Wichita State University faculty and student researchers have been awarded the 2021 John A. See Innovation Award.

• Dr. Darren DeFrain, an associate professor of English, won for his accessible comic book mobile application project Vizling.
• Dr. Hongsheng He, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences, was awarded for MagicHand, an anthropomorphic robotic hand for context-aware dexterous manipulation.
• Maggie Schoonover, director of sustainable innovation for the College of Innovation and Design, Max Hinman, a technician in biomedical engineering; and Fennie Christensen, instructor in the College of Innovation and Design, graduate student and a Training and Technology Team designer, are working on Mobile Application Development (MAD). The lab standardizes app development workflow and makes student-led projects easier to scale and launch.
• Rafael Bini Leite and Jefferson Vieira won this year’s Student Innovation Award in Mechanical Engineering for their venture-based product Shiver Solutions. The device simplifies de-icing a windshield. 

History of John A. See Innovation Award

In 2014, John A. See donated $1 million to provide prizes to Wichita State faculty and students conducting outstanding research.

See was director of flight tests and prototype development at Boeing until his retirement in 1985. He has generously supported Wichita State for many years, because he values the importance of higher education and Wichita State’s commitment to grow and pioneer innovation.