InnoVision Award Winners – Archive

2012 InnoVision Award Winners

2012 TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT – SPONSORED BY ST. JUDE MEDICAL

Proterra, Inc. – Proterra’s EcoRide™ is the world’s first full-size, fast-charge battery, electric bus capable of fully charging in under 10 minutes. Leveraging advanced lithium-titanate battery technology, it is up to 600% more efficient than a typical Diesel or CNG bus—resulting in tremendous operating-cost savings. The EcoRide™ achieves 22+ MPGe, and has the ability to run 300+ miles per day and 30+ miles per charge.

2012 TECHNOLOGY APPLICATION – SPONSORED BY IMMEDION, LLC.

Milliken & Company – Milliken & Company has designed Concrete Cloth™, cement-impregnated cloth that is available in packages small enough for two men to carry, enabling installations in remote locations that trucks are unable to access. The cloth uses up to 95% less concrete than traditional applications, reducing transportation loads for installations, carbon dioxide emissions, and waste at a project’s end.

2012 SUSTAINABILITY – SPONSORED BY SEALED AIR CORPORATION

Climax Global Energy – Climax Global Energy has developed proprietary, patented technology to convert non-recyclable waste plastics into a premium synthetic oil product, which can be refined into clean diesel, high-grade synthetic lubricants and commercial waxes. This technology is environmentally-friendly and is a sustainable fuel source.

2012 SMALL ENTERPRISE – SPONSORED BY SCRA TECHNOLOGY VENTURES

Vidistar, LLC – Vidistar, LLC designs and sells medical imaging reporting software for cardiology, vascular surgery/medicine, OB-GYN, and general medicine. VidiStar, LLC offers a new approach to processing cardiac nuclear stress studies by allowing users the ability to remotely process, interpret and read them over the Internet. Physicians, technicians, and administrators can gain efficiencies and improve report turnaround times to referring physicians by using VidiStar’s Internet PACS and Online reporting software.

2012 INNOVATION IN EDUCATION – SPONSORED BY TECHTRONIC INDUSTRIES NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Clemson University, Social Media Listening Center – Clemson University, Social Media Listening Center.  The SMLC is designed to connect industry and academe through interdisciplinary pedagogy and research, and offers a platform for faculty and students to participate in courses, internships, and research that build applied knowledge of how to leverage social media to enable firm success and to better understand how online social media conversations relate to offline conversations.

 2012 COMMUNITY SERVICE  – SPONSORED BY McNAIR LAW FIRM, P.A.

Greenville County Library System – Greenville County Library System implemented the Millennium integrated library system and Encore Synergy as its new library resource management software and discovery search solution. GCLS became the first public library in South Carolina to provide this fully integrated suite of products which includes the most complete discovery solution available for today’s libraries.

2012 IBRAHIM JANAJREH YOUNG INNOVATOR – SPONSORED BY MICHELIN NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Southside High School SAMTeam  Tom Rogers, team leader, Carlos Brooks, Principal.  Team members Jacob Johnson, Amil Merchant, Lindsay Smythe, Samantha Speer, Michael Wang, Brendan Williams.  Graduated SAMTeam students are Richard Li, Brenden Raulerson and Stephan Williams.

2012 DR. CHARLES TOWNES INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT – SPONSORED BY A.T. LOCKE

Steve Johnson – Steve Johnson, CEO of CreatiVasc.  With Creative Technologies, Inc. (1990-1999) and Concurrent Technologies Corporation (1999-2007), Steve worked with Fortune 100 companies scouting for new technologies to license.  Since joining Dr. Cull and the CreatiVasc management team, Steve Johnson has helped address the overwhelming need for innovative and easy to use vascular technologies that address the universal problems of kidney dialysis. The dialysis field has seen little innovation over the last 40 years and CreatiVasc is delivering a stream of innovative, easy-to-use vascular technologies that address the universal problems of kidney dialysis and dramatically improve dialysis patients’ quality of life.

CreatiVasc devices have won a number of prestigious awards, including the 2006 History Channel “Invent Now” Innovation Award (out of 4,000+ entries), and CreatiVasc personnel have been recipients of three InnoVision Awards for Innovation, Technology Commercialization and Small Business Enterprise.

2011 InnoVision Awards Recipients

2011 TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT – SPONSORED BY ST. JUDE MEDICAL

SensorTech Corporation – SensorTech Corporation is an advanced materials company focused on developing and commercializing force and temperature sensitive smart polymers.  This advanced material technology provides force and/or temperature change data that makes products and processes more intelligent. Applications include orthopedic medical device sensors, sports equipment impact and armor blast testing, athletic performance monitoring, automotive testing, and consumer electronics controls.

Techtronic Industries North America

Techtronic Industries North America, Inc. a division of Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd (TTI), is a world-class supplier of home improvement and construction tools with a portfolio of brands such as Milwaukee, AEG, and Ryobi.  Through ergonomic studies based on the minimal requirements of the internal mechanisms, TTI has developed the most ergonomic interface to maximize comfort and usability – the RIGID brand R3100 full power compact jigsaw.  Along with innovative dust collection system, debris removal, orbital on/off, LED illumination, pivot and tool free blade removal and installation features, this jigsaw is compact, full powered, and full featured.

2011 TECHNOLOGY APPLICATION – SPONSORED BY IMMEDION, LLC

CQ Media Networks – CQ Media Networks created KidGopher, an innovative software product for allowing secure child pickup at school using technology such as RFID, WiFi, mobile IP networking, and ditigal signage.  The system allows the secure transfer of care from a school to a parent with accuracy, speed, and peace of mind.

2011 SUSTAINABILITY – SPONSORED BY SEALED AIR CORPORATION

Montana Biopolymers, Inc. – Montana Biopolymers, Inc. was formed in late 2010 and focuses on production of novel bio-based polymers to replace petrochemical polymers.  By producing a polymer made by fermentation of sugar into levan, they have produced an environmentally friendly substitute for toxic insecticides by using adhesive properties.  The “Bug Glue” is intended for personal use to remove pests without the toxic insecticides.

2011 INNOVATION IN EDUCATION – SPONSORED BY TECHTRONIC INDUSTRIES NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Clemson University Department of Mechanical Engineering – Clemson University Department of Mechanical Engineering introduced a new service learning engineering design project during its Spring 2011 semester.  The program introduced students to the engineering design process, methods and tools, and the how to apply this teaching to a project of developing six wind tunnels to be used in 4th grade classrooms at Anderson Midway Elementary.

2011 SMALL ENTERPRISE – SPONSORED BY SCLAUNCH!

CareCam Innovations – CareCam Innovations was founded by a nurse, neurosurgeon, and health care CEO with the vision of integrated video use to simplify and enhance electronic health records.  The process pairs a video documentation device to each patient with key features such as proximity alarms, storage, indexing of patient care categories, and install recall of queried data.

2011 IBRAHIM JANAJREH YOUNG INNOVATOR – SPONSORED BY MICHELIN NORTH AMERICA, INC.

The Pickens County Career and Technology Center’s Mechatronics Program began with the merge of electrical and mechanical engineering disciplines and has evolved to include software engineering, control engineering and systems design engineering.

Jared Venesky and Russell Brinson are two local students who represented the State of South Carolina at the SkillsUSA National Competition June 20-25 in Kansas City, Missouri following their 1st place finish in mechatronics at the South Carolina SkillsUSA Competition this past April in Greenville, SC as well as a fifth place finish in the nation competing against juniors and seniors across the United States while they were still juniors in high school.

The mechatronics program has provided a platform to help prepare these mechanically and technically capable young innovators for success in their bright futures. In addition to the extra boost of confidence and knowledge that the students gain, this program offers students a chance to earn 13 hours of credit towards their college degree.

2011 DR. CHARLES TOWNES INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT – SPONSORED BY CNERGI SYSTEMS

Roger Milliken, Milliken & Company

2010 InnoVision Awards Recipients

2010 Technology Development – SPONSORED BY ST. JUDE MEDICAL

Kiyatec, Inc.

2010 Technology Application 

Balanced Flow, LLC

2010 Sustainability – Sponsored by Sealed Air Corporation

NitroStrike, Inc.

2010 Innovation in Education –sponsored by techtronic industries north america, iNC.

Furman University

2010 Community Service

Michelin North America

2010 Small Enterprise –  Sponsored by SCLaunch!

The Technology Consortium

2010 IBRAHIM JANAJREH YOUNG INNOVATOR – SPONSORED BY MICHELIN NORTH AMERICA, INC.

EnTech 281 Robotics Team

Project Mentors: Michael Andrews, Suzy Kim, AJ McPherson,

And student team members:
David Gaddy
Sam Bowen
Benton Vigil
Chris Kim
Cody Jordan Wes Boehm
Robert Therrell
Beth Davis
Alen Simmons
Ryan Stonell

2010 Dr. Charles Townes Individual Achievement

Jerry Barber

 2009 InnoVision Awards Recipients

2009 TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT – SPONSORED BY ST. JUDE MEDICAL

KEMET

2009 TECHNOLOGY APPLICATION – SPONSORED BY  FUJI FILM MANUFACTURING USA, INC.

TTI – (Rigid)

2009 Innovation in Education – Sponsored By Techtronic Industries North America, Inc.

CQ Media Networks

2009 Sustainability – Sponsored By Sealed Air Corporation

T&S Brass

Upstate Forever

2009 Small Enterprise – Sponsored By SC Launch!

Sensor Tech

2009 Hall of Fame

Michelin North America, Inc.

2009 IBRAHIM JANAJREH YOUNG INNOVATOR – SPONSORED BY MICHELIN NORTH AMERICA, INC.

2009 Dr. Charles Townes Individual Achievement Award – Sponsored By Spirit Telecom

Dr. Tom Strange

2008 InnoVision Awards Recipients

2008 Hall of Fame Award for Innovation in Education – Sponsored By Techtronic Industries North America, Inc.

Furman University Classics Department

Dr. Christopher Blackwell, a professor in Furman University’s Classics department, helped make three ancient manuscripts of Homer’s Iliad available digitally for students and scholars to study online. These manuscripts, bound books with pages made of sheepskin, date from A.D. 950, are so highly restricted that fewer than 20 scholars have been able to study them over the past 150 years. We’ve digitized the three manuscripts, and developed an online application where users can view online the original pages on which specific references appear. Blackwell and his partner defined a standard by which concise string-expressions could be used to specify a text or part of a text. Then, Blackwell used the Google Maps API to make the images of the manuscript pages interactive, where viewers can easily pan around the page and zoom in or out. While these texts were once off limits to all but the most dedicated scholars, these online tools give any student with access to a networked computer and a knowledge of Greek the potential to make new discoveries about this ancient text.

2008 Technology Application Award – Sponsored by Fuji Photo Film

Innegrity, LLC (Now Innegra, LLC)

Innegrity, LLC, is a four-year-old Upstate company whose main product is a high-modulus, thermoplastic fiber, Innegra S, originally designed to replace fiberglass in composites, ropes and ballistics. Recently, however, the fiber exceeded expectations when tested in ballistics applications such as body armor, particularly when combined with existing high-strength fibers such as Kevlar. Because the production cost of Innegra S is a fraction of that of Kevlar and similar materials, replacing armor made solely from those materials with a hybrid that includes Innegra S would allow the same protection to individuals at a lower cost in both military and civilian applications. Because purchasing hard and soft armor has historically been so expensive, there are still a large number of military vehicles, for example, that go unarmored. The introduction of Innegra S as a component in the ballistics market will allow the same high-quality protection to be offered to more of our servicemen and women on the battlefield, and also to potential civilian targets. Only nine months after the ballistics testing of the first Innegra S armor panel, sales projections for the next year total nearly $5 million, and include applications in hard and soft armor, tents and mobile structures, and building security.

Sealed Air Corporation

Sealed Air Corporation is a global manufacturer of fresh food and protective packaging with a technology and innovation organization located in Duncan, South Carolina. After several years of research in the area of radio frequency identification, that organization developed an application of a custom-designed radio-frequency identification tag as a means to monitoring temperature in the shipping containers in which foods and other sensitive materials were transported. The three components of the application are the tags themselves, the software for managing the monitoring of the tags, and the handheld tag readers, which pull data from the entire shipping history from the tag. The tag design includes a feature that allows it to be converted to an external-probe tag, which can monitor the interiors of very large, insulated shipping containers, even at dry ice temperatures. The result is a temperature monitoring solution for customers, without having to resort to expensive IT resources. The goal of ensuring the delivery of foods where safety and freshness have not been compromised by high temperature exposure during the shipping cycle was exceeded, and early adopters are already expanding their systems.

