PupTech wins top prize as R&E Week spotlights startups, public impact

Two smiling people holding opposite ends of an oversized check for $25,000 made out to Puptech.
PupTech won the top prize in the RISE Demo Day pitch competition on the first day of Research and Entrepreneurship Week. (Photo by Brian Busher)

By Michael Parker

ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 28, 2026) — From technology that helps dog owners train their pets to systems that monitor three-dimensional wind conditions in real time, researchers, students and entrepreneurs kicked off Research and Entrepreneurship Week this year by pitching mock investors on transforming their inventions into viable businesses.

Their work was on display Oct. 19 at ETEC during RISE Demo Day, a pitch competition that anchored Innovation and Entrepreneurship Day on the first day of UAlbany's annual R&E Week, which this year focused on public impact and the ways UAlbany's research, scholarship and creative work help real people.

Led by the UAlbany Innovation Center, the nine-week Research & Innovators Startup Exchange (RISE) program pairs researchers with students to explore the business potential of their ideas. Teams work through customer discovery, market research and business development before pitching their concepts to industry and startup experts.

PupTech, led by Katie Baranowski with RISE fellow and computer science master's student Kalp Mota, earned the $25,000 first place for technology designed to help dog owners manage behavior problems through continuous, hands-free training. The system works with existing smart home cameras and treat dispensers to provide around-the-clock, positive-reinforcement training, helping owners address unwanted behaviors even when they're not home.

Two other teams also earned cash prizes to support further development of their ideas:

  • WindSitu ($15,000), led by Scott Miller, Michael Jacques and Jason Covert of UAlbany's Atmospheric Sciences Research Center, took second place for its real-time 3D wind-sensing platform.
  • DropOS ($5,000), led by Mike Nasierowski and UAlbany undergraduate Arie Din, received honorable mention for technology designed to streamline delivery and warehouse operations. Din also received an Exceptional RISE Fellow Award.
  • Two men in dark suit jackets hold a glass award while posing in front of a purple screen with the word "excellence" partially visible above their heads.

    Research and Entrepreneurship Week 2026

    From Oct. 19-23, UAlbany's 4th-annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week celebrated public impact through scientific discovery, scholarship and creative activity. The event is organized by the Division for Research and Economic Development. (Photos by Brian Busher and Patrick Dodson)

  • Eight smiling people standing shoulder to shoulder in front of a purple screen with the text: "UAlbany Research and Entrepreneurship Week" and "Celebrating Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities"

    Research and Entrepreneurship Week 2026

    From Oct. 19-23, UAlbany's 4th-annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week celebrated public impact through scientific discovery, scholarship and creative activity. The event is organized by the Division for Research and Economic Development. (Photos by Brian Busher and Patrick Dodson)

  • A person in a black dress stands smiling with hands clasped looking at a white poster board on an easel.

    Research and Entrepreneurship Week 2026

    From Oct. 19-23, UAlbany's 4th-annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week celebrated public impact through scientific discovery, scholarship and creative activity. The event is organized by the Division for Research and Economic Development. (Photos by Brian Busher and Patrick Dodson)

  • Five people sit in an arc on a stage facing each other, with the person furthers left speaking and holding a microphone.

    Research and Entrepreneurship Week 2026

    From Oct. 19-23, UAlbany's 4th-annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week celebrated public impact through scientific discovery, scholarship and creative activity. The event is organized by the Division for Research and Economic Development. (Photos by Brian Busher and Patrick Dodson)

  • Two people seated in chairs angled toward each other on a stage talking with microphones in hand.

    Research and Entrepreneurship Week 2026

    From Oct. 19-23, UAlbany's 4th-annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week celebrated public impact through scientific discovery, scholarship and creative activity. The event is organized by the Division for Research and Economic Development. (Photos by Brian Busher and Patrick Dodson)

  • Three women seated on a stage; the one in the center is holding a microphone speaking while the others to her left and right look at her.

    Research and Entrepreneurship Week 2026

    From Oct. 19-23, UAlbany's 4th-annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week celebrated public impact through scientific discovery, scholarship and creative activity. The event is organized by the Division for Research and Economic Development. (Photos by Brian Busher and Patrick Dodson)

  • A person stands at a lectern on stage in front of a crowd gesturing to a blue-hued screen with a large satellite dish on it.

    Research and Entrepreneurship Week 2026

    From Oct. 19-23, UAlbany's 4th-annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week celebrated public impact through scientific discovery, scholarship and creative activity. The event is organized by the Division for Research and Economic Development. (Photos by Brian Busher and Patrick Dodson)

  • A man in a suit is seated with his legs crossed and notepad in his lap and holding a microphone.

    Research and Entrepreneurship Week 2026

    From Oct. 19-23, UAlbany's 4th-annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week celebrated public impact through scientific discovery, scholarship and creative activity. The event is organized by the Division for Research and Economic Development. (Photos by Brian Busher and Patrick Dodson)

  • A woman in a black suit standing in front of a purple backdrop with the words "Research and Entrepreneurship Week" while holding a microphone a slide clicker.

    Research and Entrepreneurship Week 2026

    From Oct. 19-23, UAlbany's 4th-annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week celebrated public impact through scientific discovery, scholarship and creative activity. The event is organized by the Division for Research and Economic Development. (Photos by Brian Busher and Patrick Dodson)

  • A person in a black floral print shirt stands smiling at a lectern in front of a crowd while gesturing with their left hand.

