The Second Annual Innovation Awards Gala was held on Tuesday night to honor the recipients of several innovation awards.
More than 200 people gathered in Baker University Center Ballroom to celebrate the recognition of seven award winners, but the main focus was centered on the Konneker Medal for Commercialization and Entrepreneurship.
When describing the gala, the main word used was transformation.
Ohio University President Roderick McDavis opened the ceremony with a speech about the impact entrepreneurship has had on OU and the country in general.
“This is the future of America, and it will be because of the entrepreneur experience,” McDavis said.
OU’s three-year-old Center for Entrepreneurship — a partner of the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs and the College of Business — was named a 2014 Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneur Program by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
“Entrepreneurship is truly a part of Southeast Ohio’s backbone,” McDavis said. “It provides innovation and world-class discoveries beyond our wildest imagination.”
The 2013 Konneker Award winner is OU professor William Beale.
Beale taught mechanical engineering at OU from 1960 to 1974, and since then he has created a three-piston engine that creates efficient thermal energy that is converted to electricity.
He has since returned to OU to teach mechanical engineering again.
Beale also created his own company called Sunpower, Inc., which creates solar power with solar panels and other energy sources.
“To all of the young kids, keep doing what you are doing and keep doing what you did to get here,” said Beale. “The next generation after yours will be very grateful for what you did.”
The Konneker Medal of Commercialization and Entrepreneurship is named after William Konneker, who was involved in research and entrepreneurship at OU.
The medal recognizes current or former faculty members who are nominated by a panel of judges.
Aside from the Konneker Award, six others awards were presented at the gala.
The Social Innovation Award was presented to Jennifer Simon, the director of the Innovation Center. Simon was chosen out of a total of five nominees.
The Green Innovation Award was presented to Matthew Blankenhorn, a co-founder of Aluminastic Corporation, which is an aluminum company. Blankenhorn was chosen out of a total of eight nominees.
The Outstanding Women in Innovation Award was presented to Michelle Greenfield, CEO of Third Sun Solar, who has been living in a sustainable way through the use of solar energy.
The Faculty Innovation Award was presented to Gerardine Botte, a professor of chemical and biomedical engineering.
The Student Innovation Award was presented to Chad Mourning and Scott Nykl. Mourning and Nykl were chosen out of five candidates, and they are co-founders of Affine Technologies, a 3D visualization and computer graphics company.
The Entrepreneur of the Year Award was presented to Sean Jones, CEO of QuickLoadz, a container transport company. Jones was chosen from nine candidates.
All of the award winners will return to present the awards they won this year at next year’s Innovation Gala.
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This article originally appeared in print under the headline "Entrepreneurship honored at gala."
