UT Dallas Researcher, UTDesign, and Alum’s Startup Take Home Tech Titans Awards
A University of Texas at Dallas researcher, UTDesign and an alum who founded a construction management software company won Tech Titans awards at a September gala.
The honorees were among 14 individuals, companies and organizations recognized by Tech Titans, a North Texas technology association.
Dr. Shalini Prasad, professor and department head of bioengineering, won the Technology Inventor award for her groundbreaking work to develop wearable electrochemical sensor technology with applications including warning users of biomarkers that signal infections such as COVID-19 and inflammatory bowel disease.
“The Tech Titans Technology Inventor award recognizes a decade of relentless dedication in developing the first perspiration-based wearable to track disease activity and human physiology in real time,” said Prasad, a Cecil H. and Ida Green Professor in Systems Biology Science. “I am grateful for this acknowledgement and look forward to more recognition for our inventions.”
“These programs equip students to transform their own concepts into reality, engage with the community to address pressing social and environmental issues through technology, and collaborate with industry partners on real-world challenges, bridging the gap between academia and industry,” said Rod Wetterskog, assistant dean of corporate relations in the Jonsson School.
Eric Fortenberry MS’15, founder and CEO of the Dallas-based construction management software company JobTread, received two honors: Emerging Company CEO and the Fast Tech award for the fastest-growing tech company in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with a 4,781% growth rate from 2021 to 2023.
“It’s an incredible honor to be recognized for the Emerging Company CEO award by Tech Titans, and I’m proud to be among such talented leaders in North Texas,” Fortenberry said. “This achievement wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of my innovative team and the support of our customers, who continue to inspire us as we shape JobTread into the new standard for construction management.”