SANTA ANA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–MSC Software Corporation, the leader in multidiscipline simulation solutions that accelerate product innovation, today announced that NASA astronaut and engineer Dr. Gregory Chamitoff will deliver the keynote speech at the company’s 2013 Americas user conference and 50th anniversary celebration.

“It’s a particular honor to have Dr. Chamitoff as our keynote speaker because of NASA’s place in MSC Software’s history”

The conference, “A New Era Begins,” will be held on May 7-8 in Irvine, California. It kicks off a worldwide series of user group conferences in 20 countries through the spring and summer.

Chamitoff has been with NASA since 1995 and contributed to space projects before that as a graduate student at MIT. He has logged more than 198 days in space on NASA missions.

While working on his doctoral degree, Chamitoff performed stability analysis for the Hubble Space Telescope deployment, designed flight control upgrades for the Space Shuttle and developed attitude control system software for the Space Station. After joining NASA, Chamitoff led the development of software for spacecraft attitude control monitoring, prediction, analysis and maneuvering.

In 2008, Chamitoff served as the flight engineer and science officer for a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. In 2011, Chamitoff served as a mission specialist on the last flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour and also performed the final spacewalk of the Space Shuttle program.

NASA helped launch MSC’s 50 years of success in the software industry. The company was founded in 1963. In 1965, MSC was one of the primary developers of NASTRAN simulation software for the Apollo space program. MSC then developed the first commercial version of NASTRAN (MSC Nastran), which established it as a leading simulation and analysis software company.

“It’s a particular honor to have Dr. Chamitoff as our keynote speaker because of NASA’s place in MSC Software’s history,” said MSC President and CEO Dominic Gallello. In addition to Chamitoff’s keynote, “A New Era Begins” will include an opening-day address from Gallello recounting the company’s 50-year history of innovation and describing its vision for the future. The general session will include a video of MSC’s history, from the NASA era to the present, and the scientific accomplishments its products have supported through the years.

The Americas user conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Irvine, California. For more information, please visit http://pages.mscsoftware.com/50Years-HomeUSA.html. The conference agenda includes deep technical expertise from speakers presenting on behalf of BMW, Boeing, Baker Hughes, Caterpillar, China Aerospace, Ford, Graham Packaging, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA, Scripps and many more. To view a full listing of speakers and abstracts to be presented at the Americas Conference, visit http://pages.mscsoftware.com/50Years-AbstractsUSA.html.

International user group events will be held in the EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions in May, June and September. EMEA events will be held in: Sweden May 13-14; Germany May 14-15; UK May 15-16; France May 16-17; Russia May 21-22; Italy May 22-23; and Turkey May 27. Asia-Pacific events will be held in: Japan, May 30; Korea, June 5; China, June 6-7; and India, Sept. 5-6. For more information on international events, please visit http://www.mscsoftware.com/50years/.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott today announced the 20 schools selected for the new Software Engineering Pilot program to begin at the start of the next school year. The schools will receive comprehensive computer science and software engineering curriculum for the 1,000 students expected to participate this fall. By 2016, the program will grow to 3,500 students. Mayor Bloomberg first announced the Software Engineering Pilot in his State of the City address earlier this month, and the program is a part of the City’s work to prepare students for college and careers in the technology sector. The Mayor and Chancellor Walcott made the announcement at the High School of Telecommunication Arts and Technology in Brooklyn, one of the 20 schools selected for the Software Engineering Pilot, and were joined by Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert K. Steel, AppNexus Cofounder and Chief Technology Officer Mike Nolet and Principal Philip Weinberg.

“We know it’s vital to prepare our children to succeed in an increasingly technology-centered economy and the Software Engineering Pilot will help us do just that,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “This groundbreaking program will ensure that more students receive computer science and software engineering instruction so that they can compete for the tech jobs that are increasingly becoming a part of our city’s economy. We’re creating the home-grown workforce our city needs and teaching our students skills that will open up new doors for them and their future.”

“The tech industry in New York City continues to expand significantly under Mayor Bloomberg’s leadership, and our public schools are rising to meet the challenge,” said Chancellor Walcott. “The Software Engineering Pilot will provide students with the foundational skills they need to compete for high-paying, career track jobs in a variety of professional fields. I would like to thank the educators at our 20 pilot schools who are working hard to make this wonderful opportunity a reality for their students.”

