Innovation Institute

Powered by Pitt innovation pathways, HiberSense is a smart heating and cooling system that collects data on temperature, humidity, occupancy and air-quality and “learns” using predictive analytics to anticipate the desired temperature room by room.

Senior Sean O’Brien, a member of the first Panthers Forward cohort, just wants to make things work — from bowties to dinner tables to the Pitt Makerspace.

For people traveling, in the military, without access to water — or just too exhausted to get out of bed — skipping the toothbrush for a day is sometimes inevitable. Pitt undergrads Lauren Yocum and Emily Siegel's winning pitch for a biodegradable chewing gum that kills bacteria and removes and prevents plaque could bridge the gap.

An undergraduate research project in the Swanson School of Engineering sent alumnus Joe Pugar (’17) in a new career direction, as CEO of startup company Aruga Technologies.

This fall's competitions awarded more than $600,000 for faculty and student researchers. In addition, mentoring opportunities in the competitions offer researchers help in commercialization, which takes products from the lab into spaces like a doctor’s office or a factory.

Under the leadership of Evan Facher, Pitt innovators started a record 23 new companies in FY18. Facher now moves into the new position of vice chancellor for innovation and entrepreneurship.

At the 10th annual Randall Family Big Idea competition, 13 student teams were awarded a total of $100,000 for their inventions and innovations. A new Big Idea Center was also announced, set to open in the 2018-19 academic year.

Starting a conversation on a blind date can be intimidating, and the same might be said for researchers looking for just the right expert to help them take their ideas from concept to reality.

Jonathan Duvall has used a wheelchair since a sledding accident in 2007. His work, including creating sidewalk roughness standards and a simpler way for people who use wheelchairs to weigh themselves, aims to help those with disabilities.

After 13 years at Pitt, Marc Malandro is heading to California to join the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative as vice president of operations for CZI Science. But he's not leaving Pitt behind.