2008 Technology Development Award – Sponsored By The Arthur M. Spiro Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership

Zipit Wireless, Inc

ZipIt Wireless introduced the Zipit Wireless Messenger 2 (Z2) in late 2007. Developed in June of 2007, Zipit Wireless’ Z2 marked the company’s second breakthrough product launch with a variety of new features and technical enhancements. The company’s profile within the electronics industry has risen dramatically following the much-heralded launch of the Z2 and the company’s highly successful viral marketing campaign. The patented Z2 is a unique, all-in-one Wi-Fi messaging device that leverages Wi-Fi technology to enable heavy messaging teens and pre-teens to stay connected with their friends without the hassles of being tied to the family computer or incurring high messaging bills on a cell phone. The Z2 is uniquely positioned in the crowded consumer electronics space due to its appealing feature set built on a Wi-Fi platform and the company’s distinctive back-end controls and capabilities. With text capabilities, larger screens, 8 preset internet radio stations, mini-SD card slot, and parental controls for limited usage and monitoring, this product allows teens and pre-teens an affordable way to stay in touch with their friends as compared to messaging on cell phones. As evidence of its impact across various constituencies, the Z2 has received widespread press coverage and awards since its introduction last fall. The company has also received widespread media coverage for its highly successful viral marketing campaign targeting teens and pre-teens. The campaign, featuring up-and-coming YouTube video character Fred, was one of the first “online-to-offline” marketing campaigns leveraging an online star on national TV spots. In its first two months in the market, the viral strategy has resulted in over 800,000 unique visitors to the company’s websites. The campaign has also been featured on CNN, in the LA Times, and through other media outlets. In April 2008, the Z2 was selected for an iParentingMedia Award for its family-friendly design and unique features.

2008 Innovation in Education Award – Sponsored By Techtronic Industries North America

Furman University Dept. of Chemistry

The students of Furman University’s Chemistry department have created a high-quality e-textbook with its Bio-organic Wiki Textbook project. As a result in the change to the sequence of organic chemistry courses, a new teaching track was developed in which no textbook existed. Using a free wiki engine, a piece of server software that allows users to freely create and edit content using any browser, we created a platform through which students could write, referee and modify an e-textbook, with as little faculty input as possible. More than 100 students collaborated to successfully complete this e-textbook for the organic chemistry course. This project will benefit thousands more and we envision the content continually being improved in the coming years. With that experience under their belts, department faculty are now working with students in the bio-organic chemistry course to create an e-textbook of information covered in that course. They hope to generalize this technology so it can be used to create student-directed e-textbooks in all academic disciplines, and plan to disseminate their strategy in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

2008 Community Service Award – Sponsored By Spirit Telecom

Enallage Communications, LLC

Enallage Communications, based in Easley, provides documentation, illustration and other technical services to Upstate clients. In 2007, Enallage developed a software application, the PRIDE Information Manager, for an Upstate non-profit to help streamline its functions. The program was implemented by the organization Providing Resources in Developmental Education, or PRIDE. PRIDE sends out monthly developmental milestone cards to more than 3,000 families across the Upstate, in both English and Spanish, to help families catch missed academic milestones in their children and to encourage them to take early action. Before the development of the Information Manager, the entire process was done manually, with data entered into spreadsheets and milestone cards printed, sorted and then mailed over the course of three years. The Information Manager developed by Enallage, using Microsoft Access compiled into an MDE file, calculates children’s ages and automatically determines the clients who should receive specific cards in a given month. The Information Manager has allowed the organization to add nearly 3,000 more Upstate families to its mailing list.

2008 Small Enterprise Award – Sponsored By SCLaunch!

CreatiVasc Medical

CreatiVasc Medical is a Greenville company that provides innovative, easy-to-use and intuitive vascular technologies for solving the universal problem of connecting patients to kidney dialysis machines. Founded in 2004, CreatiVasc has a five member board including Dr. David L. Cull, MD, a nationally recognized surgeon and Chief Research Editor for the Greenville Hospital System. The challenge with connecting patients to dialysis machines includes finding arteries and veins that traditionally are located using tactile skills to feel vibrations of blood flowing through arteries or veins. This technique results in many “missed sticks” and can lead to serious complications. CreatiVasic invention, the FistulaFinder, solves these problems by quickly and consistently identifying the fistula, stabilizing the vein, and preventing the vein from moving during the needle insertion. The FistulaFinder is simple and intuitive to use and does not require an extended period of training to achieve proficiency. During the three-month evaluation at Greenville Hospital System, the FistulaFinder successfully salvaged the fistula in 83% of the cases with no surgical intervention, a procedure that typically costs $3,000 to $5,000 dollars per patient. FistulaFinder began shipping in July 2008, and the nation’s largest supplier of dialysis medical devices agreed to disseminate the device to dialysis centers throughout the country.

