June 06, 2024
For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Jason Papagan
Manager of Communications
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society
jpapagan@sigmaxi.org
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society is pleased to announce a new technology transfer initiative with the establishment of two new endowed awards. The Dr. Lawrence M. Kushner Memorial Award and the Dr. Philip Wyatt Technology Transfer Award will be presented annually beginning in 2025. The awards represent Sigma Xi’s focus on supporting the development of new technologies and transformative science that can benefit multiple industries, populations, and society as a whole.
The Dr. Lawrence M. Kushner Memorial Award will include an annual grant of at least $1,000. It will be presented to a student member or early-career professional to be used for technology transfer in research. Dr. Kushner was a chemist and long-time leader at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS), where he took a special interest in technological innovation in industry and in standardization activities on a national and international level. He served as the president of Sigma Xi in 1976 and passed away in December 2022.
The Dr. Philip J. Wyatt Technology Transfer Award, in the amount of $7,500, will be presented annually to a Sigma Xi member for a commercialization aspect of their research, relating to technology transfer. Dr. Wyatt is a renowned physicist, businessman, and long-time Sigma Xi member. His company, Wyatt Technologies, is the recognized leader in innovative light scattering instruments within the pharmaceutical and biotech industry, government labs, medical device industry, academic centers, and companies developing chemicals, cosmetics, food, and beverages.
Both awards will be given for the first time in 2025 as part of Sigma Xi’s annual cohort of Society prizes and awards. Other annual awards include the Young Investigator Award, the Walston Chubb Award for Innovation, the William Procter Prize for Scientific Achievement, and the Gold Key Award, the highest honor bestowed by Sigma Xi. Nominations for all awards will be accepted at awards@sigmaxi.org beginning early 2025.