Molecular Imprints,
Inc., the technology leader for high-resolution, low cost-of-ownership nanopatterning
systems and solutions in the hard disk drive (HDD) and semiconductor industries,
and The University of Texas at Austin today announced that Dr. S.V. Sreenivasan
(co-founder and chief technology officer of Molecular Imprints, and professor
and Thornton Centennial Faculty Fellow in mechanical engineering at the university)
is the recipient of the 2010 Edith and Peter O'Donnell Award in Technology Innovation.
The O'Donnell Award in Technology Innovation recognizes outstanding achievements
by a Texas-based researcher whose work meets the highest standards of professional
performance, creativity and resourcefulness. With the goal of positioning Texas
as a national research leader, the Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science
of Texas (TAMEST) selects O'Donnell Award winners in four categories: technology
innovation, engineering, science and medicine. Recognized in the category of
technology innovation for his work in developing imprint lithography as both
a Texas university researcher and high-tech entrepreneur, Dr. Sreenivasan is
an invited speaker at the 2010 annual TAMEST conference attended by many of
the state's leading thinkers and researchers. The TAMEST conference is being
held on January 7-8, 2010 in Austin.
"Dr. Sreenivasan is a deserving winner of the O'Donnell Award in Technology
Innovation, as his work not only gave birth to an innovative technology that
will enable the affordable manufacturing of incredibly small feature designs
on leading-edge applications, but serves as an exemplary model for how Texas
research institutions and the private sector can partner together," said
Mark Melliar-Smith, CEO of Molecular Imprints. "Molecular Imprints, which
is now a rapidly growing company, is a stellar example of commercial development
based on university research."
Gregory L. Fenves, dean of the Cockrell School of Engineering, added, "We
are delighted that Professor Sreenivasan has been recognized with this prestigious
award. His pioneering work with Professor Grant Willson and their students at
The University of Texas at Austin, coupled with venture capitalists and seasoned
professionals from the private sector, have commercialized a new and innovative
nanotechnology. The end result is that an idea, which began in a Texas university,
has now become a growing company serving customers around the world."
Today, Molecular Imprints, located in Austin, employs over 145 people and is
delivering pilot-production systems to leading manufacturers seeking to take
advantage of its resolution and cost-of-ownership advantages for the future
volume production of high-density memory devices. At Molecular Imprints, Dr.
Sreenivasan has led interdisciplinary projects to create tools, masks, materials
and processes to deploy imprint lithography for the semiconductor and hard disk
drive industries, while also developing market opportunities in emerging biomedical
and clean energy applications. In addition to his corporate leadership roles,
Dr. Sreenivasan remains a professor of mechanical engineering at The University
of Texas at Austin, where he is also a Thornton Centennial Faculty Fellow in
Engineering. One of Texas' prominent technologists, he was named a Technology
Pioneer by the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2005, holds over 60 U.S. patents
and is the recipient of several awards, including the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers Leonardo da Vinci Machine Design Award.