The Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) announced 23 finalists on Wednesday for the 13^th Annual Maryland Incubator Company of the Year awards, which recognize notable firms that are either currently working out of an incubator in the state or have recently graduated from one.

The Emerging Technology Center in Canton is the leading mother hen, with the most “eggs” named as finalists.  Five companies from the ETC, which is part of the Baltimore Development Corp., made the list. Next in line is bwtech@UMBC, the incubator housed at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, which produced four finalists.

Winners will be announced June 13 at a ceremony at the American Visionary Arts Museum in Baltimore.

The finalists are:

From Betamore in Federal Hill:

• Riskive

From the Bethesda Green Business Incubator (BGBI):

• Savenia Labs

From the Bowie Business Innovation Center (BBIC):

• Vertical Wind Ventures LLC

From bwtech@UMBC at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County:

• Blue Wave Semiconductors Inc.
• KoolSpan
• Light Point Security
• Plasmonix Inc.

From the Emerging Technology Center (ETC) in Canton:

• ADASHI Systems
• Boss Medical LLC
• Curiosityville
• Rehabtics
• Foodem.com / RKA Enterprises LLC

From FastForward at Johns Hopkins University:

• Clear Guide Medical

From Frederick Innovative Technology Center (FITC) in Frederick:

• Mosaic Power (also worked out of the MCE)

From Garrett Information Enterprise Center (GIEC):

• GCC Technologies LLC

From the Germantown Innovation Center (GIC):

• Biologics Resources LLC
• DSPlogic Inc.

From the Maryland Center for Entrepreneurship (MCE) in Columbia:

• Social Growth Technologies, Inc.
• Unbound Concepts Inc.
• Vasoptic Medical Inc.

From the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (MTECH) at the University of Maryland, College Park:

• Maryland Energy and Sensor Technologies LLC

From Shady Grove Innovation Center (SGIC) in Rockville:

• Creatv MicroTech Inc.

From the Silver Spring Innovation Center (SSIC):

• SOL VISTA

Visit mdincubatoraward.com for more information.

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Narcissism is a bad sign.

Seems obvious, but that’s the title of a new report by researchers at the University of Maryland, College Park, who studied the correlation between narcissism — as measured by the size of a CEO’s signature — and the success of his or her company.

Companies led by a narcissistic CEO tend to perform poorly, especially for firms in more uncertain environments, said study author Nick Seybert, an accounting professor in the Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Seybert and his team — graduate student Charles Ham and Sean Wang at the University of North Carolina — sifted through 400 Securities and Exchange Commission filings to pull out CEOs signatures.

They found larger, more embellished signatures gracing the pages of firms that tended to over-invest in capital expenditures and acquisitions, received lower returns on assets and paid lower dividends to shareholders.

The study drew upon existing psychological research linking a large signature to an inflated ego, which is one of the defining characteristics of a narcissist. Such a person also tends to take excessive risks, make decisions without consulting others, dismiss feedback and blame failure on external circumstances.

Sounds like a keeper.

“Despite prior findings showing risk-taking sometimes is good, our results show that risky behavior from these narcissistic CEOs generates negative, declining performance over the long term – especially in firms that are younger, small and/or R&D-intensive,” Seybert said in a statement.

Prior studies about CEO narcissism focused on other indicators, such as the size of the individual’s photo in an annual report. But Seybert said those variables likely have more to do with the marketing department’s tactics than the CEO’s leadership style.

“The signature derives directly from its source and indicates personality according to decades of psychology research,” he said.

The study also found that CEOs labeled narcissistic were more likely to receive higher cash and stock compensation than their more tolerable CEO counterparts.

“Simply and counterintuitively, narcissism pays off for the CEO at the expense of the firm,” Seybert said. “Corporate directors should keep their CEO’s narcissism in check and think twice about pursuing the ego-driven ‘superstar CEO,’ especially in an era of scrutiny on CEO overcompensation, which peaked in public outrage a few years ago.”

That’s good advice. Here’s another tidbit: Write smaller, or risk being singled out, accused of having a personality disorder and blamed for your firm’s shortcomings.

Signing off,

alissa

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It’s no secret Maryland public universities are trying to get better at commercializing professors’ and students’ research.

But in 2011, the universities did not get much bang for their buck.

A report by The Chronicle of Higher Education shows the University System of Maryland spent almost $1.07 billion on research in fiscal year 2011. For that investment, the system received just $1.3 million through licensing technology to start-ups.

Compare that to the top-ranking institution — Northwestern University  — which spent $484.1 million but got $191.5 million through commercialization.

According to The Chronicles’ data — compiled through survey responses from 153 universities, plus four more that replied anonymously — the University System of Maryland spent the ninth-most money on research while receiving the 78th-most license income.

The system — which pulls most of its research funding from the flagship University of Maryland, College Park, University of Maryland, Baltimore and University of Maryland, Baltimore County — did manage to receive the 14th-most patents, with 77. The University of California System was first with 343 patents issued.

Overall, universities reported license income of $1.8 billion and research expenditures of $40.9 billion.

(Photo: Colin Gore, grad student in material science and engineering at University of Maryland, College Park working with Eric D. Wachsman, director of the University of Maryland Energy Research Center. Maximilian Franz/The Daily Record)

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UPDATE (11:25 A.M., July 17) – The San Francisco Chronicle reports a Stanford spokeswoman has denied that Anderson is in talks to take over the university’s athletic department. However, the paper still Read the rest of this entry »

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Racking up “likes” on Facebook or Twitter followers could help a group of University of Maryland students win $5,000 toward a cause of their choice and a private jet to Atlanta for courtside seats at an NBA game.

