BINGHAMTON, NY – The Binghamton Community Lab will host a mixer and discussion titled "What makes the Southern Tier so creative/inventive?" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, at the Lost Dog Cafe Violet Room, 222 Water St. in Binghamton. This event is free and open to the public. Participants are welcome to purchase an optional, self-pay dinner at 6 p.m. 

Contribute to a discussion of why the Southern Tier continues to be an innovative community, from its 19th-century roots and early 20th-century start-ups including IBM, mobile communication, Link Aviation and Raymond Corporation, to today, where patent productivity is double the national average (Harvard Business School - Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness).           

The session will begin with a brief, illustrated talk on local inventions by Susan Sherwood, Center for Technology & Innovation's (CT&I) executive director, followed by comments from CT&I board members, Debra Morello and Chuck Goodwin, and open discussion with all attendees. 

Sherwood has directed CT&I in Binghamton since 2003. Prior to that, she held senior museum management positions at the Kuwait Museum of Islamic Art, The Scientific Center of Kuwait and Roberson Museum & Science Center in Binghamton. From 1977-1995, Sherwood worked for the U.S. National Park Service (NPS), where she directed NPS research on acid rain impacts on historic buildings and statues from 1982-1995, as part of the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program (NAPAP).        

The Binghamton Community Lab is a gathering place for citizen investigators to create and support improvements that will grow a healthier, wealthier and strong Binghamton region. The series, held regularly on the second Tuesday of each month will be facilitated by David Sloan Wilson, SUNY distinguished professor of biology and anthropology at Binghamton University and founder of the Binghamton Neighborhood Project, and David Currie, director of the Binghamton Regional Sustainability Coalition.                

For additional information, contact Hadassah Head at evos@binghamton.edu.