“The Software Engineering Pilot is the latest component of our comprehensive strategy to position New York City to outperform in the knowledge economy of the future,” said Deputy Mayor Steel. “From our work with the tech industry, we know that these companies need skilled employees at every level of their organization. The training we’re providing through this program, the Academy for Software Engineering in Manhattan and the Applied Sciences NYC initiative will prepare our students for the jobs of today and tomorrow.”

“Hiring programmers and engineers is one of the biggest challenges facing AppNexus today and is critical to our success and growth,” said Mike Nolet, Cofounder and Chief Technology Officer. “We applaud Mayor Bloomberg’s leadership in preparing students for the jobs of the future. These students will surely benefit from learning computer science, and we will be hiring them as soon as possible!”

“New York’s future will be defined by the steps we take today to shape our diverse students into the programmers, engineers and designers that will fill 21^st century tech jobs of tomorrow,” said Reshma Saujani, founder of the nonprofit Girls Who Code. “The SEP Program is an innovative step forward in making that future brighter, and Girls Who Code is excited to partner with them to close the skills gap to give more minorities and young women opportunities they are currently being denied.”

“Giving students an opportunity for a bright future is the goal of every educator, and opportunity is what students will get when exposed to rigorous and engaging computer science education,” said Cameron Wilson, Director of Public Policy for the Association for Computing Machinery. “The question we face is whether students will have access to this critical discipline because far too often they do not. New York City’s Software Engineering Pilot’s strategy to expand student access to high-quality computer science curriculum coupled with professional development for teachers, will give students knowledge and skills they can use to create new computing technologies and exposure to a field driving high-demand, high-paying jobs across numerous industries.”

In September, the Software Engineering Pilot will launch in 20 middle and high schools, bringing computer science and software engineering classes to students in grades 6 through 12. In the first year, the core topics to be taught include computer programming, embedded electronics, web design and programming, e-textiles, robotics and mobile computing. The Pilot will also offer elective classes, including digital fabrication, 3-D printing and animation.

The 20 schools were selected through a competitive application process that evaluated the schools’ current technology offerings and how the program could help grow and sustain the programming. They include:

• High School of Telecommunication Arts and Technology
• Brooklyn Technical High School
• The Bronx Compass High School
• The Renaissance Charter High School for Innovation
• Urban Assembly Gateway School for Technology
• Queens Vocational & Technical High School
• Cambria Heights Academy
• Ralph McKee High School
• New Dorp High School
• Ditmas Intermediate School 62
• I.S. 30 Mary White Ovington
• Mark Twain I.S. 239 for the Gifted and Talented
• Bronx Park Middle School
• M.S. 223 The Laboratory School of Finance and Technology
• Tompkins Square Middle School
• Nathaniel Hawthorne Middle School 74
• J.H.S. 185 Edward Bleeker
• Pathways College Preparatory School
• J.H.S. 157 Stephen A. Halsey
• Eagle Academy for Young Men

The Software Engineering Pilot will also provide teacher training for the instructors leading the classes. Schools will use rigorous academic curriculum and have access to technology resources to support program instruction. Participating high schools will also receive support in applying for New York State Education Department approval, which can award a Career and Technical Education endorsement to graduating students who complete the program.

The Software Engineering Pilot aligns to Common Core Learning Standards by developing students’ higher order thinking skills through the incorporation of industry-informed learning experiences. By emphasizing the analysis of complex text and mathematical modeling, participating students will extend their preparation in English Language Arts & Literacy and Mathematics while leveraging cutting-edge technology and curricula to develop the academic and personal behaviors that are a benchmark of college and career readiness.

The program also builds on the Applied Sciences NYC initiative that the Bloomberg Administration launched to capitalize on the considerable growth in the city’s science, technology and research fields. In the technology sector, employment in New York grew by nearly 30 percent between 2005 and 2010, with total employment now at nearly 120,000. The City has established three partnerships expected to create more than 48,000 jobs and 1,000 new companies and will be led by: Cornell and the Technion, which is developing a campus on Roosevelt Island; the NYU-led consortium, which will build the Center for Urban Science and Progress in Downtown Brooklyn; and Columbia University, which will establish the new Institute for Data Sciences and Engineering, to be located at Columbia’s Morningside Heights and Washington Heights campuses.

