Purdue Research Foundation to Recognize 32 Faculty and Staff Entrepreneurs, Inventors

The event will highlight the accomplishments of university faculty and staff who were issued patents in the 2008-09 fiscal year. The complete list of faculty and staff researchers recognized at the dinner can be found at http://www.prf.org/patents.

The top honor, the 2009 Faculty Commercialization Award, sponsored by the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, will be given to Karthik Ramani, professor of mechanical engineering.

Ramani is being honored for his work as chief scientist with Imaginestics, now called VizSeek, a Purdue Research Park-based company that provides an online shape search engine for businesses.

"I am very happy to be recognized for this honor," Ramani said. "Purdue University and the School of Mechanical Engineering have provided an excellent platform to transform discoveries in labs into real-world impact."

Previous recipients of the Faculty Commercialization Award include Stephen R. Byrn, Alok Chaturvedi, R. Graham Cooks, Phillip Low, Fred Regnier, and the late Leslie A. Geddes.

Purdue Research Foundation officials reported 200 invention disclosures and 33 issued patents in the fiscal year July 1, 2008, to June 30, 2009.

"The process of patenting a discovery and moving it into commercialization is labor-intensive and time-consuming," said Joseph B. Hornett, senior vice president, treasurer and COO of the Purdue Research Foundation. "But the Purdue faculty and the Purdue Research Foundation's technology transfer managers realize the importance of bringing new products and discoveries to the public. This event is in honor of their hard work throughout the year and to recognize those who have successfully patented their discoveries."

Officials also reported that seven new companies were formed from Purdue-licensed technologies during the 2008-09 fiscal year: Advanced BioImaging Systems LLC, West Lafayette, Ind.; Events 180, West Lafayette, Ind.; Fast Forensics LLC, West Lafayette, Ind.; Genomic Guidance LLC, Crawfordsville, Ind.; iCyt Mission Technology Inc., Champaign, Ill.; Karyozen LLC, West Lafayette, Ind.; and Pfeiffer Engineering LLC, Boonville, Mo.

Purdue Research Foundation
Steve Martin, 765-588-3342
sgmartin@prf.org