2024 Awardees

The Office of Technology Transfer hosted the Seventh Annual Innovation of the Year Awards on Monday, April 7, 2025, in the University Student Center. This year’s celebration recognized Morgan’s innovation journey that continues to lead to noteworthy accolades in intellectual property disclosures, start-up companies, published patent applications, and issued patents.
 
Intellectual Property Innovation Awards
These awards recognize individuals who have created innovations in their respective research fields.

Physical Science
Microbial Wastewater Fuel Cell (MFWC) for Renewable Energy
Dr. Dong Hee Kang, Dr. Enrique Pajardo
This invention harnesses the metabolic processes of electroactive microorganisms to oxidize organic contaminants in wastewater, producing electrical energy in the process.
 
Information Science 
Method to Assess Green Infrastructure
Dr. James Hunter, Ida Yanou
This invention uses quantitative metrics and sub-metrics for low-impact, ecologically engineered practices, to address the impact of urban development.
 
Life Science
Fast Growth & Low Salinity Oysters
Dr. Ming Liu
This invention is the development of the Eastern oyster lines that thrive in variable and challenging environmental conditions. It is a result of optimizing the genetic makeup of oysters that have been shown to thrive in low salinity and are resistant to disease.

Community Innovator Awards
These awards are presented to faculty, staff, and students who have contributed to the innovative landscape here at Morgan.

Student Innovator of the Year
Yulai Yang, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Yulai’s research in renewable and sustainable energy has allowed him to earn 2 U.S. Patents issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, and he’s also been named on several intellectual property disclosures and I-GAP grants issued by the Office of Technology Transfer and co-authored over 18 publications.

Instructional Innovator of the Year
Dr. Letitia Williams
Associate VP and Dean of Students, Division of Student Affairs
Dr. Williams led efforts in the development of the Learning First Curriculum for Student Affairs. This initiative is transforming the Division of Student Affairs’ approach to programming by ensuring that every student interaction is intentional, educational, and aligned with holistic student development.

Staff Innovator of the Year
Craig Bullock
Career Specialist, Center for Career Development
Mr. Bullock has transformed how students and alumni access job opportunities by optimizing the Handshake platform and expanding career search accessibility through customized job board widgets. His initiative has made job searches faster, more relevant, and easier to access.

Patent Awardees

Supply Chain Management Instructional Board
U.S. Patent #11,705,017
Dr. Ziping Wang
 
Systems and Methods for OFDM Performance Enhancement on Frequency Selective Fading Channels 
U.S. Patent #11,716, 236
Dr. Richard Dean, Dr. Tasmeer Alam
 
System and Method for Stormwater Utility Management 
U.S. Patent #11,756,138
Dr. James Hunter, Dr. Dong Hee Kang, Hye Jeong Lee
 
System and Method for Promoting Attachment and Growth of Bivalve Organisms on Coastal Structures
U.S. Patent #11,766,031
Dr. Thomas Ihde, Richard Lacouture, Amber Demarr
 
Ultrasensitive Electrochemical Biosensors
U.S. Patent #11,782,011
Dr. Yongchao Zhang, Aeshah Alsheri 
 
System and Method for Public Housing Evaluation 
U.S. Patent #11,810,215
Dr. Jacqueline Holland
 
Systems and Methods for Peak-to-Average Power Ratio (PAPR) Reduction in OFDM Signals
U.S. Patent #11,824,700
Dr. Richard Dean
 
Digital Signal Processing Using Recursive Hierarchical Particle Swarm Optimization 
U.S. Patent #11,861,275
Dr. Kofi Nyarko, Dr. Benjamin Hall
 
Hybrid Mobile Shellfish Cooling System 
U.S. Patent #11,867,457
Dr. Seong Lee, Dr. Xuejun Qian, Yulai Yang
 
Modular, Portable, and Rapidly Deployable System for Health Assessment
U.S. Patent #11,864,868
Dr. Timothy Akers
 
System and Method for Vehicle Routing
U.S. Patent #11,953,334
Dr. Young-Jae Lee, Dr. Amirreza Nickkar
 
Rapid Sensing of Biological and Environmental Analytes 
U.S. Patent #11,967,064
Dr. Edward Constance, Dr. Kadir Aslan, Dr. Enock Bonyi
 
System and Method for Biomass Combustion
U.S. Patent #11,982,442
Dr. Seong Lee, Dr. Xuejun Qian, Yulai Yang, Raghul Chandrasekaran, Dr. Oludayo Alamu, Blaise Kalmia
 
Manufacturing of a Flexible Piezoelectric Film-based Power Source
U.S. Patent #11,990,851
Dr. Birol Ozturk, Dr. Peker Milas
 
Composition and Method for Enhancing Photosynthetic Efficiency, Growth, and/or Lipid Production of Microorganisms 
U.S. Patent #12,024,704
Dr. Viji Sitther, Somayeh Fathabad
 
Travel Abroad Student Safety Tracking System and Dashboard
U.S. Patent #12,106,652
Dr. Kimberly Warren
 
System and Method for Driver Distraction Detection and Classification
U.S. Patent #12,145,597
Dr. Mansoureh Jeihani, Dr. Samira Ahangari, Abdollah Dehzangi, Arsalan Hassan Pour