Triad BioNight 2026

Awarded to an individual or organization for excellent accomplishments in R&D. Excellence can be exemplified by elements of R&D capacity investment, external funding, significant knowledge/technology advances, and peer or external recognition.

Examples:

• Latest research innovation will help inform future efforts to vascularize tissue for human clinical use while also potentially accelerating pharmaceutical testing and disease modeling
• A team participated in the NASA Vascular Tissue Challenge, which aimed to develop tissues with artificial blood vessels that could remain alive outside the body for at least 30 days. Using different 3D-printed designs and materials to create the tissue structures, this goal was accomplished and a breakthrough for space travel.
• Two different 3D-printed designs and different materials were used to produce both constructs. One construct was designed with a unique-shaped architecture with interconnected channels, which allowed for uniform flow and surface shear stress that adequately covered the entire inner surfaces of cell-laden tissue constructs. The other was a hydrogel construct with a series of patterned vessels or channels that were lined with blood vessel cells.
• Related to space research, the tissue models can also be used to study how radiation exposure affects the human body and the development of treatment strategies. Microgravity may also facilitate the creation of engineered tissues that are better able to function than tissues produced on Earth.

Awarded to an individual or organization for successful endeavors in commercial enterprise development. Excellence can be exemplified by enterprise innovation, business acumen, high growth, community commitment, and being a role model for enterprises.

Examples:

• Widely known and respected in her community and the clinical research industry for her innovative vision and leadership and often referred to as a pioneer
• Once led Winston-Salem based Integrated Site Organization that was ultimately acquired under her leadership by publicly traded international Contract Research Organization.  
• Founded a non-profit organization called Greater Gift that has donated more than 111,000 vaccines and meals in celebration of clinical trial contributors.  
• Recently founded and serves as CEO of a Winston-Salem-based Integrated Research Organization to advance clinical trial participation as a service provider to major healthcare organizations and academic medical centers, called Javara

Awarded to an individual or organization for excellent contributions to educational program development or enhancement of workforce skill development. Excellence can be exemplified by successful outcomes such as program enrollment, graduation rates, academic institutional recognition, and sector leadership.

Examples:

• Veteran teacher of 30 years
• Leads the Biotechnology program at Atkins Academic and Technology High School
  has introduced Biotechnology to middle school students through summer camps. He has recruited students into his high school courses, and he has inspired students to further study biosciences in colleges and universities throughout the state and across the country
• Earned masters degree from Wake Forest University and is a National Board-Certified Teacher in Adolescent/Young Adult Science
• Continues to learn as much as he can about the needs of the bioscience industry so that he can bring it back to his classroom and help develop the skills of his students
• The goal is not just teach science, but to teach students how to be scientists

Awarded to an individual or organization exhibiting outstanding Leadership through partnerships, collaboration, regional thinking, vision and action-driven objectives resulting in exemplary outcomes for the Piedmont biotechnology community.

Examples:

• Significantly contributed to the advancement of programs and partnerships at Alamance Community College
• Serves as the Director for 9 academic programs and the new Biotechnology Center of Excellence scheduled to open in 2021
• Forged collaborations and partnerships including with IBM, Siemens Corporation, LabCorp, FlexCell, Charles River Laboratories, Including with the NC Biotechnology Center  
• Instrumental in establishing a community college collaboration known as NCSU C3 and led efforts to obtain numerous grants within the Covington Education Center Grants 
• Demonstrated his leadership in numerous capacities resulting in millions of dollars to support Alamance Community College

Awarded to an individual or organization consistently providing outstanding support or service leadership to the biotechnology community.

Examples:

• A one-stop location to accelerate biotechnology research and development through state-of-the-art facilities
• Highly experienced staff and newly acquired equipment, the facility provides services to support the Triad’s biotechnology industry and beyond.
• In the past year, this entity has received funding from the Department of Defense, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Science Foundation, and the State of North Carolina to acquire high resolution equipment that is going push the boundaries of innovation in the biotechnology research and development enterprise, and house instruments that will make the Triad unique in its capabilities.
• This Institute also provides educational services to K-12 schools in the Triad to support advancing interest and excitement in the sciences. They are champions for building programs to support the growth and success of women and minorities in science and engineering.
• It is a partner site of the Southeastern Nanotechnology Infrastructure Corridor (SENIC), an NSF-funded National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) user facility.