OHIO awards Konneker Medal to alumnus Jon Snyder

Ohio University graduate Jon Snyder was awarded the Konneker Medal for Commercialization and Entrepreneurship at the Ohio University Inventors Dinner held during the spring semester.

A 1987 graduate of OHIO’s Scripps College of Communications, Snyder is the managing director, Investor Relations for the Ohio Life Sciences Association, a non-profit trade association for the state of Ohio.   He holds more than 30 years of global management experience in biomedical and healthcare sales, marketing, and operations with significant experience in bringing new products into the marketplace.

“Throughout his career, Jon Snyder has been involved in various aspects of business, from company formation to fundraising, and has held key roles in both startup ventures and Fortune 500 companies like Cyberonics (now LivaNova), Cardinal Health, Neuros Medical (where he served as founding CEO), Imalux, and STERIS,” said Interim Vice President for Research and Creative Activity and Dean of the Graduate College David Koonce.

Snyder also actively participates in nonprofit and for-profit boards, including Ohio University’s College of Business Executive Advisory Board and various medical device companies' boards, as well as community organizations such as the Lake County YMCA Governing Board. 

“Jon Snyder’s commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship is a testament to his dedication to making a difference in his field and community,” Koonce said.

Snyder often volunteers his time to speak to Ohio University students and assist them in different ways, and in 2022 he was awarded an Ohio University Medal of Merit. In 2023, he helped to create the Papay-Snyder Medical Impact Award, which is awarded at OHIO’s annual Student Research and Creative Activity Expo.

OHIO Inventors recognized for outstanding work

Also at the Inventors Dinner, Ohio University recognized the Ohio University inventors whose work has been recognized by the National Academy of Inventors, as well as all faculty who were active with their inventions and patents applications in 2023.

The National Academy of Inventors is a non-profit member organization comprised of U.S. and international universities and governmental and non-profit research institutions. It has more than 4,600 individual inventor members and fellows spanning more than 300 institutions.

During the Inventors Dinner, John Kopchick was recognized as the first Ohio University researcher to be named as a Fellow in 2014.  Khairul Alam, who was inducted as a Senior Member of the Academy in 2019, was also recognized during the dinner.

The dinner also honored the dedicated OHIO faculty members who were active with their work in 2023.

In 2023, there were 21 Invention Reports submitted to the Technology Transfer Office that included 31 inventors, Koonce said. 

In addition, Ohio University filed 26 U.S. patent applications that included 42 inventors in 2023.

Ohio University also received six U.S. patents for the work of 21 inventors during the year. 

The 2023 patent recipients from Ohio University

Jim Zhu, Avionics Engineering Center, Electric Engineering and Computer Science, Scientific Computing and Immersive Technologies
Miguel Sempertegui Sosa, Electric Engineering and Computer Science
This patent is for Air Data Probe.
This patent relates to air data probes for aircrafts to measure local static and dynamic air pressure using air pressure sensors from which to determine the aircraft’s airspeed, angle of attack, angle of side slip and barometric altitude.

Khairul Alam, Mechanical Engineering
Muhammad Ali, Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering
This patent is for Hybrid Composite Discharge Electrode for use in an Electrostatic Precipitator.
This invention is an improved composite discharge electrode and method of producing composite discharge electrodes for use in electrostatic precipitators that remove particulates from exhaust gases.

Reetobrata Basu, Edison Biotechnology Institute
John Kopchick, Edison Biotechnology Institute, Biomedical Science and the Diabetes Institute
Justin Holub, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and the Edison Biotechnology Institute
This patent is for Peptide-Based Inhibitors of Growth Hormone Action and Methods of Use Thereof.
This patent includes compositions and methods for the inhibition of human growth hormone (hGH) and treating or preventing hGH-mediated disorders.

Keerti Kappagantula, Mechanical Engineering
Frank Kraft, Center for Advanced Materials Processing and Mechanical Engineering
This patent is for Ultraconductive Copper-Graphene Composite Forms and the Synthesis Thereof.
This invention relates to the synthesis of a metal-graphene composite for the production of ultra-conductive copper and other ultra-conductive metals.

Chris Bartone, Electric Engineering and Computer Science
Christopher Drummond, Electric Engineering and Computer Science
This patent is for System and Method for Detection and Reporting of Targets with Data Links.
This patent includes systems and methods for the detection and reporting of small aerial targets, including avian species, unmanned aerial systems and vehicles, and drones, and transmission of information to an operational area.

About the Konneker Medal for Commercialization and Entrepreneurship

The Konneker Medal was established by the Ohio University Foundation to recognize current or former faculty members, as well as students and alumni, who have demonstrated excellence in innovation, invention, commercialization, and entrepreneurship. Recipients are chosen based on nominations reviewed by a judging committee with representation from faculty, university leadership, and the Technology Transfer Office.

Will Konneker was an Ohio University alumnus with a distinguished record in research and entrepreneurship. He graduated from Ohio University in 1943 with a bachelor of science in chemistry from the College of Arts and Sciences. He entered the military during World War II and was assigned to the Army Corps of Engineers’ secret Manhattan Project, working as part of the effort to develop the atomic bomb. After the war he returned to Ohio University, where he earned a master’s degree in physics in 1947. He went on to receive a doctoral degree in nuclear physics from Washington University in 1950.

Konneker founded the Nuclear Consultants Corp. in St. Louis, Missouri. He either founded or co-founded six additional high-tech start-up companies. Konneker was instrumental in the establishment of Ohio University's small business incubator, the Innovation Center, as well as the successful university biotechnology spin-off company Diagnostic Hybrids Inc., now a unit of the Quidel Corp. He was one of the principal architects of the Cutler Scholars program and a member of the Ohio University Foundation Board of Trustees. The research building housing the Edison Biotechnology Institute at the Ridges was named in his honor to recognize his leadership and service. The Konneker Alumni Center also was named for Will and his wife, Ann Lee.

You can read more about the Konneker Medal for Commercialization and Entrepreneurship at this website.