The University System of Georgia Board of Regents has officially sanctioned Valentine Nzengung as the Regents’ Entrepreneur during its meeting on February 13th. Nzengung, a distinguished faculty member at the University of Georgia, is now the third faculty member from UGA to receive this prestigious recognition.
This honour is conferred upon innovative faculty members who have demonstrated exceptional success in translating their research into a commercial setting. The title of Regents’ Entrepreneur is initially awarded for a period of three years and comes with a one-time cash award of £10,000, and has the potential for extension by the board.
Karen Burg, the vice president for research, lauded Nzengung’s exceptional ability to convert innovative research into a company and product that can have a global impact. She highlighted UGA’s role as the sole land- and sea-grant institution in Georgia and underscored the university’s commitment to producing research that benefits the citizens of the state and preserves natural resources. Burg expressed her admiration for Nzengung’s entrepreneurial spirit and his demonstrated capacity to maximise the impact of his research, affirming that he is unquestionably deserving of this honour and achievement.
Nzengung, a professor of environmental geochemistry in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, has an impressive track record. He was previously recognised as the UGA Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016 and is also a National Academy of Inventors Fellow. Furthermore, he has been featured as a “Trendsetter and Planet Protector” by Georgia Trend Magazine, acknowledging his remarkable contributions to environmental sustainability.
His research primarily focuses on the development and assessment of innovative technologies for the remediation of contaminated water, sediment, and soils. Moreover, he has obtained five patents and has one pending for proprietary green and sustainable remediation technologies, solidifying his position as a pioneer in sustainable environmental remediation technologies for over three decades.
Nzengung is widely acclaimed for his groundbreaking invention, MuniRem, a product renowned for its ability to instantly neutralise bulk explosives, bomb fillers, and chemical warfare materials. This success led to the establishment of his own company, MuniRem Environmental, LLC, which has been involved in a wide array of environmental remediation projects globally. The company has also been selected for various high-profile military and private contracts.
The effectiveness of MuniRem technology was demonstrated during the salvage operations of the Confederate ironclad gunboat, CSS Georgia, which was rediscovered during a dredging project in the Savannah Harbor. The vessel contained several artifacts, some of which were still filled with volatile black powder ordnance. Through the use of MuniRem, each shell was rendered inert, ensuring the safety of the artifacts for further examination and preservation efforts.
In response to his recognition as a Regents’ Entrepreneur, Nzengung expressed his gratitude to the University of Georgia, his mother, and the students he has collaborated with in his research. He emphasized that this acknowledgement is a testament to his unwavering commitment to developing peaceful means to mitigate the hazards of explosives globally. He remains resolute in his dedication to advancing initiatives that will benefit the global community.
The remarkable accomplishments of Valentine Nzengung serve as a testament to his unwavering dedication to environmental sustainability and innovation. His pioneering research and entrepreneurial ventures have significantly contributed to the field of environmental remediation and have the potential to continue making a profound impact on a global scale.
Source:
University of Georgia Research News
+ There are no comments
Add yours