CONGRATULATIONS TO THE
2026 FACULTY | STAFF INNOVATION COMPETITION WINNERS

Alabama Power Foundation – Innovative Technology Prize

$15,000 GRAND PRIZE AWARD

Na Gong — Building Trust in Silicon

Culverhouse College of Business – Entrepreneurial Growth Business Award

$10,000 Award

Nicholas Magliocca — Tuscaloosa Food & Farm Hub

Institute for Social Research - Community Impact Awards

$5,000 Award

Katherine Dudding — NeoComm

Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering - Engineering Innovation Award

$5,000 Award

Jialai Wang — LimeLift

$3,000 Award

Ryan Summers — Xanthia Biotech

$2,000 Award

Vamshi Annimalla — FreeACT / InterACT

Division of Finance and Operations - Staff Innovation Pitch Awards

$5,000 Award

Kristy Justice — Soul Sisters Mobile Creative Studio

$3,000 Award

Porsharee Ray — Voice Print AI- Powered by Porsha Ray Studios

$2,000 Award

Susan Mills — Heirloom Moments

Thank You to The Competitors, Judges, Facilitators, & Support Team

JUDGES + FACILITATORS

  • Brian White: Founder & Managing Partner, Competitive Solutions
  • Pete Ludovice: Executive Director – College of Engineering, The University of Alabama
  • Sarah Dunlap: Research and Evaluation Project Director – Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Alabama
  • Benjamin Marsh: Community Development Specialist, Alabama Power
  • Joshua White: Business Consultant II, Alabama Entrepreneurship Institute
  • Kevin Kaye: Innovation Manager, Alabama Power
  • Eric Courchesne: Director of Program Development and Delivery, Alabama Transportation Institute, The University of Alabama

SUPPORT STAFF

  • Dr. Theresa Welbourne, Executive Director –Alabama Entrepreneurship Institute & Will and Maggie
  • Brooke Professor in Entrepreneurship, The University of Alabama
  • Frederick Spight, Esq., Program Manager, Alabama Entrepreneurship Institute
  • Kim Smalley, Administrative Assistant II, Alabama Entrepreneurship Institute/The EDGE
  • John Martz, Accounting Assistant II, Alabama Entrepreneurship Institute

ALL COMPETITORS

  • Porsharee Ray: Voice Print AI -Powered by Porsha Ray Studios, Representative Payee Investigator, Alabama Disability Advocacy Program
  • Wanying Zhao: CampusFlow, teaching Assistant Professor, School of Library and Information Studies
  • Heather Cole: SIMPACT – Simulation Impact, Planning, Analysis, Cost & Tracking, Clinical Specialist/Clinical Instructor, Divison of Nursing Practice
  • Quihua Duan: SurgeCity – Al Powered Flood Preparedness and Resilience Training Platfrom, Assistant Professor, Civil Constructions and Environmental Engineering
  • Nicholas Magliocca: Tuscaloosa Food & Farm Hub, Assistant Professor, Geography
  • Whitney Wahl: Gathered by G&W, Education Researcher II, Curriculum and Instruction
  • Kristy Justice: Soul Sisters Mobile Creative Studio, Executive Assistant I, University Libraries
  • Zach Cox: The Back Nine Range, College Experiential Learning Coordinator, Experiential Educations
  • Jason Bara: Glycerol-Derived Fragrance Ingredients, Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering
  • Kaushik Roy: Parallel teaching platform for catering to students with learning disability, Assistant Professor, Computer Science
  • Kelsey Kulick: UA Event Coordination Department, Guest Housing Coordinator, HRC Administration
  • Na Gong: Building Trust in Silicon, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Nicole Prewitt: SWAP – Shop With a Purpose, Biomedical Researcher II, Alabama Life Research Institute
  • Shuhui Li: Zero Subsynchronous Oscillation. Unlocking the Full Potential of the Grid, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Susan Mills: Heirloom Moments, Staff Therapist II, Counseling Center
  • Katherine Dudding: NeoComm, Assistant Professor, Division of Nursing Leadership
  • Garrett McGiffert: Heliotas AI, Clinical Professor, Information Systems/Statistics/Management Science
  • Ryan Summers: Xanthia Biotech, Associate Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering
  • Vamshi Chaitanya Annimalla: FreeACT / InterAct, Postdoctoral Fellow, Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering
  • Jialai Wang: LimeLift, Professor, Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering
  • Keri Barron: ScholarCV, Assistant Professor, Division of Nursing and Health Advancement
  • Hasan Isomitdinov: Study Abroad App, Teaching Assistant Professor, Economics, Finance and Legal Studies