The two prizes are part of a contest announced at last Saturday’s men’s basketball game, when the Terps got a video message from actor Kevin Bacon.

The university has teamed up with the film star for the “Do Good Challenge,” aimed at encouraging students to engage in philanthropy.

“What we’re trying to do here is get a lot of people out doing good, and to promote giving and make a difference at the same time,” said Robert Grimm, who is directing the challenge and also directs the University’s Philanthropy and Nonprofit Management program.

Eleven groups registered in the first 48 hours, Grimm said.

Students can start their own projects, work with an existing student group, or work with a nonprofit.

“I want to see how you can use your creativity to encourage social change,” Bacon said in his video message.

Students have until March 26 to submit a statement explaining the impact they’ve had and what they’ve learned.

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Howard County Executive Ken Ulman talked about a wide range of topics in his Newsmakers interview. The University of Maryland alum also gave his thoughts on the football team’s new Under Armour uniforms.

Judging by the video clip below, I’d say he’s a fan.

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By now everyone has given their opinion about the football uniforms the University of Maryland unveiled Monday night during their season-opening win against Miami.

Paul Lukas, an authority on uniforms, wrote on ESPN.com the Terps were in “court jester” mode and looked like “living chess pieces.” An athletic department spokesman told the New York Daily News the design is a “branding thing,” while an Under Armour spokesman said they were a way to “define Maryland pride and to differentiate.”

“Maryland Pride,” perhaps not-so-coincidentally, is also the title of a one-minute video the Terps were reportedly shown before receiving the uniforms last night. I was ready to put on cleats as a narrator described the Compfit Pride Jersey, “tight where it needs to be, no drag, no grab, more flex.”

You can see the ad below, which Under Amour also posted on YouTube last night. (Lukas and others reported receiving a press release about the uniforms right around kickoff time.)

Love them or hate them, the uniforms “accomplished exactly what they want to do,” Stewart Mandel, a college football writer for SportsIllustrated.com, told the Daily News.

“For three hours last night, everyone was talking about Maryland football,” he said. “When’s the last time anyone talked about Maryland football?”

All of this means one thing to this College Park alum: I can’t wait to see which of the 32 uniform combinations the Terps break out for their next game, Sept. 17 against West Virginia.

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University of Maryland Medical Center is starting a new advertising campaign, called “Medicine on a Mission.”

If you check out their website, you’ll see the new campaign. On the right side of the page click on the links under the video player to watch the television commercials, listen to the radio advertisements, and see the print advertisement.

The ads will begin airing on TV, radio and appearing in print next week. They all carry the new logo that was rolled out a few weeks ago, and they all drive individuals to our web site for more information.  The site contains more than 500 videos featuring patient stories, interviews with faculty and staff, and in-depth consumer health information.

The campaign is targeting the entire state of Maryland with some national reach, to raise awareness and build the reputation of the University of Maryland Medical Center as an academic medical center that delivers complex medical care in a personal way.

According to hospital executives in a release, “reputation is also important in attracting the best and the brightest employees, enhancing physician recruitment and strengthening our relationship with referring physicians that trust us with their most difficult cases.”

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This Tuesday, University of Maryland Head Football Coach Ralph Friedgen and U.S. Naval Academy Head Football Coach Ken Niumatalolo will visit Baltimore Ravens training camp in Westminster to promote their upcoming head-to-head in September.

The two are scheduled to attend the 8:45 a.m. training camp practice session and the coaches will meet with Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh and his staff before addressing the media on the practice fields at McDaniel College.

I asked around and it seems this is the first time in recent memory the Maryland and Navy coaches will make an appearance at training camp to plug the game. (The last time the teams played was in 2005 — and that was after a 40-year hiatus.)

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All an Atlantic Coast Conference spokeswoman and a spokesman for ESPN will say is “negotiations are ongoing.” Representatives from University of Maryland’s Department of Athletics won’t even talk about it.

But unconfirmed reports are running wild on the Internet and it appears Maryland and the ACC’s 11 other schools are due for a huge financial boon in 2011 as the conference nears a television deal that could increase each school’s share by roughly $7 million per year.

According to reports, the ACC has reached a 12-year, $1.86 billion television deal with sports giant ESPN, doubling the conference’s broadcast agreement with Raycom Sports and ESPN, which ends at the close of the 2010-2011 season.

Citing unnamed sources, the Sports Business Journal reported Monday that ESPN will pay the ACC $155 million a year to broadcast the conference’s football and basketball games through the 2022-23 season, more than double the approximately $75 million the ACC is making now.

Charlotte-based Raycom will continue its long association with the ACC by subleasing games from ESPN for regional syndication.

Maryland’s Department of Athletics serves 27 sports teams and has an annual expense budget of approximately $55 million, according to the school.

Translation: $7 million more a year will put each school’s share at about $13 million. That’ll make a nice difference for a school considered to have a mid-sized budget. And let’s not forget the cuts Maryland had to make in this most recent year’s athletics budget (for more details click here.)

And for the cherry on top of the sundae, rumors have it that Maryland could get an even bigger slice of  conference revenue sharing pie — but not with the ACC. According to The (Newport News, Va.) Daily Press’ Teel Time blog, the Big Ten Conference’s planned realignment could include Maryland. No one’s saying anything yet (again, unnamed sources cited here) but money-wise it’s huge: Big Ten schools receive about $22 million per year.

For you math nerds, that would be a near-quadrupling of Maryland’s conference money (although Maryland would have to play in a historically much tougher conference).

Either way it appears good financial times are ahead for Maryland athletics. Now about that football team …

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