They called them the “Techies” – glass sculptures made by East Providence artist David Van Oppen, inspired by the shapes of molecules and atoms, DNA strings and lab fixtures.
The Tech Collective, a consortium of technology industry associations in the state, commissioned the sculptures for its inaugural Technology Laureates Night, held last Monday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick.
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The goal was to recognize the “best and brightest” in Rhode Island’s tech community. The nominees included academic researchers, CIOs, and innovators and leaders within the industry. Here are the winners, along with their fellow nominees:
Excellence in Scientific Research and Discovery
Winners: Jason Harry, president of Afferent Corp., for his development of a new class of medical therapy to treat diabetic neuropathy and elderly balance problems and restore brain function after a stroke; and the research team at NeurotechUSA, led by Weng Tao, for the development of “encapsulated cell technology,” which enables the delivery of therapy to the back of the eye for treatment of retina diseases.
Other nominees: Xinsheng Sean Ling, founder of NABsys and a Brown University professor of physics and biophysics; Anthony Cincotta, chief scientific officer of VeroScience; Peter Schultz, Brown professor of geological sciences; and John Donoghue, founder and chief scientific officer of Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems and chair of Brown’s neuroscience department.
Excellence in Science or Technology for Humanitarianism
Winners: Dr. Anne De Groot and William Martin, president/CEO and CIO, respectively, of EpiVax Inc., for their work to develop a global AIDS vaccine.
Other nominees: Joseph Pangborn, CIO of Roger Williams University; Linda Resnik, assistant professor of community health at Brown, and Ying Sun, professor of electrical engineering at the University of Rhode Island.
Excellence in Technology Application
Winners: Miguel Encarnacao, of iMedia, for the development of interactive technologies ranging from augmented reality, to digital security and perceptual computing, to a facial pattern recognition software application; and the Stock Market Team at Rite Solutions, for designing an interactive software tool that engages all company employees in idea generation, product design and corporate investment.
Other nominees: Jerry Bradshaw, technical director at Maritime Mission Systems; Lighthouse Computer Services; American Teleconnect.
Excellence in Leadership in Science and Technology
Winner: J. Terrence Feeley, director of new ventures at Rite Solutions, for his blend of “intellect, wisdom and perspicacity” in addressing technology challenges and building public-private partnerships to promote innovation.
Tech Collective Workforce Development Scholarship
Elizabeth Nguyen, a graduating senior at Woonsocket Area Career and Technical Center, was awarded a $1,000 college scholarship. Nguyen is the first in her family to attend college, and she plans to major in pharmaceutical technologies.
