Improving Lives through Invention

A biannual review of interesting stories about the world of invention and innovation from
the diverse programs of The Lemelson Foundation

For more information on Lemelson Grantees Focus items, contact:
Paul Rosenthal, Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation

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IN THIS ISSUE: 

The A-MAN, Inc. and the Los Angeles Air Force Space & Missile Command Center (SMC) Partnership
New Fund to Support Innovative Thinking In Design and Invention
18 High Schools Awarded Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams Grants
NCIIA Student Innovators Bring a Healthy Outlook to MDEA Ceremony
Inventing America: The Legacy of Benjamin Franklin, 1706-2006
NCIIA E-Team Twists Its Way Into the Building Industry

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THE A-MAN, Inc. AND THE LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE SPACE & MISSILE COMMAND CENTER (SMC) PARTNER TO EXPOSE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO THE FIELDS OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING.

The A-MAN Inc. Science Discovery & Learning Center co-founder Hal Walker met with Air Force personnel in October 2004 to develop a program that would expose secondary school students in the Los Angeles Community to the areas of engineering, science, mathematics and technology. From this meeting the Saturday Science Academy (SSA) was born. The Academy's aim is to encourage the career paths of pre-college students who have been traditionally underrepresented in science and technology fields. The Academy is now excepting enrollment for the 2005 - 2006 school year.  SSA is held at the A-MAN International Science Discovery and Learning Center 101 S. La Brea Ave. Inglewood, CA 90301.  The Academy meets one Saturday of the month starting Oct. 15, 2005 from 9AM - 12PM. 

MORE: http://www.aman.org
Contact: Hal Walker, Bettye Walker for A-MAN, Inc., (310) 412-2680 or HWalkerjr@aol.com

NEW FUND TO SUPPORT INNOVATIVE THINKING IN DESIGN AND INVENTION

A new fund established through the Lemelson Center of Hampshire College will support student and alumni work in applied design and invention, especially in areas of sustainability and renewable energy. The Tim Harkness Fund for Invention was officially launched in October 2005 at Hampshire College, as part of a unique gallery exhibit that featured inventive works by the late Tim Harkness. The event featured a live outdoor demonstration of Harkness' parabolic cooker, which uses mirrors to focus the sun's heat.

MORE:
http://www.hampshire.edu/cms/index.php?id=7426

Contact: Lauren J. Way for the Lemelson Center of Hampshire College, 413-559-5806 or lway@hampshire.edu

18 HIGH SCHOOLS AWARDED LEMELSON-MIT INVENTEAMS GRANTS

The next ingenious invention may not come from a giant corporation, but from a local high school.

Teams of students and teachers from 18 high schools across the country were recently awarded InvenTeams grants up to $10,000 each by the Lemelson-MIT Program to invent prototype devices that address problems they have identified. The proposed inventions range from a cell phone locker to a portable hydraulic press.

MORE: http://mit.edu/invent/n-pressreleases/n-press-06IT.html

CONTACT: Kristin Joyce, Melissa Makofske for the Lemelson-MIT Program, 617-253-3352 or kjoyce@mit.edu, melm@mit.edu

NCIIA STUDENT INNOVATORS BRING HEALTHY OUTLOOK TO MDEA CEREMONY

In June, the top three winners in the NCIIA’s inaugural BMEidea Competition were honored in New York City during the annual Medical Design and Excellence Awards (MDEA) ceremony. The winning designs—all innovations from student teams based at NCIIA member institutions—were chosen on the basis of their innovativeness, feasibility, potential for commercialization, and potential contribution to health and the quality of human life. Prizewinner Ashkon Shaahinfar, a senior at Johns Hopkins University, remarked, "This competition was an example of the many wonderful opportunities that have come to our team. It was humbling to be recognized among so many members of the industry. We hope that with all we've been given we can bring this product to market."

