eureka isn’t a moment. its a process. 2020 annual report

2020 Annual Report2019-2020

Eureka isn’t a moment. Its a process.

The close of fiscal year 19-20 was as challenging a time for our regional comprehensive campuses as we have ever had in the 20-year history of WiSys. The global coronavirus pandemic forced our institutions to close campuses, send students home and scramble to finish the Spring 2020 semester virtually. WiSys necessarily cancelled all on-campus innovation events including the popular annual WiSys SPARK Symposium. Despite these challenges, I am confident in our shared future because: ▶ I’ve seen our UW System community respond with grit and resilience. Closing out the fiscal year, our community of faculty, staff, students and alumni submitted more invention disclosures than the previous year, responded quickly and effectively to a COVID-19 innovation challenge contest and adapted quickly to the virtual environment by meaningfully participating in a series of virtual events throughout the summer. ▶ I’ve seen our collaborative model recognized internationally. In May, the partnership between WiSys, UW System and its regional universities was recognized as a “global good practice.” This effective shared resource was described in the paper “Innovation and the Wisconsin Idea: Undergraduate Research, Entrepreneurship, and Technology Transfer” that I co-authored with UW-Parkside Chancellor Dr. Deborah Ford, former UW-River Falls Chancellor Dean Van Galen and Associate Vice President for Economic Development of the UW System David Brukardt. This paper was accepted by the University Industry Innovation Network and presented at the organization’s 2020 international virtual conference. ▶ I’ve seen what we can accomplish together. As a group the UW System regional comprehensives compete exceptionally at the national level. In a June 2020 report on the innovation impact of U.S. universities, issued by the George W. Bush Institute, UW-WiSys was second in the report’s Innovation Impact Productivity Rankings for smaller research universities. All this is proof that during the past two decades we’ve built an incredible apparatus for innovation throughout the entire state. UW innovators have a nationally- and internationally-recognized pathway to bring their ideas forward and receive the support needed to bring them to life. Despite the disruption caused by a global pandemic, the UW innovation infrastructure remains strong. And I’m confident that we’ve primed our researchers, inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs to lead us to a better future.

Be confident in the collaborative partnership

FROM THE PRESIDENT

1

Arjun Sanga President

CONTENTS

2

SUCCESSES4 Measuring Success6 Innovators of the Year

PROGRAMS 9 Innovation Challenge: COVID-1910 WiSys VentureHome12 WiSys Quick Pitch14 Wisconsin Big Idea Tournament16 Pre-Award Program

SCHOOLS 18 UW-Eau Claire20 UW-Green Bay22 UW-La Crosse24 UW Oshkosh26 UW-Parkside28 UW-Platteville30 UW-River Falls32 UW-Stevens Point34 UW-Stout36 UW-Superior38 UW-Whitewater

ABOUT 40 Our Leaders41 Our Ambassadors 43 Our Team

WiSys is a nonprofit organization that works

with faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the UW

System to facilitate cutting-edge research programs,

develop and commercialize discoveries and foster a spirit of innovative and

entrepreneurial thinking across the state.

Patents Filed

Patents Issued

26 9

Invention DisclosuresAn invention disclosure is a formal written submission of a new innovation.

Agreements,Licenses, Options

15

MEASURING SUCCESS (FY 19-20)

Grants Awarded

Grant Funds

49 $932,992

RESEARCH (FY 19-20)

23

5661

6469

61 63

FY 13-14 FY 14-15 FY 15-16 FY 16-17 FY 17-18 FY 18-19 FY 19-20

4

Idea GenerationEntrepreneurial concepts presented in WiSys events and contests.

5

11

29

46

79

106

FY 15-16 FY 16-17 FY 17-18 FY 18-19 FY 19-20

UW-Eau Claire’s associate professor of materials science and engineering mentors a student team in research aimed at decreasing the cost and environmental impact of architectural coatings such as paints, primers and stains. Glogowski was recognized as a prestigious Regent Scholar in 2020 and has worked with WiSys for intellectual property protections on a number of research inventions.

