Celebrating Innovation

2025 Award Winners

Commercialization Champions

The category recognizes Virginia Tech faculty members who embody the spirit of innovation and have played an outstanding role in supporting technology translation through technology licensing. 

Alan Abrahams,  associate professor of business information technology, has developed two software innovations that have attracted significant commercial interest. The Virginia Tech’s Risk Assessment Process Tool for Online Reviews (VT RAPTOR) program is designed to identify potential safety concerns from customer reviews and has garnered attention from over 10 companies within just five months of its disclosure.

Michael Bartlett, associate professor of mechanical engineering, developed adhesion technologies, which has garnered strong interest from industry leaders and has sponsored research and licensing agreements in progress.

Dong Dong, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, is pioneering numerous innovations patented through the industry partners program with the Center for Power Electronics Systems. He is named as the inventor on 36 invention disclosures.

Jeff Reed, the Willis G. Worcester Professor, brings extensive experience in commercializing innovation and is collaborating with corporate partners to advance wireless technologies integral to modern electronics. In December, he was named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.

Start-up Builders

The category celebrates inspiring Virginia Tech researchers who are visionaries, pursuing start-ups that have potential for societal and economic impact.

Robert Canfield, professor of aerospace and ocean engineering: Through his company, Golden Section LLC, he successfully licensed the QUADRA Risk Assessment software that enables drone operators to evaluate mission risk by analyzing flight paths, aircraft specifications, and environmental factors.

Richard Hanowski, senior research scientist, and Carl Cospel, hardware engineering lab director, both of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, are co-founders of Motorcycle Safety Solutions and developing the Motorcycle Collision-Alert and Management System to enhance motorcycle safety globally.

Alan Michaels, professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the Virginia Tech National Security’s Spectrum Dominance Division, founded Portcullis Research, a start-up focused on enhancing supply chain and lifecycle security for physical documents, trusted sources, and routine business operations.

Ryan Senger, associate professor of biological systems engineering, co-founded Rametrix Technologies Inc., a Raman spectroscopy-based diagnostic start-up launched in 2019. The company has licensed five patent families from Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties and continues to innovate with ongoing advancements to the Rametrix platform.

National Academy of Inventors

The National Academy of Inventors recognizes and encourages inventors with patents issued from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, enhances the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourages the disclosure of intellectual property, educates and mentors innovative students, and translates the inventions of its fellows and senior members to benefit society. 

Jeff Reed, the Willis G. Worcester Professor, fellow

Alaa Algargoosh, assistant professor of advanced building design, senior member

Jonas Hauptman, associate professor of industrial design, senior member

Brook Kennedy, associate professor of industrial design, senior member

Guoliang (Greg) Liu, associate professor of chemistry, senior member

Roop Mahajan, the Lewis A. Hester Chair in Engineering, senior member

Anna Duraj-Thatte, associate professor of biological systems engineering, senior member

Danfeng “Daphne” Yao, professor of computer science, senior member

By Example Award

The award recognizes inventors who are advancing game-changing technologies that are or hold the potential to make a significant human impact.

Azahar Ali, assistant professor of animal sciences, is developing low-cost sensors for agricultural applications, such as animal health monitoring, plant nutrient tracking, and disease detection. He has submitted eight invention disclosures, holds multiple pending patents, and is actively working toward licensing his innovations for a future start-up.

Kevin Edgar, professor of sustainable biomaterials, has a proven track record of commercializing innovation, with over 20 technology disclosures to Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties. He has helped numerous students to transition innovations into internships and successful careers in the field.

Bryan Hsu, assistant professor of biological sciences, has developed multiple technologies in his lab that have attracted strong commercial interest and is actively working toward launching a start-up.

Anne Staples, associate professor of mechanical engineering, is developing a wearable drug delivery device poised to revolutionize mobile treatments such as diabetes management and chemotherapy. Recipient of a National Institutes of Health Trailblazer award, she has also attracted significant industry interest for the drug device and dialysis filter design.

Anbo Wang, the Clayton Ayre Professor of Electrical Computer Engineering, has over 30 technology disclosures during his career at Virginia Tech. His current startup supports university research and is negotiating a license for generated intellectual property.