Virginia Western Community College celebrated several honors on Wednesday, May 8, at the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council’s TechNite 2024. Dr. Robert Sandel, Virginia Western president, was named to the RBTC Hall of Fame, and faculty members Dr. Heather Lindberg and Dr. Kristylea Ojeda received the STEM-H Educator Award.
Dr. Hal Irvin of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC received the council’s Ruby Award. Irvin serves on the Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation Scholarship and Foundation Grants Committee.
More from the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council:
The Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council’s TechNite 2024 presented by Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black, recognized all the elements that make the Roanoke-Blacksburg innovation ecosystem so dynamic. TechNite 2024 was held Wednesday, May 8, at the iconic Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center. RBTC’s annual celebration is highly anticipated within the regional technology community, and hundreds of local and state leaders gathered to honor this year’s standouts in innovation in Virginia’s Region 2.
This year saw an inspiring address by special guest Rishi Jaitly, a national thought leader on artificial intelligence, the return of the Hart of the Entrepreneur Impact Award presented in memory of innovator Bonz Hart, and the induction of Dr. Robert Sandel into the RBTC Hall of Fame.
“The research and technology being developed in this area astounding. It’s not overstating things to call it world-changing. TechNite is a distillation of all the elements that make our innovation ecosystem so powerful,” said Erin Burcham, President of Verge and Executive Director of RBTC.
Jaitly spoke about the electricity of the room for TechNite, the scale of regional innovation here, and finding the superpower of the future.
“Our region that can play a big role to usher in innovation and what it means to be human,” he said.
The night began with a celebration before guests enjoyed the awards ceremony. The following entrepreneurs, leaders and companies were honored.
Virginia Western Community College president Dr. Robert Sandel was named to the RBTC Hall of Fame. Dr. Sandel is a lifelong educator who sees promise in every person. His commitment to providing an accessible and quality education has transformed VWCC, the region and the lives of countless students. A respected and able leader, Dr. Sandel has cultivated a supportive learning environment and established a vibrant team of devoted professionals empowered to innovate. Thanks to his leadership, VWCC is a nimble, cutting-edge institution poised to contribute widely to the vast and diverse needs of the community.
The Hart of the Entrepreneur Impact Award recipient was The Tiny Cargo Co. led by Dr. Spencer Marsh. Tiny Cargo is a Roanoke-based C-corporation that harnesses the power of milk exosomes as a naturally occurring drug delivery platform, aiming to treat the lethal effects of radiation, as well as a platform technology to enable the treatment of a wide range of other diseases. Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Spencer Marsh is one of the world’s leading exosome experts. His work paves the way for Tiny Cargo to become a global leader in supplying and applying exosome-based technology to new pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products.
Additional award winners include:
Dr. Heather Lindberg and Dr. Kristylea Ojeda, Virginia Western Community College | STEM-H Educator Award, which recognizes an educator in the Roanoke-Blacksburg region that promotes math, science, and/or use of technology in creative ways to transfer knowledge and help develop future technology leaders. Drs. Lindberg and Ojeda are dedicated educators with a strong passion for biotechnology. Together, they are committed to going beyond the classroom to bring relevant experiences to STEM students. The cutting-edge programming is designed especially to fit the needs of real biotech companies, labs, and teams. It provides students with the information and knowledge they need to make strong career decisions following graduation. An advocate for the future of biotechnology, Lindberg and Ojeda believe in the potential of life sciences to build a better future for everyone.
Dr. Hal Irvin, Fralin Biomedical Institute at VTC | Ruby Award, which recognizes an outstanding member who has proven to be a brilliant and valuable asset to the Roanoke-Blacksburg region. Hal Irvin, Ph.D., serves as the Associate Vice President for Health Sciences and Technology Outreach at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion where he facilitates partnerships between companies and researchers. An active member and advocate of the Roanoke-Blacksburg innovation ecosystem, Irvin serves on the advisory board of RAMP and as a board member of the Roanoke Innovation Corridor Planning Committee and Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation Scholarship and Foundation Grants Committee.
Here is a full list of winners and report about TechNite from the council.
