U of A event brings together researchers, students and startups to celebrate those moving innovation toward real-world impact

Every year, the University of Arizona takes a moment to highlight the work of individuals and organizations helping to turn research and innovation into impactful technologies and companies. On Oct. 1, the innovation ecosystem community will gather for the 2026 I-Squared Awards and Expo, hosted by Tech Launch Arizona, the university’s commercialization arm and a unit of the Office of Research and Partnerships.

The annual event features an innovation and startup expo, networking opportunities, leadership remarks and presentation of the awards. These awards recognize individuals, startups and organizations whose work embodies the entrepreneurial spirit at the heart of TLA’s mission of impacting the world through University of Arizona innovation.

“At I-Squared every year, we highlight our core purpose, recognizing and highlighting our researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, leaders and community champions for everything they’ve accomplished,” said Doug Hockstad, U of A Chief Innovation Officer and TLA Executive Director. “It’s a celebration of what we’ve achieved and an inspiration to drive us all forward as an ecosystem.”

This year’s event will also feature a talk and fireside chat with Jonathan Cohen, co-founder and chief innovation officer at IdealabAZ, a venture studio based in Phoenix, Arizona, that co-founds early-stage technology companies and is affiliated with the long-running technology incubator Idealab Studio founded by Bill Gross. 

Inventor of the Year: Pierre Deymier

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A professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and director of the New Frontiers of Sound, Science and Technology Center (NewFoS), Deymier will be recognized for his work advancing technologies based on topological acoustics.

His research has evolved from computer simulations of materials toward acoustics, with NeFoS focusing on applications in quantum-like computing, telecommunications and environmental sensing.

One area of research explores whether topological acoustic waves could provide an alternative to quantum computing. Deymier says his team has demonstrated that acoustic waves can achieve quantum-like computing performance using a simpler system.

“Our objective is to achieve the same type of performance at a much lower price and democratize effectively quantum-like computing or acoustic quantum-like computing,” Deymier said.

Deymier worked with TLA to protect the intellectual property of the invention and last year co-founded a startup, AQoustic Phase Computing, Inc., to advance the invention to the marketplace. The team of co-founders includes NewFoS Director of Knowledge Transfer Keith Runge, mathematics professor Ildar Gabitov, graduate researcher Ilia Kuk, professor emeritus of electrical and computer engineering Ivan Djordejevic, and assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Wayne State University and former U of A assistant research professor Md Arif Hasan, collectively representing the College of Engineering, the BIO5 Institute and the College of Science.

Startup of the Year: Aging Health Sciences

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This year's Startup of the Year is Aging Health Sciences, founded in 2025. This startup is focused on research-driven approaches to eye health and healthy aging. The company’s first product, MaculaPM™, is a nonprescription dietary supplement designed to support vision health in aging adults and address age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss in older adults.

MaculaPM grew out of three decades of College of Medicine – Tucson research led by Brian McKay, professor of ophthalmology and physiology; Murray Brilliant, professor of ophthalmology; and Dr. Robert Snyder, former chair of ophthalmology. Their research explored the potential of L-DOPA and melatonin to support visual health and inform new approaches to age-related macular degeneration. Later on, chemical engineer John Martens brought his expertise in manufacturing to the team.

Through TLA, McKay and Snyder connected with Tripp Shannon, an experienced business leader and investor who now serves as CEO of Aging Health Sciences. The company represents the commercialization journey at the center of TLA’s mission: making research more impactful for the public through commercialization.

“I’d like to thank in particular the group of doctors that I get to work with,” Shannon said. “They thought that this could be very impactful for people’s lives. Their mantra to me was to get this into as many people’s hands as possible, as quickly as possible, so that we could help them preserve the quality of their lives.”

Student Innovator of the Year: Robert Delfs

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Robert Delfs, a 2026 master’s student in Cyber and Information Operations, is being recognized as Student Innovator of the Year for his work developing and commercializing a zero-trust security verification system for AI-generated code.

A software engineer with more than a decade of experience, Delfs saw a growing challenge as artificial intelligence began producing software at a volume and speed that makes traditional code reviews difficult.

“AI was writing more of the world’s code, but it wasn’t exactly being checked,” Delfs said. 

His master’s thesis brought together his software engineering background with his cybersecurity studies to develop a system designed to verify AI-generated code and identify vulnerabilities purely through mathematical analysis. By relying on the underlying math used in code, Delf’s invention is not subject to the AI hallucination errors that arise when AI code is checked by another AI. Delfs has been working with TLA to commercialize his research through a startup, Acutis, to bring the solution to the world.

