SAN JOSE, CA --(Marketwired - September 16, 2014) - Nearly 23 million infants worldwide go without immunizations every year, and close to 2 million people die from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Vaccines are temperature sensitive and most need to be refrigerated, stored, and transported, making deployment to rural areas difficult and expensive. Children in the world's poorest communities are the most deeply affected by the lack of access to vaccines.
Meet Nanoly -- a team of young scientists from the University of Colorado developing technology that eliminates the need to refrigerate vaccines, enabling effective and safe delivery anywhere in the world. The team will be among the 10 international laureates recognized for their resolve and ingenuity in addressing some of the world's most formidable challenges at Silicon Valley's leading awards program, The Tech Awards, presented by Applied Materials. The event, produced by The Tech Museum of Innovation, will take place Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014, at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.
"Compelled by need, fueled by creativity, executed by competence: The innovations of The Tech Awards 2014 laureates give us hope that we can solve the problems we face," said Tim Ritchie, president of The Tech. "We are inspired not only by the laureates' work, but by their lives as well."
The laureates are working all over the world, from India to Latin America to Africa, developing life-changing innovations. "The commitment and creativity of this year's laureates show great promise for a brighter future," said Mike Splinter, Executive Chairman of Applied Materials. "Their innovative use of technology combined with unrelenting passion and determination help overcome the challenges before us and create solutions for a better world."
Cash prizes totaling $500,000 are awarded the night of the gala. One laureate in each of The Tech Awards five categories -- the Intel Environment Award, the Microsoft Education Award, the Katherine M. Swanson Young Innovator Award, the Nokia Health Award, and the Flextronics Economic Development Award -- will win $75,000. The other winner will go home with $25,000. During their week-long stay in Silicon Valley, the laureates engage in specialized business and media training, network with leading tech companies and venture capitalists, and learn about the experiences of fellow laureates.
The Tech Awards gala will also honor legendary media mogul, philanthropist, and environmentalist Ted Turner with the James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award, sponsored by Applied Materials. This award honors individuals whose broad vision and leadership help to alleviate humanity's greatest challenges.
Turner is best known for doing what had previously been considered impossible -- creating CNN, the first all-news television network, and pioneering the live broadcast of breaking news from around the globe. His leadership in the world of philanthropy has been just as groundbreaking. The Turner Foundation, established in 1990, has contributed nearly $370 million and supported more than 3,000 groups in an effort to improve air and water quality, develop a sustainable energy future for our planet, safeguard environmental health, maintain wildlife habitat protection, and develop practices and policies to curb the population growth rate.
In 1997, Turner's pledge of $1 billion to the United Nations resulted in the creation of the United Nations Foundation (UNF), which supports people, ideas, and resources globally to further the U.N.'s work. UNF advocates policy changes, mobilizes resources, and builds partnerships alongside businesses and non-governmental organizations to tackle climate change, global health, poverty eradication, and energy access.
Since the inception of The Tech Awards in 2001, a total of 267 laureates have been recognized. Their work affects hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.
Laureates of The Tech Awards 2014
Intel Environment Award Inventive Power Source International
Microsoft Education Award Gooru Worldreader
Katherine M. Swanson Young Innovator Award Nanoly PAK-Energy Solution
Nokia Health Award Gradian Health Systems Operation ASHA
Flextronics Economic Development Award myAgro Sanergy
For more information about The Tech Awards, visit: thetechawards.thetech.org .
For the latest updates follow @TheTechAwards on Twitter and like us on Facebook .
Key sponsors supporting The Tech Awards include Applied Materials, Inc., Flextronics, Intel, Microsoft, Nokia, Swanson Foundation, Qatalyst, Seagate, Qualcomm, NASDAQ OMX, Accenture, Ernst & Young, Go Daddy, Google, KPMG, Sathaye Family Foundation, Charmaine & Dan Warmenhoven, Wells Fargo, Xilinx, Micron and RBC Capital Markets.
About The Tech Museum of Innovation The Tech is a hands-on technology and science museum for people of all ages and backgrounds. The museum -- located in the Capital of Silicon Valley -- is a non-profit experiential learning resource established to engage people in exploring and experiencing applied technologies affecting their lives. Through programs such as The Tech Challenge presented by Cisco, our annual team-design competition for youth, and internationally renowned programs such as The Tech Awards presented by Applied Materials, The Tech endeavors to inspire the innovator in everyone.
About Applied Materials Applied Materials, Inc. (
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Contact Michelle Tran Public Relations Specialist 1-408-795-6321 mtran@thetech.org
