MILWAUKEE, WI (11/10/2011)(readMedia)-- Students from Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) traveled to Downers Grove, Ill., in October to compete in the Associated Schools of Construction Region III Student Competition. For the tenth consecutive year, at least one of MSOE's teams took first place. This year, the Preconstruction Team and the VDC (Virtual Design and Construction) Team took first place in their respective competitions, and the Design Build Team took third place. They competed against large universities, including Texas A&M University, Brigham Young University, Purdue University, Ball State University and Michigan State, in the various events.

Jared Gothard, a construction management major from Long Grove, Iowa, was part of MSOE's Preconstruction Team, which was asked to submit a proposal for preconstruction and construction services for a $20-$25 million hospital expansion project. They had 30 hours to create their proposal and deliver a presentation to competition judges from Pepper Construction. The Preconstruction Team was coached by Dr. Jeong Woo, assistant professor in the Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management Department. Team members are:

• Matt Bakke, construction management major, Elkhart Lake, Wis.
• Chris Dublinski, construction management major, Naperville, Ill.
• Jared Gothard, construction management major, Long Grove, Ill.
• Josh Halvorsen, architectural engineering and construction management double major, West Dundee, Ill.
• Cate Scholfield, construction management major, Wausau, Wis.
• Nick Zamorski, architectural engineering and construction management double major, Waukesha, Wis.
• Theodore Bulinski (alternate), construction management major, Minneapolis
• Bryan Makatura (alternate), construction management major, Pen Argyle, Penn.

MSOE's VDC Team had to submit a proposal for the virtual design and construction services for a Laboratory/Data Center building located in Milwaukee. They had 30 hours to create their proposal and deliver a presentation to competition judges from Mortenson Construction. The VDC Team was coached by Dr. Jeong Woo, assistant professor in the Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management Department.

MSOE's Design Build Team submitted a proposal for design build services for a $30 million student dorm at a private university in St. Louis. They were responsible for creating a proposal that included the complete architectural design, a detailed construction estimate, a construction schedule and a site logistics plan. They had 30 hours to create their proposal and deliver a presentation to McCarthy Building Company executives, the Design Build competition sponsor. The Design Build Team was coached by Robert Lemke, associate professor in the Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management Department.

MSOE offers bachelor's degrees in architectural engineering, construction management and a five year freshman-to-master's degree in civil engineering. The architectural engineering program prepares graduates for careers in the design and construction of buildings and building systems. Lecture and laboratory courses-led by industry-experienced faculty-integrate theory and the practical application of design principles, practices, methods and materials.

The construction management program educates students to direct building construction project activities from the owner's conception of the project until completion. Learning focuses on the technical process and resource management skills essential to construct commercial, institutional and industrial buildings on time, within budget, of high quality and safely.

Students in MSOE's civil engineering program will receive both a bachelor's and master's degree in civil engineering after five years. MSOE is the first and only university in the state of Wisconsin to offer a five-year, freshman-to-master's degree in civil engineering.

MSOE is an independent university with about 2,500 students. MSOE offers 18 bachelor's degrees and 10 master's degrees in the engineering, engineering technology, building and infrastructure engineering, health-related engineering, computer, business and nursing fields. The university has a national academic reputation; longstanding ties to business and industry; dedicated professors with real-world experience; and extremely high placement rates and the highest starting salaries of any Wisconsin university according to PayScale Inc. MSOE graduates are well-rounded, technologically experienced and highly productive professionals and leaders.

Judiciary Committee Leaders Press USTR to Hold Russia Accountable on IP Issues during WTO Accession Discussions

WASHINGTON - Leaders of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees are pressing U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk to make sure that as Russia attempts to gain membership into the World Trade Organization, adequate focus is paid to its obligations to protect and enforce intellectual property rights.

In a letter to the Trade Representative, House and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairmen Lamar Smith and Patrick Leahy and Ranking Members John Conyers and Chuck Grassley expressed concerns that Russia continues to have gaps and lapses in its protection of intellectual property rights.