Dr. Elizabeth GlogowskiUW-Eau Claire

INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

6

Photo Courtesy of UW-Eau Claire

In March, the UW System recognized Professor of Geography, Geology, and Envi-ronmental Science Dr. Prajukti (Juk) Bhattacharyya as a 2020 Regent Scholar for distinction in research, innovation, entrepreneurship. The honor highlights Bhat-tacharyya’s work to develop an early warning system for landslides. Earlier in the year, WiSys helped jumpstart the project with a WiSys Spark Grant.

Juk Bhattacharyya named Regent Scholar

UW-WHITEWATERCAMPUS SNAPSHOT: + GRANTS: $2,000 + INVENTION DISCLOSURES: 2 + PATENTS FILED 3

FOR MORE ABOUT THE REGENT SCHOLAR PROGRAM, VISIT wisconsin.edu/grants-awards/XX

UW-Parkside’s assistant professor of chemistry has submitted several inventions to WiSys in the past few years, leading to four provisional patent filings and grant funding. During the 2020-2021 funding cycle, Mann was awarded a valuable Ignite Grant, which encourages UW System faculty and staff to apply their expertise and scholarship to support economic development in Wisconsin.

Dr. Francis “Frannie” MannUW-Parkside

INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

7

Photo Courtesy of UW-Parkside

Students Jessica Tarter, Parker Schmidt and Macall Hill were chosen as a WiSys Entrepreneur Team at UW Oshkosh, charged with commercializing a WiSys technology. The team became sought after presenters, including at the Wisconsin Big Idea Tournament, the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium and the UW System Board of Regents with their startup business Hive Central.

Macall, Tarter & SchmidtUW Oshkosh

INNOVATORS OF THE YEAR

FOR MORE ABOUT THE INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD, VISIT wisys.org8

Photo Courtesy of UW Oshkosh

In April, WiSys challenged UW System faculty, staff, students and alumni to develop fast, functional solutions that address the impact of COVID-19 and social distancing in local communities. And UW System innovators responded. WiSys selected 14 concepts submitted to the WiSys Innovation Challenge: COVID-19 and offered $100 to the innovators to create a proof of concept or to implement the idea.

WiSys gathers ideas to respond to pandemic

INNOVATION CHALLENGE

FOR MORE ABOUT THE INNOVATION CHALLENGE, VISIT wisys.org/challenge 9

• The program aims to facilitate scalable startups in UW System campus communities by connecting entrepreneurs to a statewide network of resources.

• UW-Eau Claire and CoLab partnered with WiSys to launch the first WiSys VentureHome in Eau Claire in February.

• The hubs will be a spot for Wisconsin’s entrepreneurial “alumni” to “venture home” and contribute to their local communities.

• WiSys VentureHome’s are “Everything your startup needs under one roof.”

WiSys launches startup initiative to boost local entrepreneurs

FOR MORE ABOUT VENTUREHOME, VISIT venturehome.org

WISYS VENTUREHOME

10

From left to right: WiSys President Arjun Sanga, CoLab’s Community Manager Elaine Coughlin and UW-Eau Claire Chancellor James C. Schmidt unviel the sign for WiSys VentureHome-Eau Claire at the February launch party.

• UW-Whitewater’s Purcell Pearson won the 2020 WiSys Quick Pitch State Final.

• Pearson’s presentation was titled “Racial Bias in News Media and its Effects on Black Male Self-Image.”

• The research-focused, elevator-style pitch competition focuses on the importance of communicating research to the public.

• More than 100 students receive training and “pitch” their research annually.

Psych major wins statewide research communication contest

FOR MORE ABOUT THE WISYS QUICK PITCH PROGRAM, VISIT wisys.org/quickpitch

WISYS QUICK PITCH

12

WiSys board member Jennifer Gottwald, left, congratulates Purcell Pearson, right, on winning the WiSys Quick Pitch @ UW-Whitewater. The campus event was a qualifier for the state final later in the year. Gottwald served as a judge at the Whitewater event.

