Category: Entrepreneur of the Year

Academic Entrepreneur of the Year 2013

Lionel Carreira, professor emeritus of chemistry, is recognized for his successes as a spirited entrepreneur and for his longstanding commitment to education and research. He is the founder and chief executive officer of ARChem, an Athens-based company that provides a unique computational chemical modeling software program used widely in academic, government and industrial laboratories. Carreira developed ARChem’s physicochemical calculator, SPARC, over a period of 15 years. SPARC, uses advanced mathematical algorithms based on real-world chemical structures to estimate how different chemical substances will react in various conditions. For example, the software can accurately predict vapor pressure, boiling points and density at different temperatures and pressures. These capabilities cross numerous chemical family boundaries and cover a broad range of organic compounds commonly used in labs throughout the world. The software allows researchers to access critical information without ever entering the laboratory, which ultimately provides more experimental freedom for researchers working on chemistry’s cutting edge.

Academic Entrepreneur of the Year 2012

Tom Robertson, associate professor of physiology and pharmacology, is CEO and co-founder of IS3D LLC, which creates revolutionary educational software that shows great promise as a more effective teaching tool in science education. Robertson and his partners began by developing highly realistic, three-dimensional models and animations of basic cell structures and processes, which were designed to replace the traditional two-dimensional illustrations and descriptions used in textbooks and classrooms. Students using this technology showed much higher rates of interest and understanding when compared to peer groups taught the same material with traditional methods. IS3D has since developed even more advanced learning modules that make students active participants in the learning process. Their products allow students to explore three-dimensional spaces inside the human body, collect data from the virtual world, develop their own hypotheses and even play science-themed games on mobile devices. In so doing, students learn about fundamental biological processes such as diffusion, osmosis and filtration.

Academic Entrepreneur of the Year 2011

Ralph Tripp, professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, founded Argent Diagnostics, a company that develops diagnostic products and services based on Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS), a proprietary nanotechnology platform. The platform facilitates the direct, rapid detection of pathogens and other agents present at levels several orders of magnitude lower than can be detected with current diagnostic methods. Company cofounders include UGA professors Rich Dluhy (chemistry), and Yiping Zhao (physics). Tripp also provided critical research services and served in a vital role to the management team of Aerovectrx, a GRA VentureLab company that uses a proprietary aerosol drug delivery technology to prevent or treat respiratory diseases.

More recently, he helped recruit a San Francisco-based biotechnology company, Trellis BioScience, to Georgia, where it will develop novel therapies for influenza and rabies. Cellspot, Trellis’s proven technology for screening human monoclonal antibodies, is complemented by Tripp’s expertise in infectious respiratory diseases. This venture has already contributed significantly to UGA’s research enterprise through new collaborations in various departments. Other Trellis scientists are collaborating with researchers at Emory University, Georgia Tech, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Trellis of Georgia will open a new lab and offices in the Georgia BioBusiness Center later this year.

Academic Entrepreneur of the Year 2010

Ron Orlando, professor of biochemistry, molecular biology, and chemistry, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, founded chemistry, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, founded BioInquire, LLC, a bioinformatics software development company, along with cofounders Rick Tarleton, James Atwood, and Brent Weatherly. Established in 2007, BioInquire provides software solutions for cataloging, analyzing, and mining the products of mass spectrometric analysis. The company provides tools for researchers who need to derive biological meaning from mass amounts of information generated from complex proteomic and glycomic research. Orlando parlayed his expertise with grant programs to leverage $1.4 million in grants, ultimately enabling the company to sell products without taking out loans or investing equity beyond the founder’s original contributions. He set up initial meetings with consultants, formalized BioInquire’s scientific advisory board, and established early testers. While putting in long hours after work, Orlando also recognized when to let other, more experienced professionals take the lead. He also has been generous in sharing his time and experiences with other faculty who have entrepreneurial aspirations.