Susan Michele Carlson
Ms. Carlson is director of operations for the WiCell Research Institute in Madison, with responsibility for day-to-day management of research, support, service, education, outreach and other efforts of the organization. She works closely with the executive director and Board of Trustees to implement the organization’s vision and strategic plan.

Her experience includes more than 13 years of research administration and general management at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, including a year working as administrator of the committee to review the biological sciences at UW–Madison, more than 10 years at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, and two years at the Women’s Health Study at the UW Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Ms. Carlson holds a master’s of international business and marketing from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She earned her bachelor’s of science degree in management information systems from the University of Tampa in Florida.

Tom Still
Mr. Tom Still is president of the Wisconsin Technology Council and its membership subsidiary, the Wisconsin Innovation Network. The Tech Council is the independent, nonprofit science and technology advisor to the governor and the legislature. Its work centers on policy formation, economic development and network creation.

Mr. Still is a member of the Governor’s Economic Growth Council, the Industrial Advisory Board to the UW–Madison College of Engineering, the board of visitors of the UW Extension, the Madison Economic Development Commission, the Dane County Economic Strategies Group, the Simpson Street Free Press and the Dane County Collaboration Council. He is the former associate editor of the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison.

Mr. Still writes a weekly column, “Inside Wisconsin”, which is syndicated in more than 20 Wisconsin publications. He is a periodic columnist for various publications.
 
Mr. Still co-authored “Hands-On Environmentalism,” published this fall by Encounter Books, San Francisco. He also teaches graduate-level students in the UW–Madison Department of Life Sciences Communication. Still is a co-founder and former president of We the People/Wisconsin Inc., a 13-year-old civic journalism partnership involving statewide print, television and radio media.

Mr. Still has a bachelor’s degree from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa and attended the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Travis Berggren
Dr. Travis Berggren is a scientist specializing in Mass Spectrometry Proteomics at the WiCell Research Institute in Madison. Previously, he spent several years as a research specialist and graduate student in the chemistry department at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He has also worked as a research assistant at both the Scripps Research Institute and the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California.

Dr. Berggren has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of California at San Diego and a master’s degree in analytical chemistry from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Elizabeth Donley
Ms. Elizabeth Donley is chief executive officer of Stemina Biomaker Discovery, a stem cell start-up company she developed along with UW–Madison stem cell researcher Gabriela Cezar—co-founder and chief scientific officer—in Madison. Stemina is an early innovator of stem cell metabolomics—using biomarkers expressed in the metabolic pathways of human stem cells to predict and diagnose disease and screen and develop drugs.

Ms. Donley has held a number of key posts at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, including general counsel for eight years. At the WiCell Research Institute, Ms. Donley was executive director and coordinated work with the National Stem Cell Bank, which is hosted by WiCell, and other projects related to stem cell patent protection.

She holds a law degree and a master’s of science in bacteriology from UW–Madison, and a master’s in business administration in finance from UW–Whitewater.

Andrew Cohn
Mr. Andrew Cohn is the government and public relations manager for the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. His responsibilities include representing WiCell Research Institute and WARF before state and federal government and media relations. Mr. Cohn was the spokesperson for WARF during the 2001 biology lesson as the nation’s attention was consumed by the science, the ethics, the economics, the politics and the potential of stem cell research.

He led a team at WiCell that developed a three-day training session to teach scientists how to work with stem cells. More than 350 scientists from all over the world have come to Madison to take the course.

Mr. Cohn attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison earning a bachelor’s degree in 1970 and a master’s degree in 1974. Prior to his position at WARF, he was chief of staff for Wisconsin’s Attorney General James Doyle.

James Haney
A native of Amery, Wis., Mr. James Haney has a background in both the public and private sectors. He served as an aide to Wisconsin Gov. Warren Knowles, and under Gov. Lee Dreyfus served as assistant to the secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Industry, Labor and Human Relations and as deputy secretary for the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. In the private sector, Haney served as public affairs director of the Bergstrom Paper Company and as district manager of public affairs for Wisconsin Bell.

In 1985, Mr. Haney became president of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC), representing more than 4,000 members statewide. Under Mr. Haney's leadership, WMC has become known as the state's largest and most influential business and industrial organization.

His current professional involvement includes service to the Wisconsin Council on Workforce Investment, International Trade Council, Wisconsin's Labor Management Council, Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the Wisconsin Economic Summit. Mr. Haney's community service includes his work with the Wisconsin Foundation for the Arts, American Players Theatre, and Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.

