Celebrating Innovation and Intellectual Property: IPO Education Foundation Gears Up for the Annual Awards Celebration Honoring Inventor of the Year, Executive of the Year, IP Champion, and Inspiration Award

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation (IPOEF) is proud to honor four prestigious awards at the upcoming Awards Celebration on December 6, 2023 in Washington, DC. This event recognizes accomplishments in the fields of intellectual property (IP), innovation, and creativity and brings together IP professionals, judges, government officials, representatives from Capitol Hill, and attendees from companies and law firms around the world.

The Awards Celebration will honor individuals across four categories:

1. Inventor of the Year Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, University Professor, University of Connecticut
   The Inventor of the Year Award recognizes the world's most outstanding recent inventors and how they benefit the nation's economy and quality of life. Dr. Laurencin is being honored as the 50^th Inventor of the Year for his pioneering contributions in the field of Regenerative Engineering. Dr. Laurencin has distinguished himself from the current strategies to address musculoskeletal conditions by establishing the field of regenerative engineering to develop ways for people to regrow injured tissue and bone. He says "I am honored to receive this award. The field of Regenerative Engineering I founded has already produced impressive new technologies that have directly benefited people. Our work continues in complex tissue regeneration with the hope of creating even more breakthrough discoveries."
2. Executive of the Year Sandra Leung, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Bristol Myers Squibb
   The Executive of the Year Award is given to an individual for their commitment to the creation, promotion, and protection of intellectual property. Newly appointed CEO Dr. Christopher Boerner commented on Ms. Leung receiving the award. "What really distinguishes Sandy is her focus on integrity, being a true partner to the business and her dedication to our mission at BMS to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. This award underscores the critical role of IP in ensuring that BMS and the biopharmaceutical industry can continue to bring new medicines to patients. Sandy knows that protecting IP is critical to BMS and our industry overall, and she demonstrates this with her actions."
3. IP Champion Irwin Jacobs, Cofounder and CEO Emeritus, Qualcomm
   The IP Champion Award recognizes extraordinary leadership in advocating for the value of IP to stimulate the progress of innovation. Dr. Jacobs founded Qualcomm in 1985 with six others and developed the technology underlying the rapid worldwide expansion of cell phone usage for voice and internet access. As CEO through 2005 and Chairman through 2009, he led the growth from startup to Fortune 500 Company, now with over 50,000 employees worldwide and more than 140,000 issued and pending patents. Dr. Jacobs noted that Qualcomm's growth was due to the ability to innovate, patent their innovations and license them.
4. Inspiration Award Audrey Larson, Student, University of Connecticut
   The Inspiration Award recognizes individuals who have made an impact by promoting and championing IP rights for and on behalf of members of underrepresented communities. Audrey is only a junior at UConn and received two patents before she graduated high school. She says that she is inspired by frustration or anxieties that she has about different world issues and invention and innovation has been a positive way for her to channel those feelings into action. One of her many accomplishments includes launching an online inventors club to encourage students, particularly those isolated and underrepresented in their communities, to learn about innovation and propel their IP efforts forward.

The December 6 Awards Celebration promises to be an evening of networking and celebration, bringing together thought leaders, industry professionals, and stakeholders committed to advancing the fields of IP, creativity, and innovation. IPOEF invites the media, sponsors, and distinguished guests to join us in recognizing and applauding the achievements of these exceptional individuals who have made significant contributions to the world of innovation and intellectual property.

For press inquiries, sponsorship opportunities, or event details, please contact:

Kristen Lurye, Deputy Executive Director, Foundation
[email protected]; 202-507-4502

About IPO Education Foundation
Started in 2000, Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation is a non-profit organization devoted to educational and charitable activities designed to teach about the value of intellectual property rights and encourage innovation. The Foundation is committed to promoting an understanding and respect of intellectual property rights and their value for society. To learn more visit www.ipoef.org.

IPO Education Foundation is a subsidiary of Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), established in 1972, is an international trade association representing a "big tent" of diverse companies, law firms, service providers and individuals in all industries and fields of technology that own, or are interested in, intellectual property (IP) rights.

SOURCE Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation