Extrusion International USA 6-2021

40 Extrusion International 6/2021 EXTRUSION INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS impact-engineered.org American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) www.asme.org Launch of Idea Lab and Award Winners at Fifth Annual Impact.Engineered Event „ The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)’s Engineering for Change (E4C) hosted its fi fth annual Im- pact.Engineered, a celebration of the sustainable devel- opment ecosystem that convenes leading engineers, phi- lanthropists, scholars, and social entrepreneurs who are working to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Devel- opment Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and improve the quality of life globally. Event highlights included the launch of the Idea Lab incubator, extending the reach of the ASME Inno- vation Showcase (ISHOW) hardware accelerator platform, and the announcement of the winners of the 2021 Impact. Engineered Awards. With the addition of the Idea Lab incubator, ASME moves “upstream” to aid budding social entrepreneurs in de- veloping and implementing their social impact hardware concepts from the pre-prototype stage and filling the pipeline for future ISHOW participants. The prestigious ISHOW international accelerator of hardware-led social innovation has enabled over 180 startups from more than 30 countries to solve critical quality-of-life challenges for underserved communities worldwide. The 2021 ISHOW cohort exhibited their innovations in the event’s virtual Tech Gallery. Keith Roe, former president of ASME and current chair of the philanthropy committee, made the Idea Lab announce- ment and, with his wife Elizabeth “Brownie” Roe, donated $100,000 to help launch the program. They invite others to join them in investing in Idea Lab, “so life changing inno- vations don’t get stalled on the drawing board.” Applica- tions will open in April 2022 and interested individuals and teams, as well as potential partners and mentors, can learn more at https://thisishardware.org/ideas. Kara Miller, The Boston Globe columnist and former host of public radio’s “Innovation Hub,” emceed the Impact.Engi- neered virtual awards ceremony featuring the “best of the best” in fi ve categories. This year’s winners are: • For the Ecosystem Builder award: Bahaa Eddine Sarroukh, healthcare innovation lead at the Philips Foundation and senior advisor on innovation and technology to the UN Development Programme in Kenya. • For the Woman Champion: Powering Impact award: Carol Dahl, former executive director of The Lemelson Foundation – whose mission is to use the power of inven- tion to improve lives. Under her leadership, the Foundation focused on enabling the next generation of inventors and invention-based enterprises to develop products and busi- nesses that underpin the economy and solve big problems in the U.S. as well as for the poorest populations in low- and middle-income countries. • For the Academic Ally award: The Pennsylvania State University College of Engineering – an acknowledgment of the important role that partnerships play in the future of engineering and the next generation of leaders and the visionary academic institutions like Penn State that are pushing the boundaries of pedagogy and research. Through its continued partnership with ASME and E4C programs and a shared mission to train the future workforce together, the Penn State College of Engineering has demonstrated a commitment to social innovation with meaningful programs and faculty that is encouraged and supported. • For the Impact Driver award: The Autodesk Foundation – supporting the innovators and entrepreneurs tackling the world’s most pressing challeng- es through design and engineering. The Autodesk Founda- tion’s investment in the E4C fellowship helped double the cohort from 25 to 50 fellows. • For the Change Maker award (nominated and selected by online vote of event participants): Curabit – a startup company leveraging technology to change the way mental health is addressed in India, pro- viding exposure therapy via virtual reality to those affected by mental health disorders under the supervision of mental health professionals. The awards ceremony capped off a two-hour program that included a variety of presentations examining progress to- ward and opportunities for achieving the UN SDGs and “ac- knowledging that global challenges from climate change to COVID-19 and economic downturn require technical solutions, workforce development, resilient infrastructure, and public, private and nonpro fi t involvement to drive im- plementation,” says Iana Aranda, director of engineering global development for ASME, who hosted Impact.Engi- neered. The Impact.Engineered 2021 program also included a ses- sion on “Engineering Global Development: Field Insights” in which E4C fellows and partners shared their experiences and lessons learned, followed by remarks from Kathleen Knight, executive director of Siegel Family Endowment, which recently pledged $100,000 to fund a cohort of fi ve cross-sector engineering fellows in 2022 and conduct a lon- gitudinal impact evaluation of the program. Impact.Engineered is made possible by sponsors and part- ners including The ASME Foundation, The Resolution Proj- ect, Siemens Stiftung, and Wingu.