"There are a number of significant concerns with respect to the denial of adequate and effective IPR protection, or the denial of equitable market access for persons that rely on IPR protection, in Russia," the Judiciary Committee leaders wrote.

The members added, "The Government of Russia must demonstrate via transparent, substantive and prompt actions its commitment to adhere fully to the obligations it will assume as a future member of the WTO.  Not only is the credibility of the rules-based system of international trade at stake, but should Russia fail to conform to its obligations in a thorough and timely manner, the adverse consequences for U.S. innovators and their workers will continue to be significant."

The text of the letter to Kirk is below.  A signed copy of the letter can be found here.

November 9, 2011

Ambassador Ron Kirk

United States Trade Representative

Office of the United States Trade Representative

600 17^th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20508

Dear Ambassador Kirk:

We are writing to express our serious concerns over continuing gaps and lapses in the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) by the Government of Russia, even as the negotiations regarding Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) are moving forward.  A high standard accession package will be essential before both Houses of Congress can consider a vote to remove Russia from Title IV of the Trade Act of 1974, which is necessary for the United States to enjoy the full benefits of Russian membership in the WTO.

According to the most recent annual report on the global state of IPR protection and enforcement prepared by your office pursuant to section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended, there are a number of significant concerns with respect to the denial of adequate and effective IPR protection, or the denial of equitable market access for persons that rely on IPR protection, in Russia.

Specific examples cited include : widespread counterfeiting and piracy of hard goods; storage of pirated CDs and DVDs on several government-controlled military-industrial sites; gaps in Russian law and enforcement efforts with respect to piracy over the Internet; varying levels of enforcement among regions; and, indications of selective enforcement.  Even when initial enforcement efforts are conducted in a sustained and vigorous manner, your report notes that prosecutions and convictions do not necessarily follow.

With respect to gaps in Russian law, your report states that it is the position of the United States to urge Russia to enact online infringement legislation that addresses all forms of piracy over the Internet and provides for the swift removal of infringing content.  In addition, your report encourages Russia to enact legislation establishing a specialized IPR court and calls for Russia's enforcement officials to increase the number of IPR-related investigations, as well as for Russian prosecutors to seek deterrent penalties in judicial proceedings.  Because of these and other ongoing concerns, Russia remains on the "Priority Watch List" for 2011, which identifies countries with the most onerous or egregious IPR policies, acts, or practices that have the greatest adverse impact on relevant products of the United States.

Separately, the recent report to Congress of the Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive identifies Russian cyber-espionage as a dangerous threat to our economy and national security.  Specifically, the report warns that "[f]oreign economic collection and industrial espionage against the United States represent significant and growing threats to the nation's prosperity and security," and that "[e]conomic espionage inflicts costs on companies that range from loss of unique intellectual property to outlays for remediation  . . . ."

This report further finds that "Moscow's highly capable intelligence services are using [human intelligence], cyber, and other operations to collect economic information and technology to support Russia's economic development and security," and that "the governments of China and Russia will remain aggressive and capable collectors of sensitive U.S. economic information and technologies, particularly in cyberspace."

We acknowledge that important progress has been made since 2006, when the United States and Russia reached a bilateral agreement on IPR protection and enforcement in Russia.  Yet, the findings in these reports raise serious questions about the intention and commitment of the Russian Government to abide by and enforce the obligations it will assume as a member of the WTO, particularly with respect to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.

In our view, the questions and concerns raised by these reports must be addressed.  The Government of Russia must demonstrate via transparent, substantive and prompt actions its commitment to adhere fully to the obligations it will assume as a future member of the WTO.  Not only is the credibility of the rules-based system of international trade at stake, but should Russia fail to conform to its obligations in a thorough and timely manner, the adverse consequences for U.S. innovators and their workers will continue to be significant.

