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New researchers move to Spokane; governor creates new commission9/25/02The day started with the introduction of Doctors Lisa Shaffer and Bassem Bejjani, nationally-known geneticists who are bringing their research from Texas to Spokane. Both will hold faculty positions with Washington State University-Spokane and Sacred Heart Medical Center.WSU Spokane Campus Dean Bill Gray says Spokane's size and physical features were attractive to Shaffer and Bejjani, but he says they also came because of the new state-of-the-art lab facilities in the university's new Health Sciences Building. "These are two scientists that are supported by research teams of lab assistants, technicians, technologists, post-docs, there are 12 people on the teams that we're introducing today, coming not only from the United States, but also internationally. We have a technician that comes from Italy, we have two post-docs from Poland. This is a world-class research team." Some who attended this event then walked across the WSU Spokane campus to the SIRTI (Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute) building, where they met with Governor Gary Locke to tell him about the progress they've made in building a local biotechnology and biomedical industry. The governor said he's encouraged by that progress, both in eastern Washington and northern Idaho, and told them they might find help from his newly-announced Economic Development Commission. The chairman of the commission, Scott Morris from Avista, says the 14-member group's job is to help the state develop a focus for its economic development work. "We'll look at the state, its economic development goals as a whole, not pit one community against another. We'll develop a mission and a vision that serves the interests of the entire state. And we'll hold ourselves accountable by establishing benchmarks and measuring our progress by those standards." Also on the commission is Don Barbieri from West Coast Hospitality, who recently finished a stint as chairman of the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce. By Doug Nadvornick |
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