Swanson School's Prashant Kumta and Medicine's Rocky Tuan among this year's Carnegie Science Award winners
PITTSBURGH (March 23, 2016) ― Two professors from the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering are among ten Carnegie Science Award winners in science and technology announced today by the Carnegie Science Center. Prashant N. Kumta, PhD, the Edward R. Weidlein Chair Professor and Distinguished Professor of Bioengineering, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, and Oral Biology, will be recognized with the Advanced Manufacturing & Materials Award. Rocky S. Tuan, PhD, Distinguished Professor Orthopaedic Surgery, Arthur J. Rooney, Sr. Chair Professor in Sports Medicine, and Professor of Bioengineering, will be presented with the Life Sciences Award.
Awardees will be honored during a formal celebration at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland on Friday, May 6, 2016.
Also at the Science Awards ceremony, Carnegie Science Center will recognize the Allegheny Conference on Community Development with the 2016 Chairman’s Award. The Chairman’s Award is the highest honor conferred at the event and will recognize the Conference for its unparalleled impact in transforming the Pittsburgh region.
Carnegie Science Center established the Carnegie Science Awards program in 1997 to recognize and promote outstanding science and technology achievements in western Pennsylvania. Celebrating its 20thyear in 2016, Carnegie Science Awards have honored the accomplishments of more than 500 individuals and organizations that have improved lives through their commitment and contributions in science and technology. Eaton has supported Carnegie Science Awards for more than a decade as presenting sponsor. Chevron is the Awards’ prime sponsor.
Advanced Manufacturing & Materials Award
Prashant N. Kumta, PhD
University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering
At the cutting-edge of platform technology, Prashant Kumta and his colleagues have developed a family of biodegradable materials to repair severely damaged bones. Instead of repairing complicated fractures with bio-inert and non-degradable metal screws or plates, Kumta has developed a biocompatible
and biodegradable metallic “fixation device” and injectable as well as 3-D printable “bone putty” that will resorb into the body after the bone has healed. Pending FDA approval, “bone putty” will be used to repair military and civilian injuries and debilitating diseases such as osteoporosis and bone
cancer.
Life Sciences
Rocky S. Tuan, PhD
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Rocky Tuan’s research in musculoskeletal biology and tissue regeneration cover basic science and engineering, as well as translation and clinical applications. His interests range from skeletal patterning and embryonic cartilage development to the biology of adult stem cells and
reprogrammed stem cells. He has extensive experience in applying adult stem cells for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
For more information, visit CarnegieScienceCenter.org/Awards.
About Carnegie Science Center
Carnegie Science Center is dedicated to inspiring learning and curiosity by connecting science and technology with everyday life. By making science both relevant and fun, the Science Center’s goal is to increase science literacy in the region and motivate young people to seek careers in science and technology. One of the
four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, the Science Center is Pittsburgh’s premier science exploration destination, reaching more than 700,000 people annually through its hands-on exhibits, camps, classes, and off-site education programs.
About Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
Founded by Andrew Carnegie 120 years ago, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh is a collection of four distinctive museums dedicated to exploration through art and science: Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Science Center, and The Andy Warhol Museum. The museums reach more than 1.3 million
people a year through exhibitions, educational programs, outreach activities, and special events.
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Contact: Rossilynne Culgan