Pittsburgh Innovates

Kids today. Give them a digital device and they will have it mastered by the age of two.
 
Pittsburgh startup AppCertain wants to help by providing parents with a platform that gives them the tools to stay abreast of their children’s digital prowess. Anytime a child downloads an app to their iOS device, AppCertain sends them an email with detailed information on the potential security risk and educational value of the download.
 
The company is the first to be selected by Birchmere Labs as a studio project, a new investment model for the region. Developed by Birchmere Ventures and partner Sean Ammirati, Birchmere Labs offers seed investments to early stage startups; the most promising among them are then selected as studio projects.
 
Unlike an accelerator or incubator, of which there are many in the region, Birchmere Labs is about taking the seed of an idea and spinning it out as a company. The designation comes with an undisclosed amount of funding and further mentoring from Birchmere’s experienced entrepreneurs, says Ammirati.
 
“Birchmere really helped me run with my idea,” says Spencer Whitman, co-founder and CEO of AppCertain. “We’re at the point now of slowly leaving the Birchmere nest, learning how to operate and stand on our own two feet.”
 
Whitman began developing AppCertain during his years at CMU where he was both an undergrad and grad student working at CyLab. When it comes to reviewing apps, restrictions, ratings and reviews aren’t working for parents, he says.
 
Parents need an easy way to monitor their children’s activity and teach them to be responsible digital citizens without having to take their device away or engage in constant confrontation.
 
The platform, which targets children between the ages of seven and 17, provides information on an app’s security risk and content value. Is an app, for example, capable of accessing sensitive information, like data or photos? How educational or violent is the content?
 
The idea is to give kids the freedom to make their own decisions while giving parents the ability to make sure their decisions are sound, he says.
 
AppCertain, currently in beta, is a free download, but hopes to be an app someday. It currently works only with iOS products--iPhone, iPod, iTouch and iPads--with plans to expand into the Android market.
 
The company has three full-time and four part-time employees and works out of Birchmere Ventures in the South Side.
 
Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Sean Ammirati, Spencer Whitman, Birchmere Ventures
 
From left to right: Jim Newsome, Spencer Whitman, and Megan Gilligan.  Not pictured: Sean Ammirati, Lara Schenck, Karmyn Guthrie, and Cyrus Collier, courtesy of Birchmere Ventures

Marketing and research companies used to be in the business of holding a magnifying glass to human behavior and reporting on what they see in real time.
 
But the accelerated pace of living calls for more of a crystal ball approach, developing new ways to identify future trends and putting them into a larger context for companies.
 
Pittsburgh-based Campos Inc is taking on this brave new frontier, putting its 26 years of research experience to work by establishing a sourced library of trends to help small and medium-sized companies stay ahead of the curve.  
 
“Large companies have access to this information today, but small to medium-sized companies do not,” explains Yvonne Campos, founder and CEO of downtown-based Campos. “Everything is turning so quickly. It’s not about what research looks like in the future, but where can we add value for clients in a bigger space.”
 
Few companies have the time or resources to hire “trendspotters” or do their own trend analysis. Equipped with the knowledge of these emerging trends and how it applies to them, Campos hopes to help companies determine the most effective strategies.  
 
For example, businesses might consider showing their appreciation to customers who regularly patronize their coffee shop or restaurant by knowing and understanding their expectations before they walk through the door.
 
When a retail store receives a new shipment of a customer’s favorite designer, why not contact them and give them an opportunity to be the first in line?
 
The future of marketing is about “earnable trust” and “presumers,” new terms that are about giving consumers more of what they want. Companies need to earn their customers trust by doing things like locating in and supporting centers of urban activity and involving consumers with products and services before they launch and go mainstream.
 
“The idea is how can you make my life easier,” Campos says. “It’s all about corporate responsibility. Companies should be thinking not how can I sell to you more, but how can I make the consumer’s life easier.”
 
Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Yvonne Campos, Campos Inc

Social Ventures Partners' fast pitch is back, the fast-talking competition that pits some of the most innovative, smaller nonprofits in the region against each other for funding, prizes and visibility.
 
The good news is everyone wins.
 
Borrowing from the venture capitalist “elevator pitch,” the Social Innovation Fast Pitch is a two month program. SVP selects a dozen of some of the most promising philanthropic ideas and social entrepreneurs and gives them an opportunity to work with local leaders to fine-tune and hone their presentation skills into a three-minute pitch.
 
Yours truly is a coach this year, working with a small team to assist Bob Bechtold of the Sarah Heinz House with his pitch for Design House, an after-school program for middle school students that teaches STEM skills to kids when they’re not looking. Through the program, the students are developing the architectural plans for a new bathhouse that will actually be built at their summer camp.
 
“It’s a big hit with the kids,” Bechtold says. “It’s giving the kids a stake in their camp and a sense of belonging and contribution.” 
 
Design House will face some stiff competition at the final competition against other equally deserving programs: Strong Women, Strong Girls; Beverly’s Birthdays; Go! A Vehicle of Change; meetPGH; The Saxifrage School; Miracle League of South Hills; Camp COPES; Sustainable Solutions, Catholic Charities Free Health Care Center; and Quest for Wellness and Recovery Employment Project.
 
"Fast Pitch successfully teaches nonprofit leaders how to develop clear and concise messages to more effectively communicate,” says Elizabeth Visnic, director of social venture partners. ”The skills they gain not only help them to learn how to message their program, they gain immeasurable community support and have an opportunity to win unrestricted funding and prizes."
 
The Social Innovation Fast Pitch Finals will be held at the Fairmont Hotel on March 6^th from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Pop City will bestow a capacity prize at the event, with publisher and editor Tracy Certo serving as a judge. 
 
Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Elizabeth Visnic, SVP
 
Image: Chuck Webb, Shepherd's Heart Veteran's Home, 2012 winner

Is sustainability in your workplace DNA?

It's a question Christine Mondor raised during the Reduce Your Use Workshop sponsored by Pop City and Direct Energy last Friday, Feb. 22. "It's about building a culture around sustainability," says Mondor of evolveEA, an architecture firm owned by Mondor that is known for being envionmentally innovative.

She cited the Pittsburgh Opera for examining ways they could be more environmentally friendly, including even questioning their use of costumes after performance and how they could reuse them. Phipps Conservatory, which is nationally recognized for its culture of sustainability, will question everything, even where its peat moss comes from, says Mondor.

The idea, she says, is to create a culture of sustainability where everyone is more aware of environmental issues and conservation and leadership sets the tone.

It was one of many points brought up at the event which included two other panelists: Kathleen Hower of GlobalLinks and Sam DeStephano of The Community Food Bank of Pittsburgh. All three organizations had participated in the Green Workplace Challenge held by Sustainable Pittsburgh. evolveEA won in its category and the others were runners up.

Both GlobalLinks and the Food Bank reuse materials as part of their mission. GlobalLinks collects hospital and medical supplies that might otherwise go to a landfill and distributes them to organizations in need around the world. Likewise, the Food Bank collects and redistributes food.

"We're promoting better environmental stewardship with the recovery of materials," says Hower, who notes that their new warehouse is completely skylighted which cuts energy costs. In addition, GlobalLinks employees cut down paper use through double-sided copying and diligently turn off lights that aren't being used.

Both groups credited a Student Conservation Association fellow with educating, training and reminding people to be more mindful of ways to reduce energy costs.

The SCA fellow set up numerous projects, says DeStephano, from LED lights to composting. "The top down support was most important," he said, in getting everyone onboard.

At GlobalLinks they eliminated water bottles and even started a soup day once a week where staff took turns making soup with local ingredients. "Everybody loved it!" says Hower.

