Clark School Sweeps OTC Awards

The UM Office of Technology Commercialization has named three projects by Clark School professors as this year's top UM inventions.

In the Physical Science category, Martin Peckerar (professor of electrical and computer engineering [ECE]) and Neil Goldsman (professor of ECE and the Institute for Systems Research [ISR]), won for their "World's Highest Energy Density Thin-Film Battery." The battery will make possible a number of stronger, smaller products, including wireless sensor networks, active RFID, wearable electronics and medical devices. Yves Ngu, Zeynep Dilli and George Metze from the National Security Agency also worked on this project.

In the Life Science category, Matt Dowling (a graduate student in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering) and Srini Raghavan (chemical and biomolecular engineering associate professor) were honored for their "nano-velcro" chitosan-based bandage, which could significantly reduce mortality rates among cases with uncontrollable bleeding. The researchers collaborated with Dr. John Hess and Dr. Grant Bochicchio from the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

In the Information Science category, John Baras (professor of ECE and ISR) was recognized for his work with the Army Research Laboratory on a key exchange system to secure Internet transactions. His invention is of interest for national defense systems, major banking companies, and other industries where secrecy is of great importance.

Clark School Professor Shapour Azarm (mechanical engineering [ME]) and Research Associate Mian Li (ME) were finalists in the competition for their "Multi-Objective Collaborative Robust Optimization (McRO)" invention. Michael Zachariah (ME) and recent 2008 graduate Peter DeMuth (chemical and biomolecular engineering) were finalists for "Synthesis of Fluorescent Porous Silica Nanoparticles" along with Philip DeShong (chemistry/biochemistry), Anand Prakash (ME graduate student), Charles Luckett (chemistry graduate student) and Douglass English (chemistry assistant professor). Distinguished University Professor Ashwani Gupta (ME) also was a finalist for "Ultra Low Emission Colorless Distributed Combustor." Finally, Sreeramamurthy Ankem (materials science and engineering professor) was a finalist for "Microporous Bone-Implant Joints."

Published April 7, 2009