2008 IBRAHIM JANAJREH YOUNG INNOVATOR – SPONSORED BY MICHELIN NORTH AMERICA, INC.

MATHCOUNTS is a national math competition for 6th, 7th, and 8th, graders, created and sponsored by the National Society of Professional Engineers and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Major national sponsors with local operations include Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Fluor Foundation to name a few. The program, which was created in 1991, was designed to encourage math and science achievement in middle schoolers, through competition between schools and individuals. Research has found that if students contemplate math and science careers in middle school, they will likely pursue advanced classes and careers. Locally, Mathcounts is hosted by the Piedmont Chapter of the South Carolina Society of Professional Engineers, and has been conducted at Clemson’s Maddren Center for many years. The local winning teams advance to a State Competition held in March, and the top 4 students at that competition form a state team that advances to a national competition. This year the State Competition will be held at the Citadel, and the national competition will be held in Dallas, TX at Lockheed Martin’s Corporate Headquarters.

Students that placed in the Top 25:

• Akshay Chandrasekhar from Northwood Middle School coached by Shannon Hever
• Asad Ansari from Riverside Middle School coached by April Haynes
• Kerry Yan from Riverside Middle School coached by April Haynes
• Arjun Grover from R.C. Edwards Middle School coached by Traci Hedetniemi
• Austin Herbst from R.C. Edwards Middle School coached by Traci Hedetniemi

2008 Dr. Charles Townes Individual Achievement Award – Sponsored By RIO Technical Consulting

Mr. Walter (Ted) Mueller

Retiring in 2008, after approximately 32 years in R&D, Ted Mueller has a long and distinguished record of invention and vision, as evidenced by his 45 US patents. His history of innovation led to his being honored as the company’s first Research Fellow, the highest level one may achieve in the technical field. Ted began his research efforts in the field of multi-layer shrink films that would replace PVC. His continued progress in this product arena helped evolve the display shrink film product line into one of five global Sealed Air Business Units. These products are familiar to any who have purchased games, software, stationary, or bundled products at warehouse stores. In 1985 he became intensely interested in the potential of extending our small medical products line. He developed the world’s first non-PVC medical solution package. Previously, only PVC bags were used as autoclave sterilized flexible pouches for IV fluids, but his were plasticizer-free polyolefin construction. His efforts progressed to include polyolefin tubing and connectors, and resulted in a global family of proprietary pouches that have transformed the packaging of drugs and parental solutions. After several years of pilot plant manufacture, a dedicated global manufacturing facility was installed in Duncan, S.C. This Spartanburg County clean-room factory, supplies to Asian customers, particularly China and Japan, where Sealed Air Medical products commands a major and growing market share, with sales in excess of $50 million. Ted has never been content to limit himself to any one product sector. Ted’s achievements are numerous and diverse- too many to cover in a brief summary. Ted Mueller was inducted into the Sealed Air Inventors’ Hall of Fame in 1998, in recognition of his numerous innovative contributions across many business sectors. These continue to have a sustainable impact on business success.

2007 InnoVision Awards Recipients

2007 Hall of Fame Award for Innovation in Education

Furman University

Furman University, located just outside of Greenville, is an independent, coeducational liberal arts college founded in 1826. In a recent exercise, Furman professors Lloyd Benson, Diane Boyd, Mike Winiski, Wade Shepherd and Cort Haldaman posed the question, “How might one create a fully interactive virtual field trip with integrated mapping using readily available technologies?” In a collaborated effort, they used a combination of a GPS encoding camera/dataphone, Google Earth/Google Maps software, wireless internet, and cellular telephone service, to develop the concept of a virtual field trip. In written reflections students noted that the experience enriched their learning through real-time interactions with a tour guide, that the cities “came to life” and that they had a better sense of historical/spatial connections. At a total cost of about $1000, a diverse group of creative minds innovatively applied existing technology and provided genuinely novel classroom experiences to enhance the engagement of students in learning.

2007 Technology Application Award – Sponsored By Fuji Photo Film, Inc.

Automation Engineering Corporation

Founded in 1981, Greenville-based Automotive Engineering Corporation, designs and builds automated equipment and control systems for the manufacturing industry. AEC recently entered the high-speed packaging market with their new product, JOEY. JOEY is an innovative, high-speed, Vertical Form Fill Seal machine. Its modular design allows a single machine to be easily converted to run a wide variety of products and pouch sizes. The results are high-speed operation, more rapid changeover, less waste, and less downtime. JOEY was first introduced to the worldwide market in August 2007. Sales are expected to exceed $2 million dollars within the first year and $80 million dollars over the next 5 years.

