For Release:        Immediate – October 12, 2015

Contact:               Jerry Gretzinger, Vice President of Strategic Communications and Public Relations ­

(518) 956-7359 | jgretzinger@sunypoly.edu

SUNY POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF ROBERT J. DUFFY AS CHAIRMAN OF THE AIM PHOTONICS LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

Key leadership and oversight responsibilities include direct engagement with industry and government stakeholders, strategic planning and management, and guiding photonics-enabled innovation and job creation in Rochester and across Upstate New York

SUNY Polytechnic Institute today announced the appointment of Robert J. Duffy as Chairman of the AIM Photonics Leadership Council, which establishes the strategic and technical direction for the $600 million Integrated Photonics Institute for Manufacturing Innovation announced in July by Governor Andrew Cuomo and Vice President Joe Biden at SUNY Poly’s Rochester-region high-tech facility at Canal Ponds.

As Chairman, Duffy will assume key leadership responsibilities including direct engagement with industry and government stakeholders, strategic planning and management, and guiding photonics-enabled innovation and job creation in Rochester and across Upstate New York.

“It is an honor to chair the Leadership Council and help advance Governor Cuomo’s vision of creating high-tech jobs across Upstate New York by making Rochester the photonics capital of the world,” said Chairman Duffy. “With nearly limitless possibilities to improve lives through technology and innovation while creating jobs here at home, photonics is the biggest thing to happen to Rochester since the advent of film. On behalf of the entire community, we thank SUNY Poly and Dr. Alain Kaloyeros for the visionary thinking that secured this opportunity. I look forward to working with AIM leadership on ensuring the best possible return on this public investment through effective governance, engaging with industry partners, and continually recruiting new companies and jobs to the area.”

“Nobody is more respected or has a deeper knowledge of the Rochester business landscape than Bob Duffy, and we are thrilled he has agreed to assume this important leadership post and play a pivotal role in guiding the growth of AIM Photonics,” said AIM Photonics CEO Dr. Michael Liehr. “With a global network of business and professional relationships and proven experience in the public and private sectors, we are honored to have such a distinguished New Yorker leading us as we move forward.”

Appointing a Leadership Council Chairperson is the latest tangible step forward for the Photonics Institute. Previously, Governor Cuomo announced the business headquarters and technology accelerator for the Institute will be located in the Legacy Tower, formerly home to Bausch and Lomb.

Additionally, separate from the Leadership Council, which will focus on the strategic and technical direction of the Institute, a seven-person governance board will also be created to help oversee and implement the program, consisting of three members from state government, two from SUNY Polytechnic, and one each from the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology.

The Leadership Council is a requirement of the Department of Defense and under the guidance of Chairman Duffy will govern AIM Photonics.  The Chairman is one of five Founding Leadership Council Members, with the remaining individuals to be announced in the near future. Leadership Council positions are volunteer and receive no compensation. AIM Photonics, through its Leadership Council and with guidance from the Leadership Council Chairman, will have the opportunity to positively influence key industrial decision makers in their location and sourcing decisions.

In addition to customary governance and oversight responsibilities, the Leadership Council will:

• Work to increase industry participation through shared technology infrastructure in Albany, Rochester, and across the Upstate nanotechnology corridor

• Attract new funding for AIM Photonics programs from local, federal, international governments and other potential funding partners.

• Ensure AIM Photonics aggressively identifies and closes emerging opportunities consistent with AIM Photonics’ mission to introduce promising new technologies by identifying gaps that need a collaborative solution.

• Provide oversight and expert reviews of strategy; finance; executive team performance; industry specific reviews; and a thorough assessment of risk and legal compliance.

• Ensure clarity of strategy objectives, and continuously monitor performance against appropriate measurements and benchmarks.

• Advise the CEO and other AIM Photonics officers to improve performance and effectiveness.

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About Robert J. Duffy. Rochester native Robert J. Duffy began as Rochester Business Alliance president and Chief Executive Officer January 1, 2015. Prior to working for RBA, Duffy served as New York lieutenant governor in Governor Andrew Cuomo's administration from January 2011 to December 2014. Duffy previously served as Rochester mayor from January 2006 to January 2011 and as Rochester police chief from March 1998 to April 2005, when he resigned his post to run for mayor. He joined the Rochester Police Department in November 1976.

During his tenure as Rochester mayor, Duffy was widely recognized for navigating the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression by reducing the cost of government, improving services, lowering tax rates, and attracting millions of dollars in private-sector investments.

As lieutenant governor, Duffy chaired the Regional Economic Development Councils aimed at rebuilding New York's economy and positioning the Empire State to be a global economic leader. Duffy also served as chair of the Spending and Government Efficiency Commission. In that role, Duffy oversaw an effort to make New York's government more modern, accountable, and efficient.

Bob Duffy holds two degrees from Monroe Community College, a Bachelor of Science degree from Rochester Institute of Technology, and Master of Arts degree from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. SUNY Polytechnic Institute. SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) is New York’s globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem, formed from the merger of the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and SUNY Institute of Technology. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience and nanoeconomics programs at its Albany location and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica/Rome location. Thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world’s most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts more than $43 billion in high-tech investments, over 300 corporate partners, and maintains a statewide footprint. The 1.3 million-square-foot Albany NanoTech megaplex is home to more than 4,000 scientists, researchers, engineers, students, faculty, and staff, in addition to Tech Valley High School. SUNY Poly operates the Smart Cities Technology Innovation Center (SCiTI) at Kiernan Plaza in Albany, the Solar Energy Development Center in Halfmoon, the Central New York Hub for Emerging Nano Industries in Syracuse, the Smart System Technology and Commercialization Center (STC) in Canandaigua, and the Photovoltaic Manufacturing and Technology Development Facility in Rochester where SUNY Poly also leads the American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics. SUNY Poly founded and manages the Computer Chip Commercialization Center (Quad-C) at its Utica location and also manages the $500 million New York Power Electronics Manufacturing Consortium, with nodes in Albany and Rochester, as well as the Buffalo High-Tech Manufacturing Innovation Hub at RiverBend, Buffalo Information Technologies Innovation and Commercialization Hub, and Buffalo Medical Innovation and Commercialization Hub. For information visit www.sunycnse.com and www.sunypoly.edu.