Mr. Haney has a law degree from UW–Madison.

Mark Bugher
Mr. Mark D. Bugher is the director of University Research Park, managing and directing all activities for the Park, a 525-acre research park owned and operated by the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The goals of the Park are to encourage faculty startup companies, build an asset for the University and enhance economic development. As the director, he is also responsible for the management of a separately organized real estate development corporation.

Mr. Bugher was appointed by Gov. Tommy G. Thompson to serve as Secretary of the Department of Administration (DOA) in 1996. As Thompson’s top cabinet member, he was the chief architect of the $41 billion biennial state budget, which established the fiscal and program priorities for the entire state government.

Prior to his DOA appointment, Mr. Bugher served as Secretary of Revenue (DOR), beginning in October, 1988. Before joining the Thompson Administration, Mr. Bugher was home secretary for U.S. Congressman Steven C. Gunderson in Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District. He also served in various local government capacities in Eau Claire County, including election for three terms to the Eau Claire County Board of Supervisors.

During his state government tenure, Mr. Bugher chaired the state Interagency Land Use Council and the Wisconsin Land Council. He served on the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on 21st Century Jobs and State Human Resources Reform. He has served on many other statewide policy-making bodies including the State Investment Board, the TEACH Board and the Wisconsin Advanced Telecommunication Foundation.

Since leaving state government, Mr. Bugher has been appointed to the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on State-Local Partnership and Governor’s Commission on Educational Excellence. He chairs the Wisconsin Technology Council, Marshfield Clinic Advisory Board and the Madison Economic Development Commission. In addition, he’s the vice chair of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce Board and serves on the First Business Financial Services Board and Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance Board.

James Wood
Mr. James Wood is president of Wood Communications Group (WCG), a public relations and market research firm specializing in strategic planning and governmental affairs operating in 21 states and Canada with offices in Madison, Wisconsin and Omaha, Nebraska.

Mr. Wood’s career spans both the public and private sector. His public career included appointments as executive assistant to Gov. Patrick J. Lucey, deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration, and founder and first president of a private "think tank" dedicated to the research and analysis of cutting-edge public policy issues.

Since 1982, Mr. Wood has used his strategic communications skills to assist corporate, association and governmental leaders interact effectively with the ever-changing, constantly challenging, always fascinating arenas of media and public opinion. He is a recognized authority on the development and implementation of public policy, and has had significant experience in facilitation and mediation.

Mr. Wood holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and a Ph.D. in history from Duke University. In addition, he has taught at Purdue University, the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and Carroll College.

Maliyakal John
Dr. Maliyakal E. John is managing director of WiSys Technology Foundation, Inc. (WiSys) WiSys derives its mission, goals and objectives from the charge of its parent corporation, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF). WARF’s mission is to support research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison by protecting and licensing inventions created by UW-Madison scientists, and returning the licensing proceeds to fund further research at the university. Similarly, the mission of WiSys, founded in 2000, is to support research and educational programs at the other campuses of the UW System.

In order to serve the diverse needs of 12 four-year campuses, 13 two-year colleges and the UW-Extension, WiSys makes every effort to understand the research programs underway at each campus, as well as to facilitate the development of systems for accomplishing technology transfer at each System school. The foundation also collaborates with local businesses and economic development authorities to bring UW System technologies and human resources into the surrounding communities.

Through these processes, WiSys strives to invigorate technology transfer and economic development throughout the state. As a key link between the campuses of the UW System and their local and regional business communities, WiSys is in a unique position to identify synergies that may help foster the growth of local communities, their colleges and universities, their regions and, ultimately, the economy of Wisconsin.

Dr. John received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Poona University in India. He has extensive industrial research experience in molecular biology, plant sciences and mammalian genetics, as well as several years of technology transfer experience, including evaluation of intellectual property, development of business plans and patenting of technologies.

Jennifer Sereno
Ms. Jennifer Sereno is director of media relations and a senior account manager with Wood Communications Group, Madison. With more than 20 years’ experience as a print and broadcast journalist, she previously served as business editor at the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison. Ms. Sereno has a master’s degree in business journalism from UW-Madison and she has produced stories for media outlets ranging from WTDY Radio and Corporate Report Wisconsin magazine to Dow Jones New Service and The New York Times.