On April 14, 2014 WPI held the final stage of the i3: Investing in Ideas with Impact competition. In this competition the graduate student participants make a 3 minute pitch describing the benefits and marketability of their innovations without any visual aids. The IGERT program had four students make it to the final round. The 12 finalists’ presentations were judged by panels of business leaders and entrepreneurs who selected winners for Best Concept and Best Presentation; each winner received a $1,000 cash prize. The Best Concept Prize was awarded to Lindsay Lozeau for: “AMProtection: Preventing Implant Infections in the First Place.” Advisor: Terri Camesano and the Best Presentation Prize went to Sarah Hernandez for “Diagnosing Pre-Cancer.” Advisor: Tanja Dominko. Sarah Hernandez also received the People’s Choice with a $250 cash prize.
In addition Lindsay and Sarah were also awarded a Gordon Research Conference prize. This prize was awarded by Nancy Ryan Gray, PhD, director of the Gordon Research Conferences (GRC) and one of the i3 judges. The prize will make it possible for these students to attend GRC conferences, which are forums for presentation and discussion of frontier research in the biological, chemical, and physical sciences, and their related technologies.
