UofL establishes $50,000 prize for renewable energy

-- Award named for Leigh Ann Conn; 2013 nominations due by March 1

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky, Nov. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Louisville will present a new $50,000 award – the Leigh Ann Conn Prize for Renewable Energy – to recognize outstanding energy ideas or achievements that have shown or likely will have global impact.

The award is intended to spotlight wide-ranging research related to the science, technology, engineering and commercialization of renewable energy and energy efficiency throughout the world.

The prize, managed by UofL's Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research, is named for the late daughter of Hank and Rebecca Conn of Atlanta, research center supporters and prize benefactors.

The recipient will be announced in fall 2013 and will give a public talk in Louisville about the winning work and participate in community and campus events as well as a medal ceremony.

"This unique prize will show the world that UofL and the Conn family are serious about growing, fostering and rewarding innovation in energy research," UofL President James Ramsey said.

Nominations will be judged on factors such as economic effect, level of challenge, originality, creativity, scientific merit, commercialization and global impact on energy use and demand reduction. Organizers encourage nominations from scientists, entrepreneurs, engineers, technologists, professional groups, publishers and university leaders.

Award submissions will go through several levels of review, including an external panel with representatives from industry, academia and national laboratories.

Nominations for the first Leigh Ann Conn Prize recipient will be accepted now until March 1, 2013; criteria and directions are at www.conncenter.org/leigh-ann-conn-prize. Applications received later will be considered for the 2014 competition.

The 2009 UofL Alumnus of the Year, Hank Conn earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Speed School of Engineering and a master of business administration from the College of Business. He is former vice president of global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney Inc.

For more information, contact Andrew Marsh, Conn Center assistant director, at LeighAnnConnPrize@louisville.edu