Early Career Innovator/Emerging Innovation of the Year:
Recognizes distinguished innovators who have demonstrated excellence in the early stage of their careers, or in the early stages of an innovation breakthrough, through a combined effort in outstanding research and innovation.
Entrepreneurial Leader of the Year:
Recognizes distinguished innovators who have demonstrated an enterprising spirit and drive by taking one or more significant innovations developed in the university to market-readiness and also provided inspiration and empowerment to others to adopt entrepreneurism.
Innovator of the Year:
Recognizes distinguished innovators who have demonstrated excellence by developing a breakthrough idea, process or technology and shown its transformational potential to improve lives and create economic value.
EMERGING INNOVATION/EARLY CAREER INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
Andres Sebastian Bustamante, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
School of Education
ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADER OF THE YEAR
Michelle Khine, Ph.D.
Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Samueli School of Engineering
INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
Joseph Rinehart, Ph.D.
Former Associate Professor, Anesthesiology
School of Medicine
2023 Awardees
Emerging Innovation/Early Career Innovator of the Year Award
Marco Levorato, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, UCI Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences
Entrepreneurial Leader of the Year Award
Henry Klassen, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of the Stem Cell & Retinal Regeneration, UCI School of Medicine
Innovator of the Year Award
Petra Wilder-Smith, D.D.S., Ph.D.
Director of Dentistry, UCI Beckman Laser Institute
Professor of Surgery, UCI School of Medicine
2022 Awardees
Emerging Innovation/Early Career Innovator of the Year Award
Mathew Blurton-Jones, Ph.D.
Professor, UCI School of Biological Sciences
Entrepreneurial Leader of the Year Award
Tibor Juhasz, Ph.D.
Professor, UCI Henry Samueli School of Engineering
Professor, UCI School of Medicine
Innovator of the Year Award
Max Plikus, Ph.D.
Professor, UCI School of Biological Sciences
2021 Awardees
Emerging Innovation/Early Career Innovator of the Year Award
Iryna Zenyuk, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, UCI Henry Samueli School of Engineering
Entrepreneurial Leader of the Year Award
Daniele Piomelli, Ph.D.
Professor, UCI School of Medicine
Innovator of the Year Award
Sunny Jiang, Ph.D.
Professor, UCI Henry Samueli School of Engineering
2020 Awardees
Emerging Innovation/Early Career Innovator of the Year Award
Yoojin Won, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, UCI Henry Samueli School of Engineering
Entrepreneurial Leader of the Year Award
Sunil Gandhi, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, UCI School of Biological Sciences
Innovator of the Year Award
Weian Zhao, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, UCI School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
The COVID-19 Response Award
Phil Felgner, Ph.D.
Professor, UCI School of Medicine
2019 Awardees
Emerging Innovation/Early Career Innovator of the Year Award
Mo Li, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, UCI Henry Samueli School of Engineering.
The Entrepreneurial Leader of the Year Award
Elliot Botvinick, Ph.D.
Professor, UCI Henry Samueli School of Engineering, UCI School of Medicine, and UCI Beckman Laser Institute
The Innovator of the Year Award
Christopher C.W. Hughes, Ph.D.
Professor, UCI School of Biological Sciences, and UCI Henry Samueli School of Engineering
