Vera Bradley Foundation and Vera
Bradley Designs, Inc., co-founder.

"The support we receive from the Vera Bradley Foundation is astounding, both in dollars that pay for vital research, and also with their energy and passion for making real progress," says Dr. Bryan Schneider, Vera Bradley Investigator.

Schneider is an associate professor of medicine and of medical and molecular genetics and the Associate Director of the Institute for Personalized Medicine at the IU School of Medicine. He is also a member of the breast cancer research program at the IU Simon Cancer Center.

About the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer:

The Foundation is celebrating its 16th year of funding the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer Research Laboratories at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center in Indianapolis. Since 1998, the Foundation has played an integral role in changing the face of breast cancer research by supporting 22 labs  and 36 researchers and clinicians who are leading major advancements in drug therapies and setting a worldwide standard. The Foundation receives funding through national events, a $1 million annual gift from Vera Bradley (Nasdaq:VRA) and through donations on verabradley.org