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Seven to earn Innovator of the Year awards

Innovation Week brings together students, faculty, alumni and industry leaders to share ideas, showcase projects, and celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit of the �Ӱ���Ƶ community.

During Innovation Week, taking place Oct. 28-Nov. 1, you can , participate in a , or check out the . Faculty can attend the five-day to learn about founding a startup and other commercialization entrepreneurship skills.

Registration is required to attend any of the events, including presentations, workshops, tours and pitch competitions.

Monday through Thursday, lunchtime sessions—at which a free meal is provided—will feature captivating keynotes or panels as well as award presentations. The kicks off today with an opening luncheon, featuring a keynote address from , and presentation of the 2024 Faculty Distinguished Research Awards. 

This year’s Milestone awards will be presented across two lunchtime sessions: Wednesday’s and Thursday’s . The 2024 Innovator of the Year awards will be presented during Tuesday’s luncheon, which also features a keynote speech by .

These awards are intended to honor members of the �Ӱ���Ƶ community who have demonstrated exceptional levels of innovation in specific areas. All members of the campus community are encouraged to to support the award recipients.

Innovator of the Year: Alumni

Anycia Grady (SAS '10), 

Chief executive officer at C.A.B.E.L.

, a nonprofit founded by Anycia Grady (SAS '10), aims to increase minority professionals in the community by removing barriers and challenges to excelling in their careers.

One such barrier for mental health providers was obtaining sufficient supervision hours to secure licensure. Through C.A.B.E.L., Grady created "Seeking Supervision," a groundbreaking solution to the mental health provider shortages. The approach includes a web-based matching service for professionals, a BIPOC supervisor pipeline, and reduced waitlists to help provide access to 1.8 million Ohioans.

By increasing the number of credentialed professionals in fields such as healthcare, mental health, finance and others, C.A.B.E.L. and Grady are working to promote equitable access to resources for community members.

"Anycia Grady (SAS '10) is a dedicated CWRU alumni innovator who has developed initiatives that leverage technology in two unique ways to address and truly impact a serious community problem,” said Nada DiFranco, executive director of alumni and donor relations at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.

Innovator of the Year: Early Career

Kylie Meyer  

Assistant professor
Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing

Kylie Meyer is redefining family caregiving through interdisciplinary research at �Ӱ���Ƶ. An assistant professor and director of the Family Caregiver Translational Science Laboratory, Meyer focuses on supporting caregivers of individuals with chronic and disabling conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Since joining the faculty in 2022, she has developed innovative, evidence-based interventions designed to ease the burdens of family caregiving.

Meyer’s flagship program, Learning Skills Together, leverages video conferencing and media to guide caregivers through complex medical and nursing tasks, including medication management and care coordination. This program earned $3.4 million in funding from the National Institute on Aging. Her other initiatives include CONFIDENCE, which addresses the financial strains caregivers face, and KINDER, a program that mitigates family conflicts over the course of dementia care.

“Meyer, a promising early career faculty, uses a translational lens to create new interventions to support family caregivers. Her work blends social, behavioral, and generative artificial intelligence approaches to better support family caregiving,” said Richard Cole, assistant dean of research administration.

Through her innovative research, Meyer is building inclusive and accessible solutions that make a meaningful impact on caregivers and the care recipients they serve.

Innovator of the Year: Early Career

Jessica A. Wojtalik

Assistant professor, Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences

Only a handful of social work scholars conduct research in serious mental illness (SMI), and even fewer are capable of conducting novel translational research connecting cognitive neuroscience and intervention data. Jessica Wojtalik is one of those few.

Blending neuroimaging with community-based mental health treatment research to better understand and improve outcomes for people with SMI, such as schizophrenia, Wojtalik’s efforts have led to a published study on measuring functional disability in SMI, and a seat on the Data Collection and Research Committee for Clubhouse International. 

“Dr. Wojtalik utilizes her unique lens as a social worker to conduct cutting-edge and highly innovative research,” her nominator wrote. “And she applies this research in real-world settings at her community partnership with Magnolia Clubhouse, a Cleveland-based community program supporting people with SMI.”

Wojtalik’s work is gaining international attention, earning her prestigious awards from the National Institute of Mental Health, as well as teaching awards within the Mandel School and a nomination for the CWRU John S. Diekhoff Award for Distinguished Graduate Student Mentoring/Teaching last year.