WiSys board member Jennifer Gottwald, left, congratulates Purcell Pearson, right, on winning the WiSys Quick Pitch @ UW-Whitewater. The campus event was a qualifier for the state final later in the year. Gottwald served as a judge at the Whitewater event.

• The UW-River Falls team of Lamah Bility and Anaa Jibicho took first place in the Wisconsin Big Idea Tournament, a business model contest presented by WiSys.

• Through their business Didómi, the duo want to combat the water crisis in developing countries by selling fashionable, reusable water bottles.

• The tournament brings together teams of university students from across the state to pitch innovative business ideas.

Water crisis-fighting business wins ‘Big Idea’ contest

FOR MORE ABOUT THE WISCONSIN BIG IDEA TOURNAMENT, VISIT wisys.org/bigidea

WIS. BIG IDEA TOURNAMENT

14

• Provided 19 on-site workshops with 230 attendees and direct grant submission support for 18 faculty/staff.

• Supported faculty/staff in applying for $4.4 million in grant funding.

• Produced 10-part grantseeking webinar series with more than 600 registrants from schools throughout the UW System.

• Program staff had more than 900 engagements with campus contacts.

WiSys grows research admin capacity and grantseeking activities

PRE-AWARD PROGRAM

16

Deborah Lundin, WiSys pre-award manager, sponsored programs, leads an on-campus grant writing workshop.

In March, the UW System recognized UW-Eau Claire Associate Professor of Materials Science & Engineering Dr. Elizabeth Glogowski as a 2020 Regent Scholar for distinction in research, innovation and entrepreneurship. The honor highlights Glogowski’s research to improve architectural coatings. Glogowski and WiSys have collaborated on protecting the intellectual property of complementary research.

UW System recognizes Dr. Glogowski’s research

UW-EAU CLAIRE

FOR MORE ABOUT THE REGENT SCHOLAR PROGRAM, VISIT wisconsin.edu/grants-awards/18

Photo Courtesy of UW-Eau Claire

Patents Filed

Patents Issued

1 0


Agreements, Licenses, Options

1

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Grants Awarded

Grant Funds

9 $186,446

Grants Funds3-Year Average

$155,979

RESEARCH

19

0

5

10

FY 18-19 FY 19-20 5-YEAR AVGFY 17-18FY 16-17FY 15-16

The annual WiSys Innovation in Aging event at UW-Green Bay challenges students to create innovative solutions to combat hardships and improve quality of life for aging populations. Overall, nine student teams, which received mentoring from UW-Green Bay faculty and community members in the weeks leading up to the event, competed in this year’s event. The winning idea was a smart hearing aid.

Nine ideas presented at ‘Innovation in Aging’

UW-GREEN BAY

FOR MORE ABOUT WISYS INNOVATION IN AGING, VISIT wisys.org/aging20

Photo Courtesy of UW-Green Bay

Patents Filed

Patents Issued

4 2



2


Grants Awarded

Grant Funds

2 $3,395


$111,341

RESEARCH

21

0

5

10


With help from a WiSys grant, UW-La Crosse chemistry major Justin Ratkovec spent the summer working in Chemistry Professor Rob McGaff’s lab exploring ways of making chemical reactions more environmentally friendly—without waste or toxic byproducts. As a WiSys Ambassador, Ratkovec was able to apply for and receive a WiSys Ambassador Grant to fund his work with McGaff.

Grant supports chemistry student’s lab experience

UW-LA CROSSE

FOR MORE ABOUT THE WISYS AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, VISIT wisys.org/ambassadors22

Patents Filed

Patents Issued

3 1*



1


Grants Awarded

Grant Funds

4 $63,000


$82,002

RESEARCH

23* Denotes one patent shared with another universitiy inventor.

0

5

10


UW System awarded Biology Professor Dr. Sabrina Mueller-Spitz with an Ignite Grant for research focused on protecting vegetable crops using bioactive enzymes targeting bacterial communication during harvest and storage. The project aims to demonstrate whether certain native enzymes protect the crops. Better crop protection could increase crop value by 5 percent—a gain of $17.6 million annually.