Following a discussion from the 18 nonprofits attending the workshop, all groups were invited by Direct Energy to make a short and simple video to discuss ways they've reduced energy costs in their workplaces. The energy company is awarding $2500 to the best ideas. For more info see their site here.

If the smell of sawdust and the hum of a milling machine are calling your inner entrepreneur, TechShop may be in your future.
 
The Menlo Park company is opening its seventh workshop studio in the country in early March in Bakery Square, across from Google’s office.
 
The 16,000 square-foot space is shaping up to be a lively and inviting one, splashed with color and tall windows that give curious shoppers a peek within. TechShop is a membership studio, offering sophisticated tools and machinery to make products and prototypes, everything from 3D printers to laser cutters and machines for textiles and quilt making.
 
“We have all the tools you need to make just about anything on the planet,” says Mark Hatch, CEO, who was in town last week giving tours of the emerging studio. “We want to make sure any maker has access to a facility like ours.” 
 
The idea for the creation of nationwide workshops that encourage budding master crafters emerged from Richard Florida’s theory of creative class cities, says Hatch.
 
“We do a complete analysis of where creatives in the city live and lay it against the city’s grid, looking for retail locations with a flexible landlord,” he says. “Most of our neighborhoods (where TechShops are located) have a technology bent.”
 
In addition to gaining access to equipment for a monthly fee ($100 a month), TechShop will offer classes and training (such as how to launch a kickstarter campaign) and opportunities to nonprofits.
 
The studio already has its success stories. Hatch recounts how Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter, designed and made his first Square at the Oakland TechShop, the small, plastic piece that allows smartphone users to swipe credit cards.
 
The Pittsburgh TechShop was supported through an investment partnership with DARPA and the Dept. of Veteran Affairs. The collaboration gives veterans across the country a free one-year membership to the nearest Tech Shop.
 
Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Mark Hatch, TechShop

Image: Mark Hatch, CEO of TechShop in Pittsburgh

Creative Nonfiction, the Shadyside journal born in Pittsburgh and devoted to great works of literary non-fiction, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. 

Founded by former University of Pittsburgh professor Lee Gutkind, the quarterly journal is esteemed by many as the first magazine to establish the genre by publishing high-quality, non-fiction prose. 

Among the milestones, the journal boasts an international circulation; 3,180 subscribers from 28 countries and 9800 newsletter subscribers. It also receives 30 unsolicited submissions per week, on average. 

More important, it has launched the careers of many of the genre’s most successful writers and established creative non-fiction as a respected literary genre and academic field of study. 
 
Gutkind lives in Pittsburgh and remains active with the journal. He currently teaches at Arizona State University, where he is a Distinguished Writer in Residence, and is a professor at the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication.
 
Ask him to reflect on the magazine’s influence over the past 20 years and he responds, not surprisingly, with a true story, well-told. Says Gutkind:
 
"Years ago, when I started writing what we now call ‘creative nonfiction,’ it was lonely out there: there were no MFA programs, no conferences, and few classes. No one even really knew what to call this kind of writing. But I believed in the simple idea that you could write nonfiction using the literary techniques of the fiction writer. And that such writing would be the best way to make a lasting impact on readers.” 
 
There were few receptive markets for serious nonfiction writers outside of newspapers or “slick national magazines” that published “straight journalism,” he continues.
 
“The genre was not only nameless, but homeless. That's why I started Creative Nonfiction. The first issue was slipped into envelopes and addressed, by hand, to our subscribers--135 of them--at my dining room table.”
 
Today the homeless and once nameless genre stands tall with an international audience and writers from all over the world.
 
With the success of Creative Nonfiction has come requests for digital access, says Alicia Barnes, who handles publicity and marketing for the small Shadyside operation. The website was designed by Pittsburgh firm Little Kelpie and offers digital subscriptions and submissions and searchable access to many previously published stories and back issues, some of which are available for purchase.
 