Award for Ecosystem Impact: Arizona Commerce Authority

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The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) is this year’s recipient of the Award for Ecosystem Impact, which recognizes contributions from an organization outside the university to the broader innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

As Arizona’s statewide economic development organization, the ACA works to create a sustainable and diversified economy.

“We’re so excited to be partners with Tech Launch Arizona,” said Sandra Watson, ACA president and CEO. “The relationship that we have in working hand in hand with TLA is to enhance services for entrepreneurs and startups, commercializing research from the lab to the marketplace, (and) working in concert with them to ensure these companies have the resources they need, whether it's mentorship or it's technical assistance, to take those ideas and commercialize them.” 

The organizations work together to support entrepreneurs and startups, including providing resources such as mentorship and technical assistance to create a healthy innovation and startup ecosystem.

Award for Campus Collaboration: The Graduate College

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The Graduate College is being recognized for its collaboration with TLA to develop programs that give graduate students greater exposure to entrepreneurship and commercialization as a potential career path.

The partnership has given rise to the Student Entrepreneurial Fellows Program, which immerses graduate students in the commercialization process. Fellows work with TLA experts and mentors, as well as with inventors and invention disclosures, and contribute to the translation of university discoveries into startups.

One of the key learnings that the program drives home to students is that commercialization does not have to come at the expense of their academic work.

Graduate students often become understandably focused on publications, dissertations, experiments and technical expertise,” said Vice Provost of Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate College Kirsten Limesand. “The commercialization process encourages them to zoom out and explain why a discovery is important, who it helps, why it matters and what impact it could have in the world. Those are incredibly important skills, regardless of what career path a student ultimately pursues.” 

David N. Allen Award for Leadership and Vision: Marie Wesselhoft

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Marie Wesselhoft, co-founder of ZelosDx and a TLA commercialization partner, will be the recipient of the David N. Allen Award for Leadership and Vision.

Wesselhoft has built a career at the intersection of healthcare and entrepreneurship. She began working in a hospital laboratory, then spent 20 years with Baxter/Cardinal and another 20 years in entrepreneurship. Her involvement with U of A innovation began two decades ago after attending a U of A Innovation Day and hearing a founder speak about his entrepreneurial journey.

Inspired to get involved, Wesselhoft sought out opportunities at the UA Tech Park at Rita Road and began working with startups, eventually growing into her role as director of the Arizona Center for Innovation in 2006. Today known as the University of Arizona Center for Innovation (UACI), the incubator has been recognized by Time Magazine as one of America’s Best Incubators & Accelerators.

“I really love technology, and that’s the innovation piece. For me, healthcare is the center of things, and then the intersection of business is what makes it all come alive,” she said.

In looking at her whole career trajectory, Wesselhoft exemplifies how entrepreneurship can change lives and bring cutting-edge research to the marketplace and improve lives.

University Early Career Innovation & Entrepreneurship Award: Vitaliy Yurkiv

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The University Early Career Innovation and Entrepreneurship award will be presented to Vitaliy Yurkiv, professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering. Supported by TLA and awarded by the Office of the Provost, this honor recognizes early-career faculty who have demonstrated a commitment to expanding the impact of research for the public good though innovation and commercialization. 

Yurkiv teaches courses in thermodynamics, heat transfer, engineering analysis, energy storage and conversion, rechargeable batteries, electric vehicles and electric airplanes. His research focuses on the thermal-electrochemical behavior of batteries, with particular emphasis on thermal runaway prediction and prevention, thermal measurements of cylindrical and pouch batteries, and the integration of multi-physics modeling and machine learning for energy storage and conversion technologies. His work has led to three patent applications that are currently in process. 

"What makes this award especially meaningful to me is that it recognizes a part of research I care deeply about — taking an idea that starts in the lab and trying to turn it into something useful to people," Yurkiv said. "That process is not the work of one person, so I also see this recognition as a reflection of the students, collaborators and colleagues who have helped shape and advance these ideas."

The People’s Choice Award: To Be Decided...

One award is still undecided. Throughout the evening, attendees will cast votes for the People’s Choice Award, selecting from a pool of teams presenting their research and innovations at the evening’s expo. The awardee will be announced at the end of the evening.

All these honorees join the growing group of researchers, entrepreneurs and students who are benefiting from and contributing to the innovation ecosystem. Together, they demonstrate the countless pathways that inventions and inventors can pursue as they work to contribute to a better world.