The winners of the 2010 FLC awards were recently announced, with three of the awards going to Northeast Region laboratories. The FLC awards program honors outstanding technology transfer achievements of member laboratories from its six regions. The awards will be presented on April 29 at a ceremony during the national meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

This year's winners from the Northeast Region include:

Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer

U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC)
"Coyote™ Unattended Ground Sensor Network"

The team of Dr. Myron Hohil, Mark Mellini, Sean Schumer, and Kent Colling developed the Coyote™ Unattended Ground Sensor (UGS) Network, a state-of-the-art joint sensor and communications system that is easy to deploy, resistant to security attacks, reliably scales from small focused targets to nationwide networks and, most importantly, is cost-effective.

ARDEC entered into a partnership with Innovative Wireless Technologies (IWT) to transfer the technology through patent licensing agreements. The Coyote™ has been supplied to the Department of Homeland Security, the Army, and the Canadian government, which used it during the Vancouver Olympic Games.

Dr. Christopher Doona

Florence Feeherry

U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center
D-FENS (Disinfectant Sprayer for Foods and Environmentally-Friendly Sanitation)

To protect warfighters from food-borne illness in global deployments, researchers Dr. Christopher Doona and Florence Feeherry developed "D-FENS" (Disinfectant-sprayer for Foods and ENvironmentally-friendly Sanitation) as an innovative chlorine dioxide (ClO₂) "green" technology that promotes the safety of human health and the environment. D-FENS was invented using a unique chemical combination and an innovative mixing method for producing ClO₂ as an easily dispensable solution in convenient, small, batch-sized delivery systems.

In May 2009, the D-FENS technology transferred under a Patent License Agreement with ClorDiSys Solutions, Inc. This qualified licensee is further refining the technology and its delivery system for the benefit of the consumer, providing an environmentally friendly noncorrosive product with superior surface disinfectant properties and no unpleasant odor.

Dr. Theresa Baus

FLC Service Award - Harold Metcalf Award

Dr. Theresa Baus
Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Newport

Dr. Baus, the current FLC Vice-Chair, was selected as the recipient of this award for her longstanding service to the FLC and her outstanding accomplishments as Northeast Regional Coordinator (2007-2009).

During her service as Northeast Regional Coordinator, Dr. Baus instituted and nurtured several unique projects that carried out the FLC's goals in her region. She increased the number of FLC regional meetings to give laboratories an additional chance to participate in events that provided up-to-date training and education, the latest information on changes and advancements in technology transfer procedures, and access to new opportunities. Other regional projects undertaken by Dr. Baus included developing a "road show" with patent attorneys to provide education about patents, licenses, and disclosures; and participating in a number of conferences to increase awareness about the laboratories in her region and the available opportunities for partnerships in technology transfer.

The Northeast Region congratulates these winners on their exceptional achievements.