The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest has announced winners of the 2024 Innovators Awards. Winners will be inducted into the Society during the group’s annual luncheon starting at 11:30 a.m. CST on Nov. 20 at Purdue University Northwest’s Westville campus, 1401 S. U.S. 421, Westville, Ind.

“The quality of the inductees identified this year by the selection committee is outstanding and showcases the wide swath of innovation in Northwest Indiana,” said Gary Johnson, chairman of the board for the Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest. “These stories of success provide role models for others and demonstrates that innovation flourishes in our region.”

The selection committee examined the innovation(s) each individual and team nominee was responsible for in order to guide final decision-making. An innovation needed to provide a new solution, benefit society and create measurable value. New in 2024, the Advocate for Innovation categories recognize individuals or organizations who embody the mission of the Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest to champion innovation in Northwest Indiana. To be eligible for induction, innovators must live or work in Northwest Indiana.

IronWorkz Corporation is one of this year’s Advocate for Innovation inductees for its work to transform the entrepreneurial landscape in Northwest Indiana. “Being recognized by the Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest really shows that the community is recognizing our impact,” said Emmani Ellis, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer for IronWorkz. “When it comes to being advocates for innovation, we are giving people spaces and opportunities to create products or services that may be useful for them and their community,” added Faith Spencer, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer.

Each winner will be officially recognized and inducted into the Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest during the annual luncheon on Nov. 20. Registration is open for the 2024 Innovators Awards Luncheon. Individual tickets are $50 and tables of 10 may be purchased for $450. For more information and to register, please visit pnw.edu/soi or by reaching out to Jason Williams at jawilliams@pnw.edu.

The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest Class of 2024 includes:

John H. Davies Lifetime Achievement Award Winner

• Barbara Eason-Watkins (Michigan City, Ind.) – retired Superintendent, Michigan City Area Schools

Richard C. Sussman Award for Team Innovation

• Food Bank of Northwest Indiana (Merrillville, Ind.)
• Innovation: OrderAhead food lockers
• Team Members: Victor Garcia, Julie Anderson, Tricia Sheaks, Steve Mehmert, Diane Wortz

Team Inductees

• ArcelorMittal Global Research and Development Center (East Chicago, Ind.)
• Innovation: Coil Rotation System for Advanced High Strength Steel
• Team Members: Gleyson Barbosa, Joe Xiao, Evgueni Poliak, Henry Williams, David Colbert
• Erosion & Construction Solutions, Inc. (Merrillville, Ind.)
• Innovation: Siltworm and BioWorm sediment filtration devices
• Team Members: DJ Moore, Joe Moore, Mike Lorenzo, Tiff Arcella, Ben Landis, Scott Shelton
• Kidstuff Playsystems (Gary, Ind.)
• Innovation: KidsVision modular commercial playsystems
• Team Members: Richard Hagelberg, George McGuan, Ed Rodriguez

Individual Inductee

• Tyamo Okosun (Hammond, Ind.) – Research Associate Professor, Purdue University Northwest Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation
• Innovation: Integrated Virtual Blast Furnace (IVBF)

Advocate for Innovation Inductee

• Kristin Burton (Hammond and Westville, Ind.) – Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship, Purdue University Northwest
• IronWorkz Corporation (Gary, Ind.)
• Team Members: Faith N. Spencer, Emmani Ellis

Advocate for Youth Innovation Inductee

• Krissy LaFlech (Munster, Ind.) – Business Teacher, Munster High School

The 2024 Selection Committee included:

• (Ken) Patrick Barry: Co-Founder, Uthiverse, Inc. (2020 Inductee)
• Wade Brietzke: CEO, We Create Media
• Kristin Burton: Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship, Purdue University Northwest
• Eric Beschinski: Business Advisor and Ecosystem Navigator, Northwest Indiana SBDC
• Magesh Chandramouli: Professor of Computer Graphics Technology, Purdue University Northwest (2020 Inductee)
• Mont Handley: Associate Director of the Commercialization and Manufacturing Excellence Center at Purdue University Northwest
• Dushan Nikolovski: Director, Valparaiso University Innovation Hub
• Julie Rizzo: Founder & CEO, Recycled Granite™/Organic Granite™ (2011 Inductee)
• Cynthia Roberts: Dean of the School of Business and Economics at Indiana University Northwest

The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest

The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest contributes to economic and community development as the champion of innovation and entrepreneurship in Northwest Indiana. For more information about the Society of Innovators, visit www.pnw.edu/soi.