In addition to digital access, Creative Nonfiction plans to celebrate with its regular workshops and online courses, offered through the Creative Nonfiction Foundation, and a possible festival. A Sustainability Best Essay contest (with a $10,000 prize) is also underway.
 
The March issue, “Female Form,” is a collection of essays by women writers. It features an interview with American memoirist and novelist Cheryl Strayed, author of the popular “Dear Sugar” column.
 
“Creative Nonfiction has become the fastest-growing genre in the publishing industry and within creative writing programs,” says Barnes. “With our 20^th anniversary, we hope these changes will cement us as the leading destination for news, educational resources, and the best writing in the genre.”  
 
Writer: Deb Smit
Sources: Lee Gutkind and Alicia Barnes, Creative Nonfiction
 

It was a busy week on the local startup scene. Among the highlights:
 
* Innovation Happens was held at the Alpha Lab office in the South Side, bringing five startups together with business leaders in Pittsburgh. The goal of the program is to introduce local startups to local companies, which is a win-win for the region in helping to build great businesses, says Sean Ammirati, partner, Birchmere Ventures. The companies included: Community Elf, Acrinta, WebKite, Appcertain and Legal Sisters.
 
* Birchmere Ventures plans to make a big announcement later this week regarding the first local startup selected for Birchmere Labs, a seed and studio fund.
 
* More than 200 people attended the grand opening of Hustle Den, the new East Liberty incubator for entrepreneurs. Project Aura claimed the $25,000 prize for Thrill Mill’s first Business Bout, two CMU design students who are working to make the streets safer by illuminating bicycle tires in an array of colors depending on how fast the bike is traveling.
 
* Cohera Medical, the company that is bringing absorbable surgical adhesives and sealants to patients, helping them to heal and recover faster from large flap surgeries, has secured an additional $17 million round through private investors. Cohera will use the funds to expand into the European markets.
 
* Big Data is changing the world.  Learn all about it from a panel of local experts on how they are involved with 'big data' and what changes and opportunities they see emerging at the next MIT Enterprise Forum on Feb. 20^th starting at 5:30 p.m. The panel, moderated by Raul Valdes-Perez, founder of Vivisimo, includes Mickey McManus, president and CEO of Maya Design, Saman Haqqi, a leader in the efforts to create the “Big Pittsburgh Data Mill,” John Dick, CEO of CivicScience and Susan Bachman of Management Science Associates.

Writer: Deb Smit

Each week Pop City reports the latest news in company hiring.
 
Pittsburgh downtown ad agency Brunner is hiring 10 people for a variety of positions: application developer, art director, copywriter, digital project manager, junior digital designer, part-time publicist, senior project manager, ex/digital/mobile designer, vp of social media and a web analyst.
 
PNC Bank has career opportunities in a multitude of positions across several departments for: supervisors, senior investment advisors, marketing business analysts, finance analysts, mortgage analysts, tax supervisors, senior accountants and more.
 
Wexford-based Lucas Systems, a software company that provides a voice-based headset system for warehouse and logistics tasks, is hiring four people and looking for two interns. The positions include: product engineers, a software engineer and software support engineer and two internships in software support and software engineering.
 
Think Through Learning, a web-based education company providing customized online math instruction for students K-12, is hiring an agile project manager for its Pittsburgh office.
 
Pittsburgh-based Burson-Marsteller, a global publication relations and communications firm, is looking for a public relations associate to coordinate production and distribution of materials.
 
Engineered Style, an Alpha Lab startup developing a fashion-based web and mobile applications to assist style-challenged men, is looking for a software engineer to join the team. Join an Alpha Lab team and develop a web and mobile-based platform. Two years of software experience is preferred.
 
LaRoche College is hiring a multimedia designer.
 
Ker Communications in Pittsburgh is hiring copywriters on an as needed basis; this is not a full-time position. Ker is looking for creative and reliable writers who can put together a well-written article, series of articles or website content.
 
