HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Oct. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The
Association of University Research Parks (AURP) today announced the
recipients of the Awards of Excellence recognized during its 2017
International Conference hosted by Cummings Research Park in
Huntsville, AL. Additionally, AURP
announced the results of the election for its 2018 Board of
Directors.
Award of Excellence Recipients:
- Outstanding Research Park – University
of Maryland BioPark: Over the past 12 years, the
University of Maryland BioPark has
created a robust community of innovation while being an integral
participant in the rejuvenation of West
Baltimore. The park has generated over $400 million in capital investment.
- Emerging Research Park
Award – The Nebraska Innovation Campus (NIC): NIC
began construction on its campus in 2012 and currently holds over
380,000 square feet of office, laboratory, greenhouse, maker space
and commercial space, attracting more than $148 million in private and public
investments.
- Career Achievement Award – Brian
Darmody, Associate Vice President of Corporate and
Foundation Relations, University of
Maryland: Having served for 20 years in leadership
positions at local, state, national and international levels in the
innovation and research communities, Mr. Darmody has continually
been a proponent of the development of science and research parks,
the promotion of communities of innovation, and the advancement of
the public policies that support them.
- Leadership Award – David
Johnston: As Canada's
28th Governor General, His Excellency David Johnston has
a passion for and mission to create meaningful opportunities for
the collaboration of industry, academia, and government for the
betterment of the world.
- Developing Communities of Innovation Award – Cummings
Research Park: With a long history of innovation and research,
CRP has become known for both its economic and cultural impacts on
the local and regional communities through the integration of
mixed-use spaces with research and other work environments.
- Innovation Award – Paratus Diagnostics: Paratus
Diagnostics partnered with its research park in an impactful way to
develop a novel point-of-care product using targeted assays through
other available technologies to provide rapid disease detection.
This allowed it to close its Series A funding round
successfully.
In addition to the Innovation Award recipient, AURP's Awards
Committee named four firms as Honorable Mentions for their
achievements and developments:
- Lubricity System at the Louisiana State Innovation
Park
- Emrgy at Tech Square at the Georgia
Institute of Technology
- Agrible Predictive Analytics for Growers at the
University of Illinois Research
Park
- Darling Geomatics at the University
of Arizona Tech Park
"This year's Awards of Excellence recipients and Honorable
Mentions are among the most ground-breaking organizations and
individuals in the world," said AURP CEO Carol Stewart. "Whether they have helped to
drive medical innovation or foster economic partnerships that were
previously inconceivable, the talent and commitment represented by
this group highlights the possibility of what is achievable across
disciplines and populations through a collaborative approach. This
is at the foundation of our association."
Additionally, AURP announced that the University of Maryland Discovery District would
host the International Conference, October
22 – 26, 2018.
AURP 2018 Board Election Results
AURP also announced the results of the 2018 Board of Directors
election. This year's appointees are:
- Mason Ailstock, VP
Operations, The University Financing Foundation (incumbent)
- Denis Gauvreau, Director
of International Affairs, Genopole - France (incumbent)
- Jeff Johnson, Director,
Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center/Tech Center Research
Park
- Daniel Duncan, Executive
Director, Nebraska Innovation Campus, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Newly elected members, Mr. Johnson and Mr. Duncan, will join Mr.
Ailstock and Mr. Gauvreau on the Board following the 2017
International Conference.
About AURP
The Association of University
Research Parks is a professional association of university related
research and science parks. AURP's mission is to foster innovation,
commercialization and economic growth through university, industry
and government partnerships. For more information, visit AURP's Web
site at www.aurp.net.
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SOURCE Association of University Research Parks