Awards ceremony among series of events planned for Sept. 12–16 to celebrate university’s culture of research and entrepreneurship
Thirty Case Western Reserve faculty members will be honored for their impressive records of research and entrepreneurship during an awards ceremony Thursday, Sept. 15, as part of the university’s inaugural Innovation Week.
“Since joining the university just six weeks ago, I’ve been blown away by the ingenuity in labs and classrooms across campus,” said Michael Oakes, senior vice president for research and technology management. “It’s important to come together and celebrate as we elevate and grow our problem-solving research enterprise. This week of events, and the awards ceremony in particular, is our first opportunity to do just that.”
Innovation Week, held Sept. 12–16, will encompass five days of panel discussions among Case Western Reserve faculty, staff, students, alumni and partners. Topics will include venture capital investments, research funding from industry, insights from CWRU’s National Academy of Inventors members and on-campus resources for faculty innovators. Plus, there will be a Two-Minute Poster Pitch Competition for students and postdocs. (Free lunch is provided at all events.)
The ceremony—which is free and open to the entire Case Western Reserve community—will be held Thursday, Sept. 15, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Thwing Center ballroom. Attendees can enjoy flatbread and skewer stations before hearing opening remarks by Provost Ben Vinson III and the overall awards ceremony, emceed by Michael Haag, executive director of technology management.
Individuals from across campus are encouraged to review the list of award winners below, then register for the ceremony—or any of the week’s events—now, as space is limited.
Award Winners by Category
Discovery Award
Changyong Cao
Mohamed Draz
Mark Griswold
Michael Moffitt
Excellence in Device Innovation Award
Niloy Bhadra
Amitabh Chak
Umut Gurkan
Kevin Kilgore
Sanford Markowitz
Pedram Mohseni
Michael Suster
Joseph Willis
Faculty Innovator Award
Susann Brady-Kalnay
Yolanda Fortenberry
Brian Grimberg
Umut Gurkan
Lydia Kisley
Shanina Knighton
Cassi Pittman Claytor
Robert Ward
Impact Through Innovation Award
Joy Bostic
Darcy Freedman
Stephen Haynesworth
Jaclene Zauszniewski
Ingenuity Award
Umut Gurkan
Rare Disease Pioneer Award
Mei Zhang
Pioneer in Cell and Regenerative Medicine Award
Arnold Caplan
Innovation in Education Award
Sonya Moore
Innovator of the Year Award
Sanford Markowitz
Lifetime Achievement Award
Hunter Peckham
Interested in learning more about Innovation at CWRU? Register for the ceremony—or any of the week’s events—today.