Kenneth Suslick, of the Bioimaging Science and Technology Group and chemistry professor at Illinois, received the Innovation Transfer Award at the 2015 Innovation Celebration. As a collaboration among the University of Illinois, Parkland College, and the community, the Innovation Celebration recognizes local innovation and entrepreneurial excellence. The Innovation Transfer Award is awarded to a group or individual from the University of Illinois "whose research has resulted in either a discovery or a work with the potential for significant societal impact." Suslick was recognized for his work on an "optoelectronic nose—a way of detecting different chemicals, different odors, based on the response of an array of optical sensors."
YouTube video with a description of Kenneth Suslick's work.
Another departmental chemist, Ryan Bailey was also a contender for this award. His YouTube description of his work may be found at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkcVmQ1iKtM
Partially excerpted from the Beckman Institute News page.