The Tech Awards Gala 2009

On November 19, 2009, over 1400 esteemed innovators in the technology industry gathered to celebrate the power of technology to address global challenges and benefit humanity. At the 9th annual black-tie gala in San Jose, Calif., The Tech Awards, presented by Applied Materials and a signature program of The Tech Museum, honored 15 technologists, educators, scientists and entrepreneurs who are using technology to improve our world. The 15 Laureates were chosen from hundreds of nominations representing 68 countries.

The Tech Awards Gala 2009 - November 19, 2009 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center

Dr. Friess and the Laureates 2009	The Tech Awards Trophy	Dr. Friess and Al Gore
Akshaya Patra Foundation	The Laureate Showcase	The Laureate Showcase

Global Humanitarian Award - Al Gore

The James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award, sponsored by Applied Materials, honors individuals whose broad vision and leadership are helping to address humanity's greatest challenges.

Nobel Laureate and former Vice President Al Gore received the 2009 James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award given by The Tech Museum as part of its international program, The Tech Awards 2009 Nov 19, 2009.

Presented by Applied Materials, The Tech Awards celebrates the power of technology to address global challenges in the environment, economic development, education, equality and health. The Global Humanitarian Award, also sponsored by Applied Materials, honors individuals whose broad vision and leadership help to build a just, humane and sustainable world. The award was inspired by company Chairman Emeritus James Morgan's belief that technology can be a tool to turn ideas into solutions for a better world. Gore was selected for his international work on environmental affairs - in particular, raising global awareness of climate change. Read the press release announcing the 2009 Global Humanitarian Award recipient.

Category Awards

Five of the 15 Laureates honored by The Tech Awards 2009 were also awarded a $50,000 cash prize. The cash prize recipients-one from each category-hailed from the United States, South Africa, Nigeria, and India. Each developed or adapted technology in creative ways to solve global problems.

The Tech Awards 2009 cash prize recipients are:

Intel Environment Award
Cows to Kilowatts, Dr. Joseph Adelegan:

Slaughterhouse waste is one of the most significant sources of water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in most developing economies. The anaerobic fixed film reactor used in the Cows to Kilowatts project decontaminates the waste stream from slaughterhouses and turns organic waste into methane that can be used to generate electricity or as inexpensive cooking gas. www.un.org/esa/sustdev/publications/africa_casestudies/kilowatts.pdf

BD Biosciences Economic Development Award
Alternative Energy for Empowerment Alternative Energy Development Corp:

Fuel cell largely avoids the lead-acid waste of solar or wind installation batteries. Inexpensive, zinc-air fuel cells can be used in port communities lacking access to grid power. Fuel cell anodes can be removed manually in about 15 minutes and zinc oxide waste recycled as fertilizer. www.aedc.co.za

Microsoft Education Award
School Meals Program, Akshaya Patra Foundation:

High quality, calorically dense meals are key to the education process in poverty stricken areas. The School Meals Program uses integrated and adapted high-performance kitchen technology and a cost-effective food delivery system to serve millions of Indian children a nutritious daily meal. www.foodforeducation.org

The Katherine M. Swanson Equality Award
Fair Wage Guide Software, World of Good Development Organization:

Handicraft workers around the world are generally paid per piece, often at low hourly rates. The Fair Trade Calculator software provides localized pricing evaluation of handmade goods to improve wages of informal workers. The free web-based platform determines localized price analysis of wages paid to artisans in comparison to international living wage standards. www.fairtradecalculator.com/index.php

Nokia Health Award
Ultra Rice PATH:

More than a billion people in developing nations suffer from dietary deficiencies in crucial micronutrients, including iron, zinc, folic acid, and vitamin A. Ultra Rice is an inexpensive, nutrient-fortified additive to standard rice, tailored to satisfy deficiencies common in the region where it is distributed. http://www.path.org/projects/ultra_rice.php

The Tech Awards marked its 9th year in 2009. Since it was founded, The Tech Awards Program has honored 200 innovators from around the world and has awarded a total of $2,000,000 in cash prizes to encourage continued innovations and to honor the contributions Laureates are making in applying technology to solve global challenges.

Learn more about all 15 of the 2009 Laureates, or search our entire library of Laureate profiles, which include links to each Laureate's web site (if available).