http://www.marketwatch.com/story/media-pioneer-ted-turner-receives-james-c-morgan-global-humanitarian-award-at-the-tech-awards-2014-11-14
Media Pioneer Ted Turner Receives James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award at The Tech Awards
SAN JOSE, CA, Nov 14, 2014 (Marketwired via COMTEX) -- Ted Turner, the visionary and entrepreneur who revolutionized the telecommunications industry, founded CNN and the United Nations Foundation, and serves as Chairman of The Turner Foundation, received the James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award before an audience of more than 1,200 guests Thursday at the 14th annual gala of The Tech Awards, a signature program of The Tech Museum of Innovation. The event also honored 10 international laureates who are using technology to benefit humanity.
"It is truly an honor to receive the James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award and to join such a stellar roster of past recipients," Turner said in his remarks at the gala.
Sponsored by Applied Materials, Inc., the Global Humanitarian Award honors individuals whose vision and leadership are focused on combating the world's greatest problems.
Turner joins a remarkable list of past Global Humanitarian Award recipients, including inventor Dean Kamen, Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy, social entrepreneur Jeff Skoll, education and cross-cultural dialogue advocate Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, Nobel laureate and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Applied Materials Chairman Emeritus James C. Morgan, who inspired the award a decade ago.
"Ted set out not only to change the world, but to make it better," said Applied Materials Executive Chairman Mike Splinter at the gala Thursday night. "Through the Turner Foundation, he vigorously pursues efforts for improving air and water quality, developing a sustainable energy future, safeguarding environmental health and habitats, and advocating for policies to curb population growth. With his historic pledge of $1 billion to the United Nations Foundation, Ted stands as a role model for others to commit great wealth to great purpose."
Presented by Applied Materials, The Tech Awards has recognized 277 laureates since its inception in 2001. This year's laureates, once again, are doing life-changing work that affects people in nearly every corner of the globe. They include Nanoly, a team of young scientists from the University of Colorado who developed technology that eliminates the need to refrigerate vaccines, and myAgro, which provides a mobile platform for West African subsistence farmers to save money for seed and fertilizer.
For their commitment to applying technology in practical ways to solve some of the world's most challenging problems, the laureates were given a week of unique Silicon Valley business experiences and training plus an unrestricted cash award of up to $75,000. The laureates are selected by independent judging panels whose members include former laureates, scholars, and experts from the private and public sectors. They are coordinated by The Tech and Santa Clara University Professor Craig Stephens.
"The Tech Awards give us all the chance to do our job as humans," said Tech Museum of Innovation President Tim Ritchie at the gala. "Through this program, we support innovators in their efforts to use technology to ease burdens, elevate dignity, and create opportunities."
The Tech Awards also honored Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy, with the inaugural Laureate Impact Award. Khan was a laureate in the Microsoft Education category in 2009.
The gala was hosted by Simran Sethi, a journalist and educator named one of The 20 Most Influential Women in Green. The evening unfolded against the backdrop of an exhibition specially curated for The Tech Awards that included some of the world's most iconic photographs projected on towering screens. The gala included performances from Silicon Valley community chorus Resounding Achord, and Doug Menuez presented guests with his book, "Fearless Genius," which captures key moments in the careers of Steve Jobs and more than 70 other innovators.
The event raises more than $1 million for The Tech's educational programs.
Here are the laureates of The Tech Awards 2014. All laureates receive a $25,000 cash award, and winners selected in each category, noted below, receive an additional $50,000.
THE TECH AWARDS LAUREATES 2014
Intel Environment Award
Inventive Power (winner): Developed solar technology to generate thermal energy in industrial and commercial sectors in Latin America.
Source International: Provides technology and training enabling members of poor Latin American communities to examine their water, air, and soil for chemical contaminants.
Microsoft Education Award
Gooru (winner): Provides an online platform for educators worldwide to personalize and share instructional content customized to each student's needs.
Worldreader: Provides more than 200,000 young people around the world with training and e-readers with extended battery life.
Katherine M. Swanson Young Innovator Award
Nanoly (winner): A team of young materials scientists from the University of Colorado is developing technology that eliminates the need to refrigerate vaccines.
PAK-Energy Solution: Developed an affordable biogas unit for heating and cooking in Pakistani homes.
Nokia Health Award
Gradian Health Systems (winner): Developed a machine to deliver anesthesia without compressed oxygen or continuous grid power.
Operation ASHA: Created a system to monitor and track antibiotic delivery to tuberculosis patients in India.
Flextronics Economic Development Award
myAgro (winner): Provides a mobile platform for more than 5,000 rural subsistence farmers in West Africa to save money for fertilizer and seed for the next planting season.
Sanergy: Building healthy, prosperous communities in Africa's informal settlements by making hygienic sanitation accessible and affordable.
Key sponsors supporting The Tech Awards include Applied Materials, Flextronics, Intel, Microsoft, Nokia, The Swanson Foundation, Bank of America, Qatalyst, Seagate, Qualcomm, Royal Bank of Canada, Micron Technology, NASDAQ OMX, Frugal Innovation Lab of Santa Clara University, Ernst & Young, GoDaddy, Google, Inc., KPMG, The Sathaye Family Foundation, Dan & Charmaine Warmenhoven, Wells Fargo, Xilinx, Advocate Creative, Almaden Press, Banducci Consulting, Martine & Ivo Bolsens, Alan Chiu, City Lights Limousines, Joshua Cohen, CreaTV, Dazian, Event Architects, Fluidware, Forbes, The Forgotten International, Hayward Quartz Technology, Hilton San Jose, Iron Horse Vineyards, J. Lohr Vineyards & Winery, KAM Pics, Kiva.org, Kay Kleinerman, KQED, LinkedIn, Ben Mangan, Arun Mathew, NBC Bay Area, PureMatter, Resounding Achord, San Jose Marriott, San Jose Mercury News, San Jose One Connection, School of Music and Dance at San Jose State University, Scott's Seafood, SignatureWines.com, Stanford Business School, Stanford Social Innovation Review, SunEdison, Tina Tam, Team San Jose, Telemundo, YouNoodle
About The Tech Museum of Innovation
The Tech Museum of Innovation is a hands-on technology and science museum for people of all ages and backgrounds. The Tech -- located in the Capital of Silicon Valley -- is a non-profit, experiential learning resource established to engage people in exploring and experiencing applied technologies affecting their lives. Through programs such as The Tech Challenge presented by Cisco, our annual team-design competition for youth, and internationally renowned programs such as The Tech Awards presented by Applied Materials, The Tech endeavors to inspire the innovator in everyone.
About Applied Materials
Applied Materials, Inc. AMAT, +0.88% is the global leader in precision materials engineering solutions for the semiconductor, flat panel display and solar photovoltaic industries. Our technologies help make innovations like smartphones, flat screen TVs and solar panels more affordable and accessible to consumers and businesses around the world. Learn more at appliedmaterials.com.
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-- TheTechAwards2014 03 -- TheTechAwards2014 01 -- TheTechAwards2014 02 -- TheTechAwards2014 04
Contact: Amy Pizarro Director of Media and Community 1-408-795-6225 apizarro@thetech.org
SOURCE: The Tech Museum of Innovation
mailto:apizarro@thetech.org
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