Research to protect potato, cucumber crops

UW OSHKOSH

FOR MORE ABOUT IGNITE GRANTS, VISIT wisys.org/grants24

Patents Filed

Patents Issued

1 0



0


Grants Awarded

Grant Funds

4 $34,588


$43,788

RESEARCH

25

0

5

10


In October, the WiSys Board of Trustees, along with WiSys staff, visited UW-Parkside to learn about many innovative ventures taking place on campus under the leadership of UW-Parkside Chancellor Deborah Ford, including the UW-Parkside App Factory, a creative, professional, interdisciplinary group on campus that develops mobile apps for community clients.

Board visit underscores strong bond with Parkside

UW-PARKSIDE

FOR MORE ABOUT THE UW-PARKSIDE APP FACTORY, VISIT appfactoryuwp.com26

Patents Filed

Patents Issued

3 0



1


Grants Awarded

Grant Funds

3 $42,339


$76,903

RESEARCH

27

0

5

10


For the third straight year, UW-Platteville innovators came together to network at a WiSys Innovation Mixer. The event features an absurd innovation challenge and a keynote from a leader in business innovation. It is an opportunity to connect innovation-minded faculty, students and staff to each other and share information about upcoming innovation events and innovation resources.

Innovation Mixer connects like-minded Pioneers

UW-PLATTEVILLE

FOR MORE ABOUT WISYS EVENTS, VISIT wisys.org28

Photo Courtesy of UW-Platteville

Patents Filed

Patents Issued

7 3



5


Grants Awarded

Grant Funds

9 $164,234


$256,569

RESEARCH

29

0

5

10

15

20


WiSys celebrated the many contributions of Dean Van Galen in the summer of 2020 as he departed to serve as the new president of Missouri Southern State University. The 18th Chancellor of UW-River Falls was a tireless champion of WiSys and innovation on his campus. Van Galen served on the WiSys Board of Trustees and was selected as chair of the WiSys Advisory Board in November 2013.

WiSys celebrates champion of innovation

UW-RIVER FALLS

FOR MORE ABOUT THE WISYS BOARD OF TRUSTEES, VISIT wisys.org/about-us/who-we-are30

Photo Courtesy of UW-River Falls

Patents Filed

Patents Issued

1 2*



0


Grants Awarded

Grant Funds

6 $115,857


$79,395

RESEARCH

31* Denotes one patent shared with another universitiy inventor.

0

5

10


This year, a UW-Stevens Point research project focused on improving hockey players’ cognitive skills using virtual reality technology. Researchers hope it helps improve performance and reduce on-ice injuries. About 35 members of the men’s and women’s hockey teams participated in the study, which is a project of the school’s new graduate program in athletic training.

Virtual reality study aims to reduce hockey injuries

UW-STEVENS POINT

TO KEEP TRACK OF INNOVATIVE UW SYSTEM RESEARCH, FOLLOW US ON TWITTER (@wisystto)32

Photo Courtesy of UW-Stevens Point

Patents Filed

Patents Issued

2 0



1


Grants Awarded

Grant Funds

0 $0


$13,924

RESEARCH

33

0

5

10


UW System awarded Biology Lecturer Tiffany Hoage an Ignite Grant to develop a prototype for a hands-on education kit about gene editing that could be used at academic institutions across the country. Biomedical research facilities use gene editing to create animal models of human disease to investigate disease mechanisms and to find potential medicines for human disease.

Lecturer developing gene editing education kit

UW-STOUT

FOR MORE ABOUT IGNITE GRANTS, VISIT wisys.org/grants34

Photo Courtesy of UW-Stout

Patents Filed

Patents Issued

3 0



2


Grants Awarded

Grant Funds

4 $66,222


$57,312

RESEARCH

35

0

5

10


The WiSys Quick Pitch @ UW-Superior was one of the most competitive of WiSys’ campus-level research communication contests this year. Senior psychology major Rachael Tuve won the contest in February by explaining her research into the effects of financial stress on college students. Sixteen students participated in this year’s event, one of the biggest during the 2019-2020 season.

