HudsonAlpha’s 15 Years of Economic Impact Come Together in Series of 2023 Community Events

In 2023, HudsonAlpha is celebrating 15 years of business, innovation, and community development in the Huntsville area, and will be inviting the public to join in on upcoming events.

The Institute’s grand opening took place on National DNA Day, April 25, 2008, which commemorates the discovery of the DNA double helix in 1953 and the completion of the Human Genome Project in April 2003.

The Institute’s unique model as a nonprofit institute dedicated to developing and applying scientific advances to health, agriculture, education and commercialization, set by founders Jim Hudson and the late Lonnie McMillian, guided HudsonAlpha since it first opened its doors in 2008.

“Lonnie and I wanted to create something that had never been done before,” Hudson said. “We wanted educators talking to researchers, researchers talking to entrepreneurs, and everybody working together in one space.”

Over the past 15 years, Hudson Alpha's economic impact to the state of Alabama stands at $3.3 billion, alongside $900 million in generated ROI from mergers & acquisitions.

In addition, HudsonAlpha is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that isn’t just one organization, but a collection of over 65 including 11 non-profit research labs, more than 45 independent resident companies, two dedicated philanthropic organizations, a staff of educators, and an on-campus diagnostic clinic.

On the campus alone, Hud- sonAlpha houses 50+ Biotech Companies.

Most importantly, around 38% of these biotech companies found on HudsonAlpha’s campus are minority led.

“At HudsonAlpha, we value diverse ideas, collaboration, and innovation. This is central to the mission of the Institute. We celebrate diversity and inclusion in the workplace across race, gender identity, age, ethnicity, disabilities, sexual orientation, and religion/ faith. A diverse workforce is crucial to enriching organizational performance,

By: Ashlyn Grey

“At HudsonAlpha, we value diverse ideas, collaboration, and innovation. This is central to the mission of the Institute. We celebrate diversity and inclusion in the workplace across race, gender identity, age, ethnicity, disabilities, sexual orientation, and religion/faith.” enhancing scientific discovery, and building bridges to engage our diverse community,” shared Dr. Darrell Ezell, PhD, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for HudsonAlpha, in the recent Economic Development release.

“We not only value these important measures, but they are embedded in the foundation of the Institute and have led to the development of strong life science companies. HudsonAlpha has competitive advantages as a biotech destination in a diverse city as

“As one of the earliest employees hired by Jim and Lonnie, I’ve been fortunate to participate in HudsonAlpha’s phenomenal growth over the last 15 years. In keeping with our cofounder’s vision, HudsonAlpha is a thriving bioscience ecosystem where genomics-based research, entrepreneurship and educational outreach combine to improve the human condition around the globe,” said President of HudsonAlpha Dr. Neil Lamb, PhD.

Huntsville, to grow a new company and collaborate,” Dr. Ezell continued.

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion provides strategic leadership that supports the Institute’s efforts to better engage the diverse community around them, diversify their workforce, support programs within the Institute, and create a more welcoming and inclusive workplace that meets the needs of their employees and the diverse communities they serve.

“Diversity is critical to sound science. But not just the diversity of scientific study. We must ensure that our workforce accurately reflects our diverse communities, and that access to the scientific findings and advancements are available and accessible to all,” shared Shared Richard M. Myers, Chief Scientific Officer, President Emeritus and Faculty Investigator.

Alongside HudsonAlpha’s impressive resume as a biotech business incubator, the campus touts a variety of programs for community development and outreach. Programs include the LABS (Launching Aspiring Biotechnology Scientists) program for high school students, and the SURE-GM (Summer Undergraduate Research Experience in Genomic Medicine) program that focuses on college students.

Both programs are designed to increase STEM exposure and experience for underrepresented students.

To commemorate the anniversary, HudsonAlpha will host a variety of public activities including a year-long speaker series, an exhibit in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution and the City of Huntsville, and other special events.

The Anniversary Series includes the following events::

• Genomics and Biotech Discoveries: February 28, Jackson Center, 6:30 p.m.

• HudsonAlpha U Nights: HudsonAlpha U Nights are a series of evening events for a public audience. These events will be hosted by Kelly East, MS, CGC, Vice President for Educational Outreach, and held on the HudsonAlpha campus. These events are sponsored by the James Cecil and Margaret Ashburn Foundation.

• Transformative Technologies:

How HudsonAlpha Associate Companies are Proving the Model Works: March 23, 5 p.m.

• The Bias Inside Us, A Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition: April 24 – May 20. The Bias Inside Us is a Smithsonian traveling exhibition supported by the Otto Bremer Trust, presented in collaboration with the City of Huntsville. The self-guided exhibit explores the social science, psychology, and consequences of implicit bias and offers an opportunity to learn how to challenge bias in the world. The exhibit will be on display at HudsonAlpha’s flagship building, 601 Genome Way.

• Tiny Genes, Big Effects: How HudsonAlpha uses Genomics to Feed the World: June 8, 2023, 5:30 p.m. Tiny Genes, Big Effects: How HudsonAlpha uses Genomics to Feed the World is a talk between Alex Harkess, PhD and Josh Clevenger, PhD on how genes they have discovered can be used to increase a plant’s productivity, tastiness, or hardiness, and ultimately help solve food scarcity. The event sponsors are Bob and Sandy Hovde.

The speaker series, sponsored by Avilution, will feature guests from a variety of disciplines, ranging from education to genomic medicine to biodiversity. Speakers include Jim Hudson and acclaimed geneticist Dr. Mary-Claire King..

Apart from events happening throughout the year, HudsonAlpha has also announced another way that the Huntsville/Madison County Community can get involved with life changing work.

The HudsonAlpha Foundation is excited to announce the Innovation Fund campaign to allow the community to financially support the Institute’s mission. Funds raised in this campaign will be put to immediate use supporting five key pillars of innovation – talent, technology, seeding, scaling, and training – to propel HudsonAlpha into the next 15 years and beyond.

To learn more about upcoming events, or how you can get involved with HudsonAlpha’s Innovation Fund, please visit www.hudsonalpha.org/anniversary for more details. w