Mr. Kreuscher has nearly 40 years of experience as a litigator focused primarily on products liability and other types of tort defense work. He has represented numerous domestic and international manufacturers and distributors of motor vehicles, telecommunications devices, appliances, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and other products. Through this representation, he has developed extensive experience handling the unique legal and procedural issues facing foreign clients, including jurisdiction, service, evidence, and testifying issues. His experience includes acting as both lead counsel and as a member of defense teams, and he has served as national coordinating counsel in the defense of more than 300 cases across the country for a particular product. He has also defended health care providers in claims alleging medical malpractice.

Mr. Kreuscher is a member of The Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel. He has been a lecturer and panel chair on topics in his areas of concentration for the Defense Research Institute, and he has authored articles on these topics for numerous legal publications. He has been selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America and Indiana Super Lawyers.

Before attending law school, Mr. Kreuscher began his career as a journalist and worked for U.S. Army and daily newspapers. He finds this experience translates well to his legal work and is particularly helpful for conducting research and presenting facts in complex cases.

“To thrive in technology, we need to see things as they are and then imagine them as they might best be,” said Commissioner Merchant. “Payphones have been an iconic part of the city’s streetscape for decades, and can be vital lifelines for communication in times of emergency. But to thrive, the payphone of the future needs to offer valuable services at all times, and with various pilot programs already underway, we’re evaluating how some of those amenities are publicly received. Now, with the Reinvent Payphones Design Challenge, we’re asking our tech community for new takes on older technology, and inviting designs about how they might enhance the vitality of our public spaces.” “New York City is the most innovative city on earth – and constantly reinventing itself,” said Rachel Haot, Chief Digital Officer. “With the Reinvent Payphones Design Challenge, we’re enlisting the thriving technology and academic communities to help shape the future of communications in New York City. This challenge is the first of its kind in the world, and provides a unique opportunity to set the bar for forward-thinking communications infrastructure. Together, we can build a brighter future for our city, and I encourage students, technologists and designers to help Reinvent Payphones in New York.” Today, there are more than 11,000 payphones on City sidewalks, down from a high of approximately 35,000 in the late 1990s. Once a primary means of communication for the public, the role of payphones has changed significantly over the last decade. While the widespread adoption of mobile devices reduces the overall need for payphones, not everyone owns a mobile phone and not everyone has connectivity at all times. Payphone availability remains critical in times of emergency, as seen by an increase in their usage after Hurricane Sandy, and Reinvent Payphones is an opportunity to shape the future design and functionality of payphones and their surrounding enclosures. In addition to the Reinvent Payphones Design Challenge, various pilot programs are currently underway to test new services using extant payphone infrastructure, including digital advertising on phone kiosks around Times Square, interactive touchscreens around Union Square and free public Wi-Fi at 13 locations across the city.

To enter the Reinvent Payphones Design Challenge, participants should visit www.nyc.gov to review competition rules, sign up for important updates and submit their prototype application for consideration by February 18, 2013. Participants are invited to an information session on January 23, 2013, where they will have an opportunity to ask questions about the challenge and the City’s payphone infrastructure. Participants are also invited to inform their designs with datasets related to City’s public pay telephones – including their locations and related 311 complaint data – available on the Reinvent Payphones website.

After all submissions are received, up to 15 semi-finalists will be selected to demonstrate their ideas at the Reinvent Payphones Demo Day on March 5, 2013. Quirky, a social product development company that brings new product ideas to life through its online collaborative platform, will partner with the City to host the Demo Day at its Chelsea headquarters. Two additional New York City-based startups are partnering with the City to facilitate the Design Challenge: Splashthat.com, a set of online planning tools, has helped the City design a custom website for the event; and CollabFinder, an online network connecting people to projects, has created a customized Reinvent Payphones project page for individual participants to sync with collaborators on building prototypes.

Reinvent Payphones is the third public innovation challenge to launch as part of the City’s pioneering Reinvent program and builds on the success of the Reinvent NYC.gov and Reinvent Green hackathons. The City is extending an invite to the technology and academic communities, as well as the public, to share their creative and innovative ideas by submitting prototypes for the challenge. The City is also working to promote the Reinvent Payphones Design Challenge to a wide range of talented and forward-thinking students and faculty in a number of local universities, including:

• Columbia University: Technological Change Lab at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation.
• New York University: Tisch School of the Arts and Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
• New York Law School
• Parsons The New School for Design
• School of Visual Arts: Design for Social Innovation and Interaction Design Programs