2007 Technology Development Award – Sponsored By The Arthur M. Spiro Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership

KEMET Electronics – MLCCs

Headquartered in Simpsonville, South Carolina, KEMET Corporation leads the industry in the production of high-performance capacitors. Their capacitance solutions include a new environmentally friendly, high-performance, and low-cost multilayer ceramic capacitor, or MLCC. This new material system for manufacturing Class One ceramic capacitors is energy efficient and environmentally clean. KEMET produces these new lower cost MLCCs at a standard which meets and even exceeds the electrical performance and reliability of previous models. KEMET’s new technology has revolutionized the manufacture of MLCCs. Kemet is now on track to produce about 15 billion MLCCs per year.

2007 Innovation in Education Award – Sponsored By Techtronic Industries North America

Fuller Normal Advanced Technology Charter School (Legacy Charter School)

The Fuller Normal Advanced Technology Charter School in Greenville has a student population characterized predominately by low-income, minority students. The mission of “Fuller Normal” is to equip urban at risk students with the 3 kinds of literacy necessary to be successful: The ability to read, write, speak, and calculate with clarity and precision. To be competent in the technological skills necessary become productive members of Greenville’s workforce. Lastly, Fuller tries to instill the desire and ability to participate passionately and responsibly in the life of the community. The centerpiece of Fuller’s technology tools lies is its use of a research, internet and standards-based curriculum. This curriculum combines online technology with traditional content. It engages students using SMART Board technology. In addition to online lessons and instruction, the K12 curriculum also utilizes animations, simulations, audible pronunciations, internet links and talking books to provide students a content-rich learning experience.

2007 Community Service Award – Sponsored By Spirit Telecom

Susan G. Komen for the Cure – Upstate SC Affiliate

Founded 25 years ago, Susan G. Komen For The Cure is the world’s leading breast cancer organization. Recently, the Upstate South Carolina affiliate, Race for the Cure, collaborated with Champion Communications in an effort to increase participation, fund raising and sponsorship of the local race. Champion Communication’s electronic commercials or “E-mercials” allowed Race for the Cure the ability to reach the Update by sending out video messages and tracking the results. This electronic campaign fulfilled their mission to spread awareness of the rate while also increasing participation and fundraising. As a result of the innovate E-mercials, the annual Update South Carolina Race for the Cure had record participation, and significant increased in donations and fund raising.

2007 Small Enterprise Award – Sponsored By McNair Law Firm, P.A.

PinPoint – Public Works (OA Technology Group)

The City of Clemson recently solicited the assistance of OA Technology Group, located in Central SC, in an effort to reduce costs and improve the efficiency of debris removal. The solution came in technology called PinPoint-PublicWorks. With this technology, each sanitation truck is equipped with simple and inexpensive GPS data collection devices customized for their specific tasks. Sanitation truck drivers can now quickly and easily report anything that needs attention—from piles of debris, to overhanging limbs, to missing street signs. Drivers report data directly to the public works office via the touch-screens mounted in their vehicles. The Public Works Office Administrator can then simply and instantly create a map containing unique icons for all marked points during that day. The locations are automatically matched to a street address and displayed in report format as well as mapped format. Savings realized by the employment of this new system include a reduction in the cost of fuel, manpower, maintenance, equipment, and infrastructure wear and tear. PinPoint-Public Works is now being marketed nationally to City and County Organizations as well as FEMA and the State Emergency Management Divisions.

2007 IBRAHIM JANAJREH YOUNG INNOVATOR – SPONSORED BY MICHELIN NORTH AMERICA, INC.

EnTech is a non-profit 4-H Engineering and Technology Program primarily serving students in the Upstate, but also serving the general community. EnTech’s mission is to educate, excite, and inspire students to appreciate the value of engineering, science, math & technology. It spotlights the ability of those disciplines to help solve the problems of the world and the community, as well as to entice students to take up those professions.