Innovator of the Year: Education

Tom Baum

Simulation manager and director of flight simulation operations and programming, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing

Finding a vein is an easy routine for nurses. And for students at Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, finding a vein for an IV insertion on a high-fidelity mannequin is now easier thanks to the innovation of Thomas “Tom” Baum.

Baum, director of simulation and programming for the Center for Nursing Education, Simulation, and Innovation (CNESI) and the Dorothy Ebersbach Academic Center for Flight Nursing, is driving innovation at the School of Nursing alongside a small group of simulation staff.

Leveraging technology such as 3D printing, Baum is constantly seeking to enhance the nursing education experience for students by crafting realistic scenarios that prepare students for diverse clinical environments. To simulate the pulse on a mannequin, Baum printed a watertight “bleeder box” that mimics blood flow. His team also developed an ultrasound-compatible arm for arterial puncture training.

“Tom is an innovator who pushes the boundaries toward doing things that may seem impossible and uses his passion for technology and experiential learning to advance nursing education and its impact on the care delivered by nurses,” said Richard Cole, assistant dean of research administration at the nursing school. “Through his leadership, Tom ensures that the school remains a trailblazer, setting new standards in preparing students for real-world healthcare challenges.”

Outside of the school, Baum also serves as a firefighter and paramedic with Erie Valley Fire and Rescue in Navarre, Ohio.

Innovator of the Year: Research

Xiong (Bill) Yu

Chair, Department of Civil Engineering 
Opal J. Richard A. Vanderhoof Professorship 
Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Case School of Engineering

With a focus on sustainability and energy efficiency and resilience, Xiong (Bill) Yu’s and his team have made significant strides in advancing smart civil infrastructure over the past year, pushing the boundaries of innovation.

Their work has resulted in multiple patent applications, including a system to detect water leakage and natural grown fiber composites for sustainable building materials. Through the team’s participation in a pitch competition, two of his innovations are now supported by the Case Technology Validation and Startup Fund, putting them in a promising position for future market success. 

Yu’s engagement with industry partners through his Veale Faculty Fellowship and other networks has helped to drive impactful solutions for infrastructure challenges.

"Xiong (Bill) Yu’s group has successfully developed sustainable innovations with great environmental impacts,” Li Chen, licensing manager in the Technology Transfer Office, said. “His vision, mission, and strong partnerships with top-ranked companies have brought the technologies close to the market.”

Innovator of the Year: Research Staff

Lauren Biddlecombe 

Assistant dean, strategic initiatives
Case School of Engineering

For the first time in its history, Case School of Engineering surpassed $50 million in research expenditures—an achievement where Lauren Biddlecombe has played an instrumental part. As the assistant dean for strategic initiatives at Case School of Engineering, Biddlecombe works to secure large research grants, and over the last two years, the school has secured partnerships with two National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Centers (ERC)—HAMMER and CASFER—and received a record-breaking award from ARPA-H for the OMEGA project.

Biddlecombe’s contributions stretch beyond securing the awards. She plays a vital role in overseeing the execution of the projects, particularly through her leadership in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts within the NSF centers, as well as representing the university in annual NSF review meetings.

Venkataramanan “Ragu” Balakrishnan, the Charles H. Phipps Dean of Engineering, said this honor recognizes Biddlecombe “for her extraordinary leadership and execution in the school and university’s ability to secure large multidisciplinary research and innovation awards and solve problems that matter.” 

Innovator of the Year: Student

Quiana Howard

PhD student
Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing

Health equity—ensuring everyone can achieve their highest level of health, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status—is the driving force behind Quiana Howard’s research. The third-year PhD student at Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing is passionate about community health and research.

Howard’s innovative research explores how social and environmental factors influence cardiovascular health in adolescents and adults with type 1 diabetes. Collaborating on publications examining geographic disparities in sleep duration and its connection to CVH, Howard seeks to identify the roots of these health inequities among socially vulnerable populations.

Her work, which aligns with the National Institute of Nursing Research’s strategic focus on health equity, has earned her the prestigious Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Predoctoral Fellowship to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research through the National Institutes of Health. 

"Quiana uses innovative approaches to capture and advance knowledge on the roles of social vulnerability and discrimination stress in cardiovascular health in a high-risk population of young adults with type 1 diabetes. She is positioned to be a future leader in nursing science and community health and is most deserving of this award," said Richard Cole, assistant dean of research administration.

Howard is also active with the Cleveland Council of Black Nurses, the National Black Nurses Association, and the National Association of Health Services Executives. She is a registered nurse with experience in University Hospitals’ Emergency Department.