Phipps is seeking a full-time facilities manager to manage maintenance of all buildings, exterior grounds and gardens, as well as equipment maintenance, special exhibits and construction projects.
 
Phipps is also hiring a temporary seasonal grower to maintain and care for plants in the Conservatory and gardens.
 
Got hiring news? Contact Pop City and include the links to the job. Check out last week's listings.
 
Writer: Deb Smit

A new children’s radio service, developed in Pittsburgh, is bringing the timeless charm of radio to children and their families along with the latest in educational programming.
 
iQ Kids Radio is a collaboration of WQED and SLB Radio Productions, a family-friendly, commercial-free service that mixes education and entertainment for listeners for 24-hours each Saturday.    
 
The concept is unique, leveraging the assets of PBS to provide trusted radio programming and the authentic voices of children, explains Larry Berger, executive director of SLB Radio, producer of the long-running Saturday Light Brigade.
 
The service is an expansion of the popular Saturday morning show. The programs were carefully developed, researched and vetted in terms of educational standards, he adds.

Programming features youth-created music, storytelling and news/commentary. Kids will learn during the day, boogie down with DJ Daddy Dance Party in the late afternoon and fall asleep at night to bedtime stories.
 
Soothing classical music plays through the night into the early morning hours.
 
"Kids and families need an alternative to what is currently available on the radio," says Berger.  “We’re really looking to present authentic children’s voices in a way nobody has.”
 
The voices of the children is a unique aspect of the program. SLB works with thousands of children a year to record their original stories, says Jennifer Stancil, executive director of educational partnerships for WQED and co-director of the service.
 
“I think kids radio represents what public media can and should be doing to encourage kids to listen imaginatively,” she says. “Commercial-free radio (for children) isn’t a niche but a roaring highway that not many are filling.”
 
iQ Kids Radio airs between midnight Friday and midnight Saturdays. Listeners can tune in by visiting the website or streaming through the free TuneIn Radio app for smartphones and tablets.
 
The service will be free during the pilot phase of the project. It was made possible through seed funding from Junior League of Pittsburgh, a founding partner, with additional support from The Grable Foundation the James McCandless Charitable Trust.
 
Feedback is welcome through wehearyouiqkidsradio.org
 
Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Larry Berger, SLB, Jennifer Stancil, WQED

Ever wonder what guests would do at a wedding given free rein of a photo app?
 
The same guys that brought us Yinztagram have developed HitchedPic, a mobile app that allows the wedding guests to stage their own zany pics while the happy couple is working the room.
 
Picture countless photos of friends alongside the bride’s beloved pooch or feline. Or locations dropped in the background, such as a college dorm. Or the honeymoon.
 
Matthew Pegula and Dimitry Bentsionov, formerly of Deeplocal, are building a company, Workshirt, around the idea of unique photos for all occasions. You might recall their first foray into this space, the hyperlocal app that captured people lifting giant Primanti sandwiches over their heads?
 
Currently in Alpha Lab, the app is launching on iPhone today. An Android version is on the way.
 
“Through our research, we found the best photos are the candid ones taken by guests,” explains Bentsionov. “If we can provide a way to funnel all those photos to the bride and groom, all the better.”
 
“People like to edit and augment photos,” adds Pegula. “So we asked ourselves, how can we bring that together and help couples document and capture the biggest day of their lives?”
 
Couples sign up on Facebook, pay an annual fee and upload stickers with locations and props they want in the picture. Ideally the app should be used to document not just the big event, but also the plethora of events leading up to the big occasion. The engagement party. The tux fittings. 

The photos are kept private, shared only with guests or a specified mini social network. The idea is to move pictures out to other forms of social media like Pinterest.
 
HitchedPic hopes to receive feedback and fine tune the details. Beyond that, there’s no limit to the apps that can be created for births, birthday and sporting events.
 
 “It’s ongoing,” says Pegula. “Taking what we’ve done and making it robust and scalable.”
 
Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Matt Pegula and Dimitry Bentsionov, HitchedPic
 
 

When it comes to dressing the man, let the man and not the style be the guide.
 
So says Angela Lynn, the founder of Engineered Style, an Alpha Lab company creating mobile tools to help the fashion-challenged male.
 
“The demographic I’m going for is your average guy who won’t pay someone to help him with his style,” explains Lynn. “The app teaches men what they need to know to look good, to help them feel empowered. It makes the process less painful.”
 
Lynn has stellar qualifications in this department. After graduating from Carnegie Mellon, she worked in the fashion industry in New York and went on to establish herself as a personal style coach. She also dabbled in costume work, working with Ann Roth and dressing celebrities like Kate Winslet for the HBO mini series Mildred Pierce.
 
“What I learned is the difference between fashion and style,” she explains. “You’re not dressing the actor, but the psychology of the character. That’s the basis of my system. I bring out people’s personalities and help it match their lifestyle. What is reflected on the inside is what is reflected on the outside.”

The Fashion Field Guide takes skin tones and body types as its cue in helping men to establish a professional, finished look for any season. Users create a profile and proceed through several exercises to determine fit, which is crucial, she says.
 
“The most common mistake guys make is wearing clothes two or three sizes up to hide the gut,” she says. “Once we get them in the right size, we begin to educate them (on styles and where to buy them).”
 
Engineered Style is in the process of building its team. The company hopes to launch its first app, focusing on casual wear, in beta in March. The larger goal is to eventually license the technology to major retailers who can engage with customers on their own websites.
 
Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Angela Lynn, Engineered Style

Pop City reports on companies hiring in the region each week. This week several very cool companies report the hiring of five or more employees.
 
Deeplocal regaled the entrepreneurial community with an open house at its expansive new digs in the Strip District last Thursday evening. As Nathan Martin, CEO, put it in his remarks to those in attendance, let the hiring begin.
 
The highly creative marketing firm is revving its engines with clients like Disney, Reebok and Nike.  Current openings include account manager, Android and iOS mobile developers, web developer and two interns for mobile development and software engineering.
 
Branding Brand works the mobile commerce space and counts American Eagle, Ralph Lauren and Sehora among its clients. The firm is hiring nine people in a variety of positions: lead software engineer, web application developer, account manager, project manager, iOS developer, director of account management, VP of project management, quality assurance director and a financial analyst.
 
4 moms is the company behind creative robotic technology that is taking the art of parenting to the next level. The Strip District firm has more than doubled each of the last four years and expects to double again this year.
 
The firm is hiring 13 people at the present time, looking for mechanical and software engineers, a user experience designer, network administrator, logistics and quality technicians and product developers.  There’s an internship for an industrial graphic designer too.
 
EDMC, one of the largest providers of post-secondary education opportunities, is hiring four for marketing and IT positions: admissions representative, academic advising manager, systems analyst III and software supervisor.

The Jewish Healthcare Foundation is hiring a chief learning officer.
 
Kelly Strayhorn Theatre in East Liberty is hiring an event manager.
 
MEMS Industry Group is looking for a marketing associate.
 
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is hiring a director of media relations.
 
SnapRetail is looking for a sales rep for its Pittsburgh-based tech company that helps to market independent retailers through its online marketing system.
 
College Prowler, the online service that guides students through the college decision process, is hiring a quality assurance analyst.
 
Philips Electronics, developer of medical devices for the care of neonates and infants, is hiring a technical writer for its Children’s Medical Ventures New Product Development Dept.

Premier Medical Associates, is growing rapidly and hiring and hiring 16 for its Monroeville, Forest Hills and Penn Hills offices. Positions include: medical assistants, physician assistants, patient care coordinators, accounts receivable and patient care reps.

The architectural and urban design firm of Rothschild Doyno Collaborative is in need of talented and motivated team members with one to five years of post-degree professional experience.  The ideal candidates must also possess excellent communication and graphic skills with both hand-drawn and digital media. Preference will be given to applicants with experience in urban design.
 