In addition, we expect that you will continue to consult the House and Senate Judiciary Committees as future developments warrant; such ongoing consultations will be particularly valuable in the event that Congress considers legislation to authorize termination of the provisions of title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 with respect to Russia.

Sincerely,

_____________________________  ______________________________

Lamar Smith                          Patrick Leahy

Chairman                       Chairman

House Committee on the Judiciary                      Senate Committee on the Judiciary

______________________________ ______________________________

John Conyers, Jr.                            Charles Grassley

Ranking Member                         Ranking Member

Written by Catherine Bush, Wooden Snowflakes opens Thursday, Dec. 1 and runs through Dec. 18. The cast consists of Deborah Kennedy and Tom Milligan of West Amana. Rated Theatre PG, Wooden Snowflakes will play on The Old Creamery's Studio Stage in Middle Amana.

Show times are Thursdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Call the box office at 800-35-AMANA or visit the website at www.oldcreamery.com for more information or to purchase tickets. Group and student rates are available.

Wooden Snowflakes is sponsored by The Gethmann Organizations.

The Old Creamery Theatre Company is a not-for-profit professional theatre founded in 1971 in Garrison, Iowa. The company is celebrating 40 years of bringing live, professional theatre to the people of Iowa and the Midwest. We thank KGAN and Fox 28, our 2011 season media sponsor.

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More Than 500 Illinois Employers Participated in Month-Long Effort

SPRINGFIELD - November 10, 2011. In honor of Veteran's Day (Nov. 11) Governor Quinn today announced a successful month of job fairs aimed at putting Illinois Veterans back to work. Hosted by the Governor's Office and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), the fairs are a special statewide effort to help Veterans find employment and inform employers about tax credits that encourage business development. More than 500 Illinois employers have participated in this special series of job fairs.

Today's Veterans' job fair in Orland Park is the latest in the series of events that highlight Governor Pat Quinn's effort to grow jobs and connect qualified job seekers with ready-to-hire employers. IDES director Jay Rowell and Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) director Erica J. Borggren will attend today's fair to support the hiring effort.

"Veterans have served their state and their country, and Illinois makes a special effort to ensure that those returning home from service are able to transition into the job market," Governor Quinn said. "November is Hire a Veteran Month, and we want to help our servicemembers to put their valuable skills to use here at home for Illinois employers."

The Orland Park job fair will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Orland Park Civic Center, 14750 Ravinia Avenue. This is the ninth Veterans' job fair so far this year, with other events held across the state in Chicago, Naperville, Bloomington, Belleville, Mt. Vernon, Carterville, Bartonville and Effingham.

"The men and women of our Veteran community are true national heroes," IDVA director Borggren said. "Veterans are proven and committed public servants, and all of Illinois stands to benefit from an empowered Veteran community."

A state income tax credit of up to $1,200 is available to businesses for each qualified Veteran who is hired. Additionally, employers may qualify for a federal tax credit of up to $4,800 through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit.

Veterans are sought-after employees for their service training, which includes respect for authority, embracing responsibility and success operating in team-based environments. Servicemembers also often have advanced training in technology, manufacturing, construction and logistics.

Success and attendance has grown each year at the statewide Veteran job fairs, which were started in order to recognize the value that Veterans bring to the Illinois workforce. Invited businesses include those whose positions demand the skills military Veterans hone in the service. All Illinois job fairs are open to everyone, and individuals attending should bring resumes and be prepared for brief interviews.

"IDES is Illinois' employment agency, and our job is to put people to work," said IDES Director Jay Rowell said. As we approach Veterans Day, it is wholly appropriate to emphasize the skills of these brave men and women and to show how these skills will help employers succeed."

Illinois has added 37,700 jobs so far this year and 81,000 jobs since January 2010 when job growth returned to Illinois after 23 consecutive months of declines. January 2010 also marked the plateau of the unemployment rate after 33 consecutive month-over-month increases. Since, the monthly unemployment rate has declined 15 times and increased four when compared to the previous month.