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Innovation Week Milestone Award winners to be recognized today

Celebrating excellence in innovation and problem solving at scale among Case Western Reserve University community members has been a hallmark of Innovation Week 2023. That recognition continues today when the university honors the Innovation Week Milestone Award winners across three categories. 

“Case Western Reserve University is a place that’s rich with extraordinary talent and innovation across all disciplines,” said Michael Oakes, senior vice president for research and technology management. “It’s important that we continue to recognize and celebrate the amazing work we do that improves the lives of those in our community and around the world.”

The Milestone Award winners will be recognized today during the Innovation Week featured lunchtime session, which runs from noon to 2 p.m. in the Tinkham Veale University Center ballroom. The session will also feature a panel discussion, “Innovation and Corporate Engagement,” featuring panelists from Lubrizol, Lincoln Electric and Case Western Reserve University.

Inventor Award

The first Milestone Award category, the Inventor Award, honors any member of the CWRU community who has received at least one issued patent through the university’s Technology Transfer Office in fiscal year 2023. Honorees are:

  • Ozan Akkus
  • Anna Agaponova
  • Tanvir Baig
  • Niloy Bhadra
  • Kath Bogie
  • Dennis Bourbeau
  • Rasim Boyacioglu
  • Susann Brady-Kalnay
  • Robert Brown
  • Michael Bruckman
  • Yijiang Chen
  • Fabio Cominelli
  • Robert Diessler
  • Andrew Dupuis
  • Dominique Durand
  • Frank Ernst
  • Christopher Flask
  • Roger French
  • Thomas Gray
  • Mark Griswold
  • Weihong Guo
  • Umut Gurkan
  • Yee-Hsee Hsieh
  • Catherine Jayapandian
  • Michael Jenkins
  • Jonathan Karn
  • Kevin Kilgore
  • Jacob Levi
  • Stephen Lewis
  • Yehe Liu
  • Zheng-Rong Lu
  • Joao Maia
  • Steve Majerus
  • Soumyajit Mandal
  • Sanford Markowitz
  • Ina Martin
  • Grant McCallum
  • Debra McGivney
  • Pedram Mohseni
  • Wyatt Newman
  • P. Hunter Peckham
  • Sina Pourang
  • Julie Renner
  • Alexander Rodriguez-Palacios
  • Ramanathan Sankaran
  • Robert Savinell
  • James Seckler
  • Nicole Seiberlich
  • Anirban Sen Gupta
  • Menachem Shoham
  • Jerry Silver
  • Yingnan Song
  • Jonathan Stamler
  • Michael Suster
  • Thomas Sweet
  • Pallavi Tiwari
  • Ronald Triolo
  • Dustin Tyler
  • Focco van den Akker
  • Tina Vrabec
  • Yanming Wang
  • Matthew Williams
  • David Wilson
  • Gary Wnek
  • Chunying Wu
  • Hao Wu
  • Xin Yu
  • Xiangwu Zeng
  • Christian Zorman

Commercialization Award

The second category, the Commercialization Award, honors any CWRU community member with a technology that was newly licensed through the university’s Technology Transfer Office in fiscal year 2023. The Commercialization Award winners are:

  • Chaitra Badve: Improving Annotation Accuracy in MRI Data Using MR Fingerprinting and Deep Learning
  • Filipa Blasco: A Platform for the Generation and Enhancement of Long-Lived Pluripotent CART Cells
  • N. Reid Bolding: Passively shielded modular platform for parallel radiofrequency pulse transmit/receive
  • Rasim Boyacioglu: Improving Annotation Accuracy in MRI Data Using MR Fingerprinting and Deep Learning
  • Thomas Brantley: Anatomical Models for Holographic Medical Education; HoloNeuroAnatomy
  • Yong Chen: Improving Annotation Accuracy in MRI Data Using MR Fingerprinting and Deep Learning
  • Darin Croft: Anatomical Models for Holographic Medical Education; HoloNeuroAnatomy
  • Henry Eastman: A Method for Creating a Shared Mixed Reality Experience for a Group Wearing Head Mounted Displays; Anatomical Models for Holographic Medical Education; Method for Manipulating Mixed Reality Models; An Interface And Network Infrastructure For Optimizing Management Of Multiple Simultaneous Holographic Experiences From A Single Control Panel
  • Rebecca Enterline: Anatomical Models for Holographic Medical Education
  • Luis Flores: Skin-Surface Electrical Stimulation For Force And Tactile Haptic Feedback
  • Barbara Freeman: Anatomical Models for Holographic Medical Education; HoloNeuroAnatomy
  • Michael Fu: Skin-Surface Electrical Stimulation for Force and Tactile Haptic Feedback
  • Mehmet Gormez: Skin-Surface Electrical Stimulation For Force And Tactile Haptic Feedback
  • Robert Gotschall: A Method for Creating a Shared Mixed Reality Experience for a Group Wearing Head Mounted Displays; Anatomical Models for Holographic Medical Education; Method for Manipulating Mixed Reality Models; An Interface And Network Infrastructure For Optimizing Management Of Multiple Simultaneous Holographic Experiences From A Single Control Panel
  • Emily Graczyk: Skin-Surface Electrical Stimulation for Force and Tactile Haptic Feedback
  • Mark Griswold: Passively Shielded Modular Platform for Parallel Radiofrequency Pulse Transmit/Receive; Improving Annotation Accuracy in MRI Data Using MR Fingerprinting and Deep Learning; HoloLens Applications; A Method for Creating a Shared Mixed Reality Experience for a Group Wearing Head Mounted Displays; Anatomical Models for Holographic Medical Education; Method for Manipulating Mixed Reality Models; An Interface and Network Infrastructure for Optimizing Management of Multiple Simultaneous Holographic Experiences From a Single Control Panel
  • Kenneth Gustafson: Surface Electrical Stimulation for Sensory Feedback to Improve Bladder Voiding in Neurological Disorders
  • Erin Henninger: Anatomical Models for Holographic Medical Education; Method for Manipulating Mixed Reality Models; An Interface And Network Infrastructure For Optimizing Management Of Multiple Simultaneous Holographic Experiences From A Single Control Panel
  • Yee-Hsee Hsieh: D-Cysteine Ethyl Ester and Other Thioesters to Combat the Opioid Crisis
  • Michael Jenkins: D-Cysteine Ethyl Ester and Other Thioesters to Combat the Opioid Crisis
  • Stephen Lewis: D-Cystine Dimethyl Ester as a Respiratory Stimulant; D-Cysteine Ethyl Ester and Other Thioesters to Combat the Opioid Crisis; Fentanyl Infusion L-NAC Reversal
  • Sangeeta Mahajan: Anatomical Models for Holographic Medical Education
  • Nathaniel Makowski: Skin-Surface Electrical Stimulation for Force and Tactile Haptic Feedback
  • Jeffrey Mlakar: A Method for Creating a Shared Mixed Reality Experience for a Group Wearing Head Mounted Displays; Anatomical Models for Holographic Medical Education; An Interface And Network Infrastructure For Optimizing Management Of Multiple Simultaneous Holographic Experiences From A Single Control Panel
  • Michael Moffitt: Modules With Transcutaneous Applicators for Delivery of Light for Therapeutic Purposes; Stimulation Polarity Contrast Imaging; Selective Multiple Frequency Stimulation; Delivery of Therapeutic Photobiomodulation Through a Chronic or Pseudo-Chronic Port-Based System.
  • Krzysztof Palczewski: Small Molecules Either Stabilize or Destabilize the P23H Opsin Mutant for Treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa; Small-Molecule Compounds That Induce Misfolded Rhodopsin Degradation for Treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa; Small Molecules Either Stabilize or Destabilize the P23H Opsin Mutant for Treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa; Small-Molecule Compounds That Induce Misfolded Rhodopsin Degradation for Treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa
  • Reshmi Parameswaran: Targeting B Cell Activating Factor Receptor (BAFF-R) Using Ligand (BAFF) Based Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T Cells
  • Brian Rothstein: HoloNeuroAnatomy
  • James Seckler: D-Cysteine Ethyl Ester And Other Thioesters To Combat The Opioid Crisis
  • Scott Simpson: Anatomical Models for Holographic Medical Education
  • Julian Stelzer: MyBP-C Phospho-Serine Antibodies
  • Jeffrey Sunshine: Anatomical Models for Holographic Medical Education
  • Dustin Tyler: Stimulation Paradigms for Restoration of Natural Sensation and Pain Management; Sow on Human Fusions With UTL/CDL to Neural Interfaces; Skin-Surface Electrical Stimulation for Force and Tactile Haptic Feedback; Development of a New AML Cell Line and Expansion Platform for NK Cells
  • Sue Wish-Baratz: Anatomical Models for Holographic Medical Education; HoloNeuroAnatomy
  • Christian Zorman: Skin-Surface Electrical Stimulation for Force and Tactile Haptic Feedback

Pedagogical Innovation Award

The final category, the Pedagogical Innovation Award, recognizes new educational programs that were approved by the Faculty Senate Education Committee during fiscal year 2023. The winners and their programs are:

  • Henry Adams: Visual Design, minor
  • Hope Barkoukis: Nutrition & Lifestyle Medicine, minor
  • Erin Benay: Graduate Certificate in Public Humanities & Civic Engagement
  • Elizabeth Bolman: Visual Design, minor
  • Brian Clites: Graduate Certificate in Public Humanities & Civic Engagement
  • Daniel Goldmark: Graduate Certificate in Public Humanities & Civic Engagement
  • Paul Iverson: Ancient Near Eastern & Egyptian Studies, BA & minor
  • Maggie Kaminsky: Graduate Certificate in Public Humanities & Civic Engagement
  • Tawna Mangosh: Translational Pharmaceutical Science, MS
  • Rita Obeid: Early Intervention Development Specialist Graduate Certificate
  • Maggie Popkin: Visual Design, minor
  • Amy Przeworski: Early Intervention Development Specialist Graduate Certificate
  • Maddalena Rumor: Ancient Near Eastern & Egyptian Studies, BA 
  • Elizabeth Short: Early Intervention Development Specialist Graduate Certificate

To view the rest of the Innovation Week schedule and register for events, visit the Innovation Week website.