Nothing here? Take a look at last week's postings. Have hiring news? Email Pop City and include the job links.   Writer: Deb Smit

ModCloth, the vintage-inspired and Indie fashion company that went from a CMU dorm room to an overnight Internet sensation, is launching a new Plus Size Line this week.
 
And Pittsburgh is invited to the party.
 
The online clothing company is throwing a party at Bakery Square on Thursday evening, Feb. 7^th, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. In addition to unveiling the new Spring Plus Line, attendees can try the clothes on and play model for a day--maybe longer.
 
The ModCloth stylist team will also be on hand to solicit feedback on the line and to scout potential models, says Alyssa Catalano, head stylist.
 
While ModCloth has always offered Plus Sizes, the new line is an expansion of the existing line with more styles. The company will put just as much emphasis on style and fit of the new line as we do on the street sizes.
 
“ModCloth wants to become a plus destination for the online shopper,” says Catalano. “We’re inviting the public to come, see the new products, try things on and offer feedback on the fit. It’s a get together to celebrate the revamping of the line.”
 
Since the company’s online catalogue is shot in Pittsburgh, many of the models are recruited from the area, she adds.

Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP through ModCloth’s Facebook page.
 
Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Alyssa Catalano, ModCloth

The 2013 Carnegie Science Awards were announced this week, an illustrious list of educators, researchers and business leaders working to improve the lives of others. The awards celebrate the accomplishments of individuals working in the fields of science, technology and education in Western Pennsylvania.
 
The winners include:   
 
The ExOne Company’s David Burns, Advanced Manufacturing Award 
Burns was recognized for positioning this promising North Huntingdon company as a leader in additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing. ExOne recently announced a public offering.
 
Edward Argetsinger, Jonathan Stinson, Paul Turner, Paul Jablonski, National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Advanced Materials Award NETL assisted in the design of a new alloy for coronary stents used by physicians to open blocked or restricted arteries.

Nancy Minshew, University of Pittsburgh, Catalyst Award
As the head of the Center for Excellence in Autism Research, Minshew has extensively studied autism and applied the findings to practice and public policy. Her work has led to the region’s recognition as a world-class center for autism research.

Tracy Cui, Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering, Emerging Female Scientist Award Cui is researching smart biomaterials for neural implants and neural tissue engineering.

Raul Valdes-Perez, Jerome Pesenti, Vivisimo, Entrepreneur Award
The Squirrel Hill-based company, recently acquired by IBM, has taken an untraditional and creative approach in helping companies and governments discover, analyze and navigate large volumes of data.

Bob Enick, Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering, Environmental Award
Working in collaboration with a GE Global Research Team, Enick has developed a unique method of capturing carbon dioxide from the stack of coal-fired power plants, a technique that may cost far less than current technologies.

Patrick Daly, Cohera Medical, Start-Up Entrepreneur Award
As president and CEO of this promising Pittsburgh startup that grew out of research conducted at Pitt, Daly is helping to move the company’s first product, TissuGlu, into the market. The adhesive is designed to reduce the need for surgical drains in plastic surgery procedures and speed healing time.
 
David Vorp, Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering and NETL-RU, Life Sciences Award Dr. Vorp's work on aortic aneurysms has changed the way clinicians view this disease and research on vein graft modification may one day change arterial bypass surgeries.
 
Peter Lucas, Joe Ballay, Mickey McManus of MAYA Design, Science Communicator
MAYA is helping the world to think more scientifically about design through informational films and interactive websites as well as the book, "Trillions: Thriving in the Emerging Information Ecology."
 
Check out the complete list of 2013 Carnegie Science Award winners.
 
Writer: Deb Smit

Award recipients Dr. Robert Enick and Dr. Tracy Cui, courtesy of Carnegie Science Center