UC News

UC recognizes students for innovation achievement and leadership

Team efforts impact industry and the university

headshot of Suzanne Schindler By Suzanne Schindler 513-556-7234
3 minute read April 30, 2024

On April 4, 2024, the University of Cincinnati’s NEXT Innovation Scholars program, along with the College of Cooperative Education and Professional Studies, recognized undergraduate students with the new Neil Armstrong Awards for Transdisciplinary Innovation and Impact.

The awards are in two categories: commercial innovation and innovation leadership.

Neil Armstrong Moonshot Award for Commercial Innovation

group of people posed before a large window with the Empire State Building in background

Seven UC students with representatives of Kao and its luxury beauty brand Molton Brown at the company's New York City offices. Photo/provided

The Neil Armstrong Moonshot Award for Commercial Innovation is awarded annually to a transdisciplinary team of students who demonstrate exemplary work in driving commercial innovation through collaboration with an industry partner from the Cincinnati Innovation District.

This year’s award went to a diverse team made up of the following students:

  • Eliza Angelo, senior, business analytics, operations management and international business
  • Jackie Cunningham, sophomore, industrial design
  • Mallika Desa, junior, medical sciences
  • Sophia Lammi, sophomore, fashion design and French
  • Sharvari Patil, sophomore, marketing and information systems
  • Faith Rider, third-year, computer science
  • Gabe Willard, junior, architecture

They were selected for their work discovering and activating unique applications of generative AI in collaboration with Kao Corporation. The team was sought out to research, test and apply generative AI’s potential in the luxury beauty category.

The student team's work - in collaboration with a London-based team from beauty brand Molton Brown - led to the development of a novel approach to leveraging AI for consumer insights, culminating with a presentation to senior leaders in New York City and a follow-up project with more divisions of Molton Brown to further the team’s initial work.

Neil Armstrong New Frontiers Award for Innovation Leadership

khanikor-raj-combo-portrait

Students Akash Khanikor (left) and Jonathan Raj (right) have been leaders in innovation at UC. Photo/provided

The Neil Armstrong New Frontiers Award for Innovation Leadership is awarded annually to an individual or team whose leadership of innovation initiatives or projects empowers and elevates others in the University of Cincinnati innovation ecosystem to reach new levels of innovation potential.

This year’s award went to the team of Akash Khanikor, a senior studying physics with an economics minor, and Jonathan Raj, a senior in biomedical engineering.

Raj and Khanikor are being recognized for their work to advance strategic foresight and futures research at UC. Over several semesters, they have sought increasing levels of responsibility and leadership, including serving as peer leaders for more than 20 students on various research teams. They also played key roles in the publication of the first annual Future Creators research publication, released in December 2023.

Featured image at top: A University of Cincinnati student closely examines a complex model structure. Photo/UC Marketing + Brand

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