2018 Winner Parimal Kopardekar, Ph.D. and the Team Promising Innovations Medal Parimal Kopardekar, Ph.D. and the Team Designed a first-of-its-kind traffic management system for unmanned aerial vehicles, paving the way for large-scale use of commercial drones
2018 Finalist Jordan T. Manos Promising Innovations Medal Jordan T. Manos Improved the system used to assess flood damage from hurricanes and other major storms, helping residents receive aid more quickly and saving the government millions of dollars in appraisal costs
2018 Finalist Barney S. Graham, M.D., Ph.D and Theodore C. Pierson, Ph.D. Promising Innovations Medal Barney S. Graham, M.D., Ph.D and Theodore C. Pierson, Ph.D. Developed a promising vaccine now in clinical testing to prevent the Zika virus, which has caused serious birth defects in the children of women infected during pregnancy
2017 Winner Flora M. Jordan Promising Innovations Medal Flora M. Jordan Designed new, lighter body armor that is just as protective as existing equipment and can be adjusted for smaller physiques, giving warfighters greater mobility and reducing long-term health effects
2017 Finalist Paul R. Ohodnicki, Jr. Promising Innovations Medal Paul R. Ohodnicki, Jr. Created advanced sensor technology to monitor the nation’s energy generation, transmission and distribution systems, improving their reliability, efficiency and safety
2017 Finalist Sarah Jovan and Geoffrey H. Donovan Promising Innovations Medal Sarah Jovan and Geoffrey H. Donovan Led the first-ever study using tree moss to detect air pollution in a major city, including cancer-causing heavy metals, prompting enforcement actions and offering a new, cost-effective way to identify threats to public health
2017 Finalist Pamela L. Sheehan Promising Innovations Medal Pamela L. Sheehan Discovered a safe, environmentally friendly way to recycle aging, demilitarized munitions by converting a nitrogen-rich propellant into biofuel, which will reduce air pollution and save millions of dollars in disposal costs
2017 Finalist Lisa Mazzuca Promising Innovations Medal Lisa Mazzuca Developed a new generation of aircraft distress beacons that are more likely to survive a plane crash and aid rescuers in finding victims faster
