Stevens to host 2009 N.J. Inventors Hall of Fame Awards Gala

HOBOKEN, N.J. — Creative minds will be rewarded next month when the Stevens Institute of Technology hosts the 2009 winners of the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame.

 The annual black-tie banquet provides a wonderful opportunity to speak to and exchange ideas with inventors, entrepreneurs and researchers whose ideas and creativity have led to significant breakthroughs in all areas of research from rocket propulsion to HIV/AIDS.

Awards will be presented by the NJIHoF Board of Trustees on October 22, 2009 in the Bissinger Room of the 14-story Howe Center which offers a spectacular view of the Hudson River and the Manhattan skyline.

The awards honor contributions from the corporate world, the halls of academia and private inventors.

Among those being honored this year include several from prominent New Jersey schools including the Stevens Institute of Technology , Princeton University, Rutgers University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Edward C. Taylor, Ph.D. from Princeton University will be inducted into the Hall of Fame for his invention of a new compound that was approved by the FDA in 2004 for the treatment of mesothelioma, a disease caused by exposure of asbestos. Eli Lilly is marketing it under the name Alimta.   

Also being inducted into the Hall of Fame is Yvonne Claeys Brill who effectively expanded the frontiers of space through innovations in rocket and jet propulsion.  Her most important contributions have been in advancements in rocket propulsion systems for geosynchronous communication satellites.  As a result of her innovative concepts for satellite propulsion system and her breakthrough engineering solutions, Ms Brill has earned an international reputation as a pioneer in space exploration and utilization. 

Christos Christodoulatos, Ph.D., George P. Korfiatis, Ph.D. & Xiaoguang Meng, Ph.D. & Mazakhir Dadachov, Ph.D. will receive the Inventor of the Year Award, for their invention “Methods of Preparing a Surface-Activated Titanium Oxide Product for use in Water Treatment” which led to the formation of start-up company HydroGlobe.   This invention was in response to the compelling need to remove heavy metals from drinking water.  

Two companies are also receiving recognition.   Immunomedics was founded in 1982 by Dr. David M. Goldenberg, a 2005 New Jersey Inventor of the Year. Immunomedics has been a leading biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving patients’ health and quality of life by focusing on developing proprietary monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of diseases with unmet medical needs.  Protected by 134 active patents in the United States and more than 300 worldwide, Immunomedics has built a portfolio of antibodies that potentially covers more than 90% of all cancers, as well as related technologies for making novel multifunctional antibodies, radio labeled antibodies, and drug-conjugated antibodies for use in not only cancer therapy, but also treatment of infectious diseases (e.g., AIDS) and autoimmune diseases. Additionally, two of the Company’s leading antibody product candidates have been licensed to multinational biopharmaceutical companies for further development in non-cancer indications.

Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. (Roche), based in Nutley, N.J., is the U.S. pharmaceuticals unit of the Roche Group, one of the world’s leading research-oriented healthcare groups with core businesses in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Over the last century in New Jersey,Roche scientists were awarded hundreds of U.S. patents.  Today, most of our drugs are the top prescribed medicines in their therapeutic areas, including treatments for cancer, hepatitis C,transplantation and influenza.

 U.S. State Representative Rush Holt, Ph.D. will be awarded the 2009 Trustees Award. Rep. Holt (D-NJ) is a former physics professor who for nearly a decade served as Assistant Director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and spent much of his career on inventive and innovative activities and programs.

The reception begins at 6:00 p.m. followed by a black tie dinner and awards ceremony that will commence at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are $150 per person and may be reserved by contacting Sandra Furnbach of the Office of Academic Entrepreneurship at (201) 216 – 8186 or sfurnbac@stevens.edu. R.S.V.P. by October 14.

About the NJIHOF
The New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame honors inventors, organizations, and others who have contributed to innovation in the Invention State.  The New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame promotes the role of invention in the state’s development and the role of inventors in improving society and changing our lives.

About Stevens Institute of Technology

Founded in 1870, Stevens Institute of Technology is one of the leading technological universities in the world dedicated to learning and research. Through its broad-based curricula, nurturing of creative inventiveness, and cross disciplinary research, the Institute is at the forefront of global challenges in engineering, science, and technology management. Partnerships and collaboration between, and among, business, industry, government and other universities contribute to the enriched environment of the Institute. A new model for technology commercialization in academe, known as Technogenesis®, involves external partners in launching business enterprises to create broad opportunities and shared value.

Stevens offers baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science and management, in addition to a baccalaureate degree in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. The university has a total enrollment of 2,150 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students, with about 250 full-time faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu.  

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