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INL earns three FLC Far West Region Awards

Ida Shum, an account executive in INL's Technology Transfer and Commercialization Directorate (right), accepts an award as the Federal Laboratory Consortium-Far West's Laboratory Representative of the Year from Stephen Lieberman, FLC Far West regional coordinator. She said, "Receiving honors from your peers is humbling and a reminder that we all have something valuable to contribute."

Stephen Lieberman, Federal Laboratory Consortium's Far West regional coordinator (left), presents the Outstanding Partnership award to Dean Harding, who is representing INL's team working with PPG Industries, Inc. on commercializing INL's Modular Hybrid Plasma Reactor system.

INL researchers and technology transfer professionals earned three awards from the Federal Laboratory Consortium Far West Region in September at an awards luncheon in San Diego.

A special honor was bestowed upon Ida Shum of INL's Technology Transfer and Commercialization Directorate. She was honored as the Laboratory Representative of the Year. This award is given to an individual for significant contributions to technology transfer, outreach to communities and special assistance to other laboratory representatives.

Shum said, "Receiving honors from your peers is humbling and a reminder that we all have something valuable to contribute. This honor is special because you know that your peers are doing such excellent work moving new technologies into markets where many people will benefit from an improved quality of life."

INL's Syntrolysis technology, which uses co-electrolysis to produce hydrogen and synthetic gas, was recognized for Outstanding Technology Development. This award is given to a laboratory and staff for a promising technology development that solves a problem, satisfies a market, meets consumer needs, or creates patents and awards.

INL's team for this technology included Carl Stoots, James O'Brien, Stephen Herring, Paul Lessing, Grant Hawkes and David Anderson. Anderson, a Technology Transfer account executive, is working with companies that are interested in commercializing this technology.

Two INL teams were recognized by the Far West Region for highly successful and productive partnerships. Richard Boardman led a team of four from INL that included Rick Wood, Anastasia Gribik and Jason Stolworthy in an energy modeling study on coal-to-liquids with John Baardson of Baard's Energy. This successful partnership produced results that gained the attention of the U.S. House of Representatives, which was looking at technologies for America's energy future.

In addition, Peter Kong worked with seven other INL professionals that included Brent Detering, Jon Grandy, Robert Pink, James Lee, Larry Zuck, Dean Harding and Ida Shum to form a strong-performing partnership with Cheng-Hung Hung and Noel Vanier of PPG Industries, Inc. This team worked to transfer technology that will yield low-cost nanoparticles. INL and PPG have been collaborating since 2001 on a Modular Hybrid Plasma Reactor system to produce nanomaterials for a myriad of applications such as corrosion, bacterial and scratch-resistant coatings.