Judges of the Reinvent Payphones Demo Day include John Borthwick, founder and CEO of Betaworks; Majora Carter, founder of Startup Box; Jason Goodman, CEO and co-founder of 3rd Ward; Nancy Lublin, CEO of DoSomething.org; and former United States Deputy Chief Technology Officer Beth Noveck. The Reinvent Payphones design submissions will be judged by the following criteria:

• Connectivity: Ability to connect New Yorkers and enable communication, including for safety and emergency purposes;
• Creativity: Originality, innovation and quality of idea;
• Visual Design: Including visual appeal and user experience;
• Functionality: Flexibility, versatility, scalability, accessibility and sustainability; and
• Community Impact: Support of local residents, businesses and cultural institutions.

In 1999, the City entered into a number of franchise contracts for the installation, maintenance and operation of public payphones on City sidewalks. These agreements expire on October 15, 2014. Successful Reinvent Payphones design submissions will be used to help shape the City’s ongoing efforts to assess the future of the more than 11,000 public pay telephones that still exist today.

Last July, the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications issued a Request for Information to foster public feedback in evaluating the future of payphones in New York City sidewalks. The Department received 21 responses from current franchisees, community boards, business improvement districts and other companies and organizations, which are available on NYC.gov.

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT) cit.com, a leading provider of financing to small businesses and middle market companies, today released “Factoring in Fashion” (cit.com.tharancogroup). This video is the latest installment in its “CIT: Behind the Deal” (cit.com/behindthedeal) series of client case study testimonial videos that showcase how the lending, leasing and advisory expertise of CIT executives has helped their clients achieve success.

“We understand the retailers Tharanco sells to, so we are confident we can provide the trade credit protection should the retailer fail to pay when the invoices are due”.

The latest video features Tharanco Group, a privately-held holding company that includes an established apparel division that supports more than 20 brands, ranging from couture to contemporary. The video examines Tharanco’s long-standing relationship with CIT Trade Finance, a leading provider of factoring services in the United States, and how the company provides Tharanco with accounts receivable factoring and financing services.

The Tharanco business started as a manufacturer of private label apparel, providing branded goods to sell exclusively in the stores of retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Macy’s, Nordstrom and JCPenney. This business requires long lead times and significant investments in producing merchandise that will, at times, be sold exclusively in one retail outlet. Tharanco Chairman Haresh Tharani comments: “The pain point in our business is knowing how a retailer is going to perform before you make a huge financial commitment to produce and manufacture a specific product. As our factor, CIT guides us through the process and makes sure the retailer is creditworthy to pay for the order.”

According to Jonathan Lucas, President of CIT Trade Finance, building a relationship of trust and mutual understanding between the factoring company and the apparel manufacturer is critical. “We understand the retailers Tharanco sells to, so we are confident we can provide the trade credit protection should the retailer fail to pay when the invoices are due,” says Lucas. “This allows Tharanco to focus on what it does best, which is designing, sourcing and merchandising beautiful apparel.”

When asked about the importance of a factoring company understanding its clients’ business, Tharani adds: “CIT absolutely understands our business. CIT’s factoring and finance have helped us grow and we hope to continue that growth.”

While providing trade credit protection at a competitive price is certainly important, the real differentiator, Lucas says, is CIT’s commitment to building relationships with its clients. According to Lucas, “It’s the relationships that all of us have developed over the years that make us successful.”

CIT Factoring University is a website that offers a comprehensive education-based approach to the financial service known as accounts receivable factoring. Factoring University offers a variety of exclusive content that highlights the benefits of factoring for business owners. Visitors can view testimonial videos that feature executives from consumer product industries who explain why they use factoring and how it benefits their businesses. In addition, Factoring University provides a list of Frequently Asked Questions, infographics that explain the factoring process, business solutions provided by factoring, and more.

Mr. Edwardson is currently the chairman of CDW Corporation and served as the chief executive officer of CDW for approximately eleven years. He has served as the president and chief operating officer of UAL Corporation and United Airlines. He is currently on the board of directors of FedEx, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Art Institute of Chicago.

“John Edwardson brings a strong business background to our board of directors,” said Rockwell Collins Chairman and CEO Clay Jones. “His leadership ability, knowledge of technology and air transport industry experience will be invaluable to our company. I would also like to thank Don Beall for his outstanding service on our board since June 2001 when we became a public company.”

Mr. Edwardson, 63, holds a Master of Business Administration degree from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from Purdue University