March 10, 1998 Contact Pauline Austin (541) 346-3129 EUGENE--Business students from all over the United States--drawn by the allure of cash prizes and the chance to dazzle deep-pocket venture capitalists and private investors--will showcase their business plans at the seventh annual University of Oregon New Venture Competition March 12-14. Top MBA students from 10 states will vie for a share of the $15,000 prize money during the competition at the UO's Charles H. Lundquist College of Business before a panel of judges made up of potential investors. The competition historically has been the launching pad for a number of student business ideas. Five of the 10 teams who entered last year have successfully launched their companies and are still in business. Bank of America is the primary sponsor of the 1998 event and Motorola New Enterprises provides the $10,000 first-place award. The Charles H. Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship hosts the three-day event. The 1998 UO New Venture Competition begins Thursday, March 12, with the Oregon Entrepreneurs Forum: A Community Business Plan Review featuring Green Gear Cycling, a growing company which manufactures a folding bicycle. The forum is from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Valley River Inn, 1000 Valley River Way. A buffet dinner and an exhibition of the new venture ideas will follow at 6:30 p.m. Registration for the forum, the banquet and the exhibit is $15. For reservations, call the Lundquist Center, (541) 346-3420. Preliminary round presentations are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, March 13, in the Pittman Room at the Casanova Athletic Center, 2727 Leo Harris Parkway. The presentations are free and open to the public. Finalists will be announced at 6:30 p.m. Friday at a reception at the Valley River Inn. Finalist presentations are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Saturday, March 14, at the Casanova Center. An awards banquet is from 6-8 p.m. Saturday at the Paul Olum Atrium in Willamette Hall, 1371 E. 13th Ave. Admission for the banquet is $15. For reservations, call the Lundquist Center. Participants in the 1998 event are: * Oregon Graduate Institute--MW2 proposed to develop and market a portable, efficient and cost-effective home hemodialysis system. Adviser: Alvin Tong, (503) 690-1537. * Loyola Marymount University--Telefinder Privacy ID is a system designed to identify and recover items lost by travelers and allow clients to recover them without revealing the clients' identity. Adviser: Fred Kiesner, (310) 338-4569. * Case Western Reserve University--HeartCare, Inc. is a business based on developing health-care specialty centers that are equipped with cutting-edge diagnostic equipment able to detect atherosclerotic coronary disease. Adviser: Robert Hirsch. Contact: Ezra Selker, (216) 371-1884. * University of Arizona--CelTech offers an integrated circuit that extends the battery life of cellular and PCS (digital) phones. The company has developed a new technology that also will enhance the efficiency of cellular and PCS phones without increasing the cost. Adviser: Allen Atkins, (520) 626-4031. * San Diego State University--Get Out Publications is a magazine that caters to the outdoor sports and recreation enthusiast. Adviser: Alex DeNoble, (619) 594-4890. * Pennsylvania State University--Kids-R-Amazed, Inc., offers the Amazzze, an educational and recreational product targeted at pre-school and elementary-aged children. Adviser: David Wilson, (814) 865-2219. * University of Georgia--MedDynamics is a company that provides products to the health care industry--products designed to reduce the cost of care. Their initial product, the Coulter Sterile Shield, reduces the risk of urinary tract infections that are related to catheter use. Adviser: Charles Hofer, (707) 542-1294. * University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign--CPTech has designed an online educational tool, CyberProf. CPTech will act as the licensing holding company for this product, which will simplify the creation of academic web pages. Adviser: Paul Magelli, (217) 244-3407. * University of Texas at Austin--Isochron Data, LLC is developing wireless, real-time data capture systems for computers that will revolutionize the way managers gather and analyze field information. Adviser: Gary Cadenhead, (512) 471-5289. * University of Montana--Safe Shop Tools will market a device to safely and effectively handle large gas cylinders. Adviser: Paul Larson, (406) 243-6840. -30- #P-6072/Local,Lcl Bus,Or/Dbus,PDX