18/03/2009
Edmonton, Alberta. Challenged to provide scientific solutions with market potential, the winners of the WISEST Innovation Contest, were announced at the Regional Alliance event.
The WISEST (Women In Scholarship, Engineering, and Technology) Innovation Contest, supported by TEC Edmonton’s Student Entrepreneurship program, was open to women involved in solution based research studies at the University of Alberta in the areas of science, medicine, mathematics, engineering, and technology.
“TEC Edmonton encourages students to think beyond their academic activities, to think about the business application of their research,” says David Cox, CEO of TEC Edmonton. “This contest showcases our region’s technopreneurship, and we are proud to be a part of initiatives that have the potential to bring solutions to the marketplace.”
In the ‘Innovations in Health’ Award for solutions that effectively address social benefit in healthcare, there was a tie between Ashley Davey and Kristen Miller. Another tie occurred in the ‘Economic Excellence’ Award for solutions with economic benefit between Christianne Street and Iana Popescu. The ‘Green Solution’ Award for solutions with environmental benefit went to Dr. Heather Kaminsky and the ‘Academy Synergy Star’ Award for solutions with inter-disciplinary collaboration went to Karin Nault. Lastly, Cindy Yin received the ‘Industrial Synergy Star’ Award for solutions with industry collaboration.
“WISEST has been pleased to collaborate with TEC Edmonton on this initiative which brings value to all – both to the individual students, and in building the innovation community,” stated Gail Powley, Vice-Chair of WISEST, “The contest attracted great interest from students and their teams, spanning multiple disciplines. Support for initiatives like this help build a strong entrepreneurial culture on campus.”
The contest was a great collaboration opportunity between WISEST and TEC Edmonton. The success of this partnership also depended on our judges and sponsors which included: Alberta Advanced Education & Technology, APEGGA (Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists, and Geophysicists of Alberta), and the University of Alberta.
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Contacts
Nadia Andersen
Communications and Marketing Manager, TEC Edmonton
(780) 492-1865
Nadia.Andersen@TECedmonton.com
Gail Powley, P. Eng
Vice Chair, WISEST
780-405-5974
Gail.powley@ualberta.ca
Background
WISEST (Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science, and Technology) works with over 600 volunteers/year on programs which attract, retain, and help advance under-represented populations in Science, Engineering, and Technology – strengthening science and society through the power of diversity. Now in it’s 25th year, WISEST, has had over 15,000 participants in its programs, and in 2008 started entrepreneurship initiatives, and the WISER Mentor Network - which supports early career researchers and professionals by providing access to networks and mentors from industry, government, and academia.
TEC Edmonton helps inventors, entrepreneurs and investors transform high-tech discoveries into viable corporations. Through our business services, TEC Edmonton helps navigate the commercialization process providing assistance with technology evaluation, intellectual property protection, business plan development, marketing research, corporate management and funding preparation. A unique non-for-profit enterprise, TEC Edmonton is a joint venture between Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) and the University of Alberta. The TEC Edmonton Student Entrepreneurship program is supported by Ingenuity Enterprise, bringing together student inventors, MBA students and experienced industry mentors in an effort to move new innovations to market.
WISEST Innovation Contest Winners
1) Innovations in Health: for the application which most effectively conveys a solution with societal benefit in healthcare.
Tie:
Ashley Davey – cash prize of $250
Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry
Poster: Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on the Placenta
Kristen Miller – cash prize of $250
Faculty of Science
Poster: Hepatitis B – Novel Therapeutic Approach Using Designed Zinc Finger Proteins
2) Economic Excellence: for the application which most effectively conveys a solution with economic benefit. (cost savings, productivity improvements)
Tie:
Christianne Street – cash prize of $250
Faculty of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Poster: Treatment of Hydrocarbon Contaminated Drilling Waste Using Supercritical CO2
Ioana Popescu – cash prize of $250
Faculty of Business (MBA)
Poster: Com.Co
3) Green Solution: for the application which most effectively conveys a solution with environmental benefit.
Dr. Heather Kaminsky – cash prize of $500
Faculty of Chemical & Materials Engineering
Poster: Data Mining – Creating value from Wasted Data in Oil Sands
4) Academic Synergy Star: for the application which most effectively conveys a solution with inter-disciplinary collaboration (collaboration with other technologies and/or faculties and/or industrial sectors)
Karin Nault – cash prize of $500
Faculty of Arts
Poster: LEXIS: A New Tool for Language Therapy
5) Industrial Synergy Star: for the application which most effectively conveys a solution with industry collaboration
Cindy Yin – cash prize of $500
Faculty of Engineering
Poster: Selective Metal Removal in Asphaltenes