ULV Looking to Make Splash in 2012 with Water Conference

On Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012 the University of La Verne will host a Water Technology Conference featuring recognized experts and influential leaders who will discuss water research, potential for commercialization and the idea of advancing the local economy through water-related industries.

“The reason for the conference is to put the University of La Verne in a leadership role with water for Southern California,” La Verne Executive Vice President Phil Hawkey said. “We are in a strategic position because we have considerable experience working with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the largest water agency in the U.S. and one of the largest in the world.” The MWD, Hawkey said, is well-known around the globe for its leadership on water issues.

Panel discussions include: MWD Water Research Activities, which will consist of presentations about water microbiology and other topics; a Water Technology Product Development Panel, and a Business Sector Panel.

Water is essential for life and for our economy,” Hawkey said.  “We live in a desert and exist on water that is imported from Northern California or the Colorado River and the recent rains demonstrated that even though they filled up the reservoirs, most of the rain ran off into the ocean. It was a temporary inconvenience and did not solve our water issues.”

The University of La Verne is poised to become a leader in the water technology industry. The university owns 50 acres of vacant land and is working to acquire more land to build a “water campus” that would essentially be a business and technology park that would focus on water-related industries.
 
The idea is to create a cluster of water-related companies, which would be supported by an education and research center. This center would allow the university to be part of supporting water-related research as well as public education about the importance of water to our society, Hawkey said.

The MWD’s F.E. Weymouth Treatment Plant, located a half-mile from the university’s campus, conducts research on water-related issues, research that has national consequence.

 “La Verne has a unique combination of educational, technological and business resources to become the center of water technology for the region,” said William Lyte, president of Technoplex, Inc. and a participant in the conference. “These include the Metropolitan Water District and Weymouth water research laboratory, the top laboratory of its kind in the United States. In addition, La Verne has a major university and several other major universities nearby, including the Claremont Colleges. Major industrial firms such as the Lewis Group of companies are also committed to the success of this program, as is the region’s world-class engineering industry.”

The conference will emphasize the opportunities that exist in La Verne for water research and commercialization as well as business creation and emerging technologies in the water industry.

For further information please contact Corinne Medina, 909-593-3511 ext 4745 or cmedina@laverne.edu.

Conference fee is $75.