Yellowjackets swarm to research ‘pitch’ contest

UW-SUPERIOR

FOR MORE ABOUT WISYS QUICK PITCH, VISIT wisys.org/quickpitch36

Photo Courtesy of UW-Superior

Patents Filed

Patents Issued

0 0



1


Grants Awarded

Grant Funds

1 $2,500


$7,645

RESEARCH

37

0

5

10


In March, UW System recognized Professor of Geography, Geology, and Environmental Science Dr. Prajukti (Juk) Bhattacharyya as a 2020 Regent Scholar for distinction in research, innovation and entrepreneurship. The honor highlights Bhattacharyya’s work to develop an early warning system for landslides. Earlier in the year, WiSys helped jump start the project with a WiSys Spark Grant.

Dr. Bhattacharyya named Regent Scholar

UW-WHITEWATER

FOR MORE ABOUT THE REGENT SCHOLAR PROGRAM, VISIT wisconsin.edu/grants-awards/38

Photo Courtesy of UW-Whitewater

Patents Filed

Patents Issued

0 2



0


Grants Awarded

Grant Funds

2 $54,000


$21,167

RESEARCH

39

0

5

10


OUR LEADERS

FOR MORE THE WISYS BOARD OF TRUSTEES, VISIT wisys.org/about-us/who-we-are40

David J. WardChair

Leon J. OstrowskiVice Chair

Dean Van GalenDavid Brukardt Jennifer Gottwald

Lorrie (Keating)HeinemannSecretary

Erik Iverson Treasurer

Toni Sikes Tomas Stafford

Arjun Sanga President

Board & Officers

Board Committees

AdvisoryDean Van Galen (Chair), Arjun Sanga, Lawrence (Joe) Allred, David Brukardt, Deborah Ford, Molly Gribb, Mark Hogan, Tracey Klein, Andrew Leavitt, Gary Miller, Karen Schmitt, Tom Still

Finance, Audit & AdministrationLorrie (Keating) Heinemann (Chair), David Brukardt, Erik Iverson, Leon J. Ostrowski, Arjun Sanga (ex officio), Tomas Stafford

InvestmentDavid J. Ward (Chair), Arjun Sanga (ex officio), Erik Iverson, Lorrie (Keating) Heinemann, Toni Sikes

OUR AMBASSADORS

FOR MORE ABOUT THE WISYS AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, VISIT wisys.org/ambassadors 41

Hailey BergUW-Eau Claire

Sierra KleistUW-Eau Claire

Brenna PrietoUW Oshkosh

Rylie GramannUW-La Crosse

Justin RatkovecUW-La Crosse

Akanksha GurtuUW-Green Bay

Hunter Koltunski

UW-Eau Claire

Jacqueline Sporie

UW-La Crosse

Maitzeng Chang

UW Oshkosh

Corey Lee UW-Green Bay

Brandon Behringer

UW-Parkside

Colton LysakerUW-Platteville

Bridget Robinson

UW-Stevens Point

Mallory Brask UW-Stout

Sophie Ackerman

UW-River Falls

Kaitlyn Timmins

UW-Platteville

Angelica Champan-Sykes UW-Whitewater

Taylor Frodel UW-Whitewater

Jayson Pfister UW-Stevens

Point

OUR STAFF

FOR MORE ABOUT WISYS STAFF, VISIT wisys.org/about-us42

Arjun SangaPresident

Jennifer SouterDirector of Patents & Licensing

Craig SauerMarketing &

Communications Associate

Brian Walsh Regional Associate

Deborah LundinPre-Award Manager,

Sponsored Programs

Ray FrenchRegional Associate

Adhira SunkaraManager of Innovative Ventures

Jeremy MinerRegional Research

Administrator

Mike CenciIntellectual Property

& Contracts Associate

Tony HansonRegional & Licensing Associate

Alicia SchiffExecutive Assistant & Program Coordinator

Sara KunkelAdministrative

Assistant

Hamilton SmithGraphic Design & Communications

Intern

Eureka isn’t a moment. Its a process.®

eureka isn’t a moment. its a process. 2020 annual report

Documents