EnTech’s program provides a variety of after-school, hands-on science, technology, and engineering activities. It promotes practical, leadership, and motivational activities for high school students. Areas of current focus include: alternative fuel and energy, 3D animation, Automation, Engineering, Biosphere for lunar environment and robotics. Their program is open to all high school students, and the students in turn take their skills and enthusiasm out to the community and younger students. Daryl Ann Frey leads the efforts of Entech. Click here for more information about EnTech

EnTech FIRST Vex Challenge (FVC) team

The EnTech FIRST Vex Challenge (FVC) Team competed in the South Carolina State VEX Challenge. The challenge required each team to build and program an 18 x 18 inch robot using only VEX Kit materials in a three month period. Teams then competed in 3 team alliances, playing a game which required performing specific tasks which are changed each year. This team was one of the three teams on the “alliance” team that won 1st place at the South Carolina State Vex Challenge. This team also won 1st place for its Engineering Notebook. Team members attended Charter High School and J.L. Mann.

Team Members

• Corey Andrews
• Andrew Dosher
• Carl Gibson
• George Johnston
• Amanda Lang
• Stefan Ludlow

2007 Dr. Charles Townes Individual Achievement Award – Sponsored By McNair Law Firm, P.A.

Dr. Caron St. John

Dr. Caron St. John received the Dr. Charles Townes Individual Achievement Award. This award recognizes an individual who exhibits the true spirit of innovation, excellence and leadership through hard work and a commitment to the Upstate community. Dr. Caron St. John is the founding Director of Clemson University’s Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership and also serves as Director of MBA Programs and Associate Dean of the College of Business and Behavioral Science. Dr. St. John’s many academic and administrative accomplishments have been widely recognized both by Clemson and by national leaders in her field. It is, however, her contributions to the entrepreneurial life of Upstate South Carolina that make her deserving of the Dr. Charles Townes Individual Achievement Award. During the past eleven years, Caron St. John’s vision has inspired the founding and development of the Spiro Institute. Under her leadership, the Institute has been propelled into the ranks of the most innovative university-based programs in the country. Simply stated, Dr. St. John’s vision has been to enact a fundamental change the way that the university is engaged in the business world, and a fundamental change in the way that students are educated for the challenges they will face as entrepreneurs in highly a competitive business environment.

2006 InnoVision Awards Recipients

2006 Technology Application Award – Sponsored By Fuji Photo Film, Inc.

eBridge Solutions

eBridge Solutions has been developing enterprise software for leaders in industries ranging from apparel to flexible packaging for over a decade. In response to a specific need of one of their clients, eBridge developed ISOURCE, a complete Product Life Cycle Management (PLCM) web portal. Within the portal, all internal and external functions required to bring a new product to market are performed and managed. ISOURCE provides the portal-enabled product design team real-time communication with vendors and incorporates a document management system that allows for maintenance of version history, and automatic compressions of files selected for download. ISOURCE turned a previously manual, time-intensive process into a streamlined, well-managed, audit able process, one that enabled a 16-day reduction in the time required to bring a new product to market.

2006 Technology Development Award – Sponsored By The Arthur M. Spiro Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

INNegRITY

Two-year-old Innegrity LLC has developed Innegra E, a fiber designed to bring the performance of high frequency military electronics substrates into consumer high frequency applications such as personal computers, laptops, servers, wireless communications, and cellular telephones. High frequency electronics are currently limited to two choices of circuit board substrates: Teflon-glass composites, which perform well but are too expensive for mainstream application, and epoxy-glass composites, which, while less expensive, lead to energy and data loss. Innegra E combines the best of both existing electronics while utilizing less expensive materials in a much more efficient manner. Innegra E will bring the performance of high-frequency military electronics substrates to consumer products at a price point far more affordable than current technology currently on the market.

2006 Innovation in Education Award – Sponsored By Techtronic Industries North America

TetraData Corporation (Aquired By Follett Software)

TetraData Corporation is a growing software engineering company exclusively focused on reaching and sustaining high performance in K-12 education. This Greenville-based privately-held company has developed new software – that enables its users to monitor the indicators of success in their school system. DASH is a decision-support tool that provides just-in-time monitoring via a browser-based dashboard. It allows users to view key educational performance indicators such as daily attendance, student scores and graduation rates. It also has the capacity to provide information by grades, by class and among their teachers and students. Since its general release in January of this year, three U.S. school districts have completed full implementation of DASH. Tetradata DASH provides an organized, easy-to-understand way to measure progress and success in school districts across the country.

