CEO of ZeoVation to present “Lab to Marketplace” seminar on Oct. 27

ASHLAND, Ohio – Bo Wang, co-founder and CEO of ZeoVation, Inc., will be the speaker for Ashland University’s sixth annual “Lab to Marketplace” seminar, Thursday, Oct. 27, at 7:30 p.m. This year’s event returns to Ronk Lecture Hall in the Dwight Schar College of Education after recently being virtual-only (there will not be an online option this year). The event is free and open to the public.

Wang’s presentation, “Building Scarcity Value Across Fields: Zeolite Technology Development + Commercialization,” will focus on innovative zeolite materials in the applications of antimicrobial, anti-odor and batteries. It is sponsored by the Science Scholars Program in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Morgan Center for Entrepreneurial Studies in the Dauch College of Business and Economics.

ZeoVation was founded in 2016 by Wang and Prabir Dutta based off their research in the department of chemistry and biochemistry at The Ohio State University. They were studying zeolites, microscopic particles with porous structures, and realized they could be used to carry other compounds that would give the zeolites new properties, such as acting as sunscreens or functioning as controlled release materials for metal ions that kill pathogenic microbes. Zeolites that can be antimicrobial additives are the company’s current focus.

As Wang and Dutta co-invented new manufacturing processes for zeolites, they decided to commercialize their work. From 2016-18, Wang focused on product development. In 2019, he shifted his focus to scaling up the company, market validation and customer discovery and sales.

Wang holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Nanjing University and a Ph.D. in chemistry from Ohio State.

The “Lab to Marketplace” seminar series is designed to bring speakers to the AU community who are engaged in translational research, research that uses scientific knowledge to develop new technologies and other applications. It is supported through a five-year grant from the National Science Foundation, which also provides scholarships and academic support for academically talented science students with financial need. The program is designed to provide renewable scholarships ranging from $4,000 to $10,000 to students with unmet financial need declaring a major in the natural sciences and planning to pursue a career in science. It also provides students with peer and faculty mentoring and additional programming through a dedicated career coach and the Center for Academic Support to help them succeed in their education at AU. Further information can be found at www.ashland.edu/cas/science-scholars.

For information on this webinar, please contact Paul Hyman, professor of biology at AU, at phyman@ashland.edu or 419-207-6309.

Ashland University is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.