Innovation Week brings together students, faculty, alumni and industry leaders to share ideas, showcase projects, and celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit of the Case Western Reserve community.
During Innovation Week, which took place Oct. 28-Nov. 1, attendees could tour CWRU’s facilities that support innovation, entrepreneurship and discovery, participate in a hands-on Design Sprint workshop at think[box], or check out the Pitch Your Poster Contest. Faculty also attended the five-day Faculty Founder Workshop Series to learn about founding a startup and other commercialization entrepreneurship skills.
The full week of events featured captivating panels, award presentations and keynotes, including one from James A. Kenyon, director of NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. The 2024 Innovator of the Year awards featured a keynote speech by Patrick Hanley, research and development director at Dow Inc.
These awards are intended to honor members of the Case Western Reserve University community who have demonstrated exceptional levels of innovation in specific areas.
Three individuals from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing were presented with Innovator of the Year awards.
Innovator of the Year: Early Career
Kylie Meyer, assistant professor
Kylie Meyer is redefining family caregiving through interdisciplinary research at Case Western Reserve University. An assistant professor and director of the Family Caregiver Translational Science Laboratory, Meyer focuses on supporting caregivers of individuals with chronic and disabling conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Since joining the faculty in 2022, she has developed innovative, evidence-based interventions designed to ease the burdens of family caregiving.
Meyer’s flagship program, Learning Skills Together, leverages video conferencing and media to guide caregivers through complex medical and nursing tasks, including medication management and care coordination. This program earned $3.4 million in funding from the National Institute on Aging. Her other initiatives include CONFIDENCE, which addresses the financial strains caregivers face, and KINDER, a program that mitigates family conflicts over the course of dementia care.
“Meyer, a promising early career faculty, uses a translational lens to create new interventions to support family caregivers. Her work blends social, behavioral, and generative artificial intelligence approaches to better support family caregiving,” said Richard Cole, assistant dean of research administration.
Through her innovative research, Meyer is building inclusive and accessible solutions that make a meaningful impact on caregivers and the care recipients they serve.
Innovator of the Year: Education
Tom Baum, director of simulation and programming, CNESI and Flight Center
Finding a vein is an easy routine for nurses. And for students at Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, finding a vein for an IV insertion on a high-fidelity mannequin is now easier thanks to the innovation of Thomas “Tom” Baum.
Baum, director of simulation and programming for the Center for Nursing Education, Simulation, and Innovation (CNESI) and the Dorothy Ebersbach Academic Center for Flight Nursing, is driving innovation at the School of Nursing alongside a small group of simulation staff.
Leveraging technology such as 3D printing, Baum is constantly seeking to enhance the nursing education experience for students by crafting realistic scenarios that prepare students for diverse clinical environments. To simulate the pulse on a mannequin, Baum printed a watertight “bleeder box” that mimics blood flow. His team also developed an ultrasound-compatible arm for arterial puncture training.
“Tom is an innovator who pushes the boundaries toward doing things that may seem impossible and uses his passion for technology and experiential learning to advance nursing education and its impact on the care delivered by nurses,” said Richard Cole, assistant dean of research administration at the nursing school. “Through his leadership, Tom ensures that the school remains a trailblazer, setting new standards in preparing students for real-world healthcare challenges.”
Outside of the school, Baum also serves as a firefighter and paramedic with Erie Valley Fire and Rescue in Navarre, Ohio.
Innovator of the Year: Student
Quiana Howard, PhD student
Health equity—ensuring everyone can achieve their highest level of health, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status—is the driving force behind Quiana Howard’s research. The third-year PhD student at Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing is passionate about community health and research.
Howard’s innovative research explores how social and environmental factors influence cardiovascular health in adolescents and adults with type 1 diabetes. Collaborating on publications examining geographic disparities in sleep duration and its connection to CVH, Howard seeks to identify the roots of these health inequities among socially vulnerable populations.
Her work, which aligns with the National Institute of Nursing Research’s strategic focus on health equity, has earned her the prestigious Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Predoctoral Fellowship to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research through the National Institutes of Health.
“Quiana uses innovative approaches to capture and advance knowledge on the roles of social vulnerability and discrimination stress in cardiovascular health in a high-risk population of young adults with type 1 diabetes. She is positioned to be a future leader in nursing science and community health and is most deserving of this award,” said Richard Cole, assistant dean of research administration.
Howard is also active with the Cleveland Council of Black Nurses, the National Black Nurses Association, and the National Association of Health Services Executives. She is a registered nurse with experience in University Hospitals’ Emergency Department.