Clemson University

Clemson University’s mechanical engineering department has developed an intense two-week course that provides engineering students with a real-world experience of product development. During the course, students face issues from patent development and product innovation to group dynamics and project management. Two industry sponsors, Michelin and SkyBed, offered two drastically different product innovation projects that required a wide range of skills. One team built a full-scale, functional prototype of a ceiling mounted, retractable bed. The other team constructed several physical prototypes of TWEEL spokes for Michelin. These presentations were so well-received by the sponsors that Michelin is currently pursuing patents on some of the concepts developed by the student teams. This unique program is allowing students to have a better educational experience while also benefiting the industry sponsors.

2006 Community Service Award – Sponsored By Spirit Telecom

Society of Automotive Engineers

The Society of Automotive Engineers is composed of more than 90,000 engineers, business executives, educators, and students from more than 97 countries. In 1991, SAE International released its first set of educational materials-A World In Motion®. A World In Motion (AWIM) brings math and science principles to life through highly interactive learning experiences that incorporate the laws of physics, as they relate to motion, flight and electronics. The AWIM Challenges are designed around current math, science and technology standards as appropriate for each grade level. All of the materials are written around the fundamental engineering design experience: set goals, build knowledge, design, build and test, and present. Using the hands-on, iterative inquiry inherent in the engineering design experience the students becomes actively engaged in the learning process which greatly increases retention, application and in-depth comprehension of the subject matter. Thirty-three schools in five Upstate counties have incorporated SAE International’s A World in Motion curricula. The program brings important engineering principles to life through highly interactive learning experiences, encouraging students to make a commitment to a continued education in math and science.

2006 Small Enterprise Award – Sponsored BY McNair Law Firm, P.A.

GlucoTec, Inc. (Now Glytec, LLC)

Located in Greenville, South Carolina, Glucotec, Inc. strives to improve the lives of hospital-based patients by providing healthcare professionals with integrated metabolic management systems that result in improved glycemic control and corresponding clinical and financial outcomes. Such devices include their newest innovation, the Glucommander software. Installed on a touch-screen tablet computer, the Glucommander is used to calculate the level of medication doses necessary to regulate hyperglycemia in patients with elevated blood sugars. Using a proprietary algorithm, Glucommander determines each patient’s individual sensitivity to insulin, and determines the strength and concentration of intravenous fluids required to bring blood sugars back to a pre-determined target range. The American Diabetes Association, in their current guidelines, stated that 100,000 lives could be saved if all hospitals in the U.S. used “tight glycemic control with an algorithm.”

2006 IBRAHIM JANAJREH YOUNG INNOVATOR – SPONSORED BY MICHELIN NORTH AMERICA, INC.

The following team of 4th graders from Clemson Elementary School chose the creative challenge, “The Great Parade,”which required them to build a float that changed its appearance three times as it traveled a given parade route. The students designed modifications to an old pedal car, to be steered by the driver’s feet via a make-shift joy-stick, while their hands turned the pedals, thus creating their momentum. The team’s overall “disco” theme featured creative “morphing” of their float, between a big black limousine, an ocean wave, and a miniature dance platform complete with disco lights and dancing. The innovative design of their vehicle garnered the only Ranatra Fusca creativity Award given at the 2005 state competition, and their performance in the Great Parade and Spontaneous-Problem solving won first prize in their division.

• Hannah Myers
• Christina Adams
• Forrest Wang
• Henry Weaver
• Julie Sarasua
• Maggie Austin
• Daniel Betz

The 4th grade students from the Crestview Elementary School Odyssey of the Mind Team began their odyssey by selecting the problem “The Jungle Bloke.” The team was to create and present a skit about a “Bloke,” a person who has the ability to talk with and understand animals from a jungle. The animal characters told the Bloke about a problem….the food chain in Khana, India is unbalanced. The Indian White tiger won’t stop eating vultures, and now they are starting to disappear. The bloke was portrayed by a student who needed some extra credit on a Science project. He discusses the problems of an unbalance food chain with the tiger, and they both agree that there are other tasty morsels to be had. In the end, the tiger finds those other delectable dishes running around in the jungle. The bloke returns to class and uses the information he learned about the food chain and the animals in Khana to get extra credit on his Science project. In their solution, the students were responsible for researching the jungle in Khana, India, white tigers and other animals presented in their skit, along with designing and building the props, art work, makeup and script. These students presented their solution at the Odyssey of the Mind State tournament last March, and were very successful. Their placement earned them an invitation to the World Finals held at the University of Iowa, last May, where they made a great impression on their judges.

• Austin Donahoo
• Carly Majors
• Megan Williams