The first place winner, receiving $10K in prize money, was a Stanford University team’s novel treatment for cerebral aneurysm. The second place team, from Johns Hopkins University, won $2,500 for its bioimpedance probe to predict the onset of preterm labor. The third place team, from Washington University, was awarded $1,000 for HaloPack, a low-profile cervical spine orthosis. The Stanford and Johns Hopkins teams are currently in licensing negotiations for commercialization of their products.

The 2nd annual BMEidea competition is underway - deadline is April 4, 2006.

MORE: http://www.nciia.org/news.html

Contact: Loran Diehl Saito for the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA), 413-587-2172 or ldsaito@nciia.org

INVENTING AMERICA: THE LEGACY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, 1706-2006

To explore the history of American invention, one cannot help but celebrate the legacy of those forward thinking individuals whose innovative nature shaped a nation and the world. In 2006, the Smithsonian's Lemelson Center will celebrate that American inventive spirit with a look at the legacy of Benjamin Franklin, whose 300th birthday will be commemorated on January 17. A true American renaissance man, Franklin searched for understanding and innovation in fields as varied as science, diplomacy and social welfare. 

The Center will sponsor programs, family activities and speakers throughout the year examining how technology was critical to nation-building, and how Franklin and his contemporaries like Thomas Jefferson, were inventing a nation both politically and technologically. The United States has adhered to their spirit of innovation to the present day.

In addition to public programs sponsored by the Lemelson Center, the National Musuem of American History will host an exhibit of Franklin artifacts, including a suit he wore while serving the Continental Congress in Paris, and a cane he bequeathed to George Washington upon his death.

MORE (on Lemelson Center):
http://invention.smithsonian.org

Contact: Paul Rosenthal for the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation at the National Museum of American History, 202-633-3656 or rosenthalp@si.edu

NCIIA E-TEAM TWISTS ITS WAY INTO THE BUILDING INDUSTRY

Polytorx,a company initially supported by a 2003 Advanced E-Team grant to the Georgia Institute of Technology, is growing fast to keep up with orders for Helix™, its innovative concrete reinforcement product. Polytorx recently hired Mike Mettler, formerly of Molded Interconnect Devices, as its CEO. Polytorx founder Luke Pinkerton, who accepted the NCIIA/DSEF Award for Excellence in Marketing on the company’s behalf at the NCIIA 9th Annual Meeting, will take the role of CTO. With sales last year in excess of $2 million, Polytorx was selected as a $500,000 winner of the Michigan Technology Tricorridor and was recently awarded a $100,000 National Science Foundation SBIR grant. Both these grants will fund product development and ramping up manufacturing capabilities. CEO Mettler says, “Helix is an industry changing technology that will be used in every drop of concrete. Every house, every building and every road will use the Helix technology. The market is immense and our sales will grow as fast as we can manufacture the product.”

MORE: http://www.nciia.org

Contact: Loran Diehl Saito for the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA), 413-587-2172 or ldsaito@nciia.org

Lemelson-MIT Program: Awards and advocacy program for invention and innovation, administered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, including: National and student prizes for invention; grants for high school team invention projects; annual invention survey; and resources for invention.

Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History: Educational and outreach programs for adults and students; hands-on science and technology projects for young people; historical and archival projects on the role of invention and innovation in American society; and permanent and traveling exhibits.

Lemelson Assistive Technology Development Center at Hampshire College: Education in applied design, invention, and entrepreneurship through teams of students, faculty, mentors and collaborators from industry, education and business working together on the development of assistive technologies for people with disabilities.

University of Nevada, Reno: Student team projects aimed at the development of new products with the potential to serve as the basis of new businesses.

The National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance: The NCIIA provides grants and other resources to support invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship education through curricular development and the work of E-Teams. E-Teams - E for "entrepreneurship" and "excellence" - are multi-disciplinary teams of students, faculty and industry representatives working to move an innovative product or technology from idea to prototype to commercialization.

A-MAN: The African-American Male Achiever's Network, Inc. (A-MAN) was founded in 1991 as an outgrowth of a pilot educational research project funded by the University of California at Los Angeles. A-MAN, Inc. is a California State approved mentoring program.