Nominations for Konneker Medal for Commercialization and Entrepreneurship now being accepted

The Ohio University Research Division is now accepting nominations for the Konneker Medal for Commercialization and Entrepreneurship.

The Ohio University Foundation established the Konneker Medal for Commercialization and Entrepreneurship to recognize current and former faculty members or students who have demonstrated excellence in innovation, invention, commercialization and entrepreneurship.  

Nominations for the medal may be submitted until March 31, 2026.

The award will be presented at the Ohio University Inventors Dinner, held during the fall semester. You can read about the 2025 Inventors Dinner here. 

Internationally acclaimed surgeon and inventor Dr. Frank Papay is the most recent recipient of the Konneker Medal for Commercialization and Entrepreneurship. You can read more about Papay here.

Nomination process

Nominations should consist of a letter and an optional appendix of supporting documentation. Entries should address and will be judged by the degree to which they establish, a record of demonstrated excellence in innovation, invention, commercialization and entrepreneurship by the nominee.

Submissions should be sent electronically to Eric Muth, vice president for research and creative activity, at research@ohio.edu. 

The selection committee, which is chaired by the vice president, will include the director of the Technology Transfer Office, one dean and two faculty members. The committee will make its selection by May 8, 2026.

Up to three awards may be given per year. The Konneker Medal will be presented to the 2025 recipients in Fall 2026.

The Konneker Medal for Commercialization and Entrepreneurship

The award is named for Wilfred Konneker, an Ohio University alumnus with a distinguished record in research and entrepreneurship. Konneker received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1943 and his master’s degree in physics in 1947. He received a doctoral degree in nuclear physics from Washington University in 1950. The alumnus founded the Nuclear Consultants Corporation in St. Louis, Missouri, and 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 University biotechnology spin-off company Diagnostic Hybrids Inc. He was also one of the principal architects of the Cutler Scholars program. The Konneker Alumni Center also was named for the alumnus and his wife, Ann Lee. In addition, Konneker was a member of the Ohio University Foundation Board of Trustees.

For more information on Konneker, past winners of the Konneker Medal for Commercialization and Entrepreneurship, and how to submit nominations for the award, see the Konneker Medal for Commercialization and Entrepreneurship website.