    Research and Entrepreneurship Week 2026

    From Oct. 19-23, UAlbany's 4th-annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week celebrated public impact through scientific discovery, scholarship and creative activity. The event is organized by the Division for Research and Economic Development. (Photos by Brian Busher and Patrick Dodson)

  • A man in a dark suit coat standing in front of a blue screen with statistics on it while holding a microphone in his right hand.

    Research and Entrepreneurship Week 2026

    From Oct. 19-23, UAlbany's 4th-annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week celebrated public impact through scientific discovery, scholarship and creative activity. The event is organized by the Division for Research and Economic Development. (Photos by Brian Busher and Patrick Dodson)

  • A large crowd of people seated at circular tables in a open building atrium.

    Research and Entrepreneurship Week 2026

    From Oct. 19-23, UAlbany's 4th-annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week celebrated public impact through scientific discovery, scholarship and creative activity. The event is organized by the Division for Research and Economic Development. (Photos by Brian Busher and Patrick Dodson)

  • A man and a woman stand in the foreground discussing a poster in front of them with a large crowd seated at tables behind them.

    Research and Entrepreneurship Week 2026

    From Oct. 19-23, UAlbany's 4th-annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week celebrated public impact through scientific discovery, scholarship and creative activity. The event is organized by the Division for Research and Economic Development. (Photos by Brian Busher and Patrick Dodson)

  • A woman stands at microphone speaking to someone out of frame while gesturing with her right hand.

    Research and Entrepreneurship Week 2026

    From Oct. 19-23, UAlbany's 4th-annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week celebrated public impact through scientific discovery, scholarship and creative activity. The event is organized by the Division for Research and Economic Development. (Photos by Brian Busher and Patrick Dodson)

  • A man in a light suit jacket looks up and gestures to numbers on a screen while a woman a blue suit stands near by at a computer on a lectern.

    Research and Entrepreneurship Week 2026

    From Oct. 19-23, UAlbany's 4th-annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week celebrated public impact through scientific discovery, scholarship and creative activity. The event is organized by the Division for Research and Economic Development. (Photos by Brian Busher and Patrick Dodson)

  • A man wearing circular glasses and a dark suit and tie stands speaking at a lectern while raising his right hand to gesture.

    Research and Entrepreneurship Week 2026

    From Oct. 19-23, UAlbany's 4th-annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week celebrated public impact through scientific discovery, scholarship and creative activity. The event is organized by the Division for Research and Economic Development. (Photos by Brian Busher and Patrick Dodson)

  • Six people sitting in a semi-circle on stage in front of a purple banner with the words "Research and Entrepreneurship Week" on it as one woman in a black sweater holds a microphone and talking.

    Research and Entrepreneurship Week 2026

    From Oct. 19-23, UAlbany's 4th-annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week celebrated public impact through scientific discovery, scholarship and creative activity. The event is organized by the Division for Research and Economic Development. (Photos by Brian Busher and Patrick Dodson)

  • Two men shaking hands on stage in front of a purple backdrop with the words "Research and Entrepreneurship Week" on it.

    Research and Entrepreneurship Week 2026

    From Oct. 19-23, UAlbany's 4th-annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week celebrated public impact through scientific discovery, scholarship and creative activity. The event is organized by the Division for Research and Economic Development. (Photos by Brian Busher and Patrick Dodson)

  • A smiling woman in a black suit and blue shirt stands as people seated around her at tables applaud.

    Research and Entrepreneurship Week 2026

    From Oct. 19-23, UAlbany's 4th-annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week celebrated public impact through scientific discovery, scholarship and creative activity. The event is organized by the Division for Research and Economic Development. (Photos by Brian Busher and Patrick Dodson)

  • A man in a blue-collared shirt stands holding a slideshow clicker in front of an audience with a picture of floating scientific instrument and line graph on a screen behind him.

    Research and Entrepreneurship Week 2026

    From Oct. 19-23, UAlbany's 4th-annual Research & Entrepreneurship Week celebrated public impact through scientific discovery, scholarship and creative activity. The event is organized by the Division for Research and Economic Development. (Photos by Brian Busher and Patrick Dodson)

    Sharpening the pitch

    Demo Day gives participants an opportunity to refine their presentations, get feedback from industry experts and sell the business potential of their ideas.

    Other featured projects included DirectSeq Biosciences, led by UAlbany chemist Shenglong Zhang, which is developing technology to improve quality control of RNA-based medicines; GrantsMate, led by Yuemin Li and Tianning Huang, which uses AI to connect researchers with funding and collaborators; and Satella, which is developing measurement tools for satellite and weather data.

    “RISE demonstrates the powerful potential of bringing researchers, students and entrepreneurs together to transform innovative ideas into successful startups,” said Vice President for Research & Economic Development Thenkurussi "Kesh" Kesavadas. “The program is a key part of UAlbany’s mission to advance research with real-world impact and is attracting teams from institutions across New York State. I look forward to its continued growth and to attracting more innovators and investors to make UAlbany a destination for launching new companies.”

    The next round of RISE is scheduled to begin in February 2027. Learn more about RISE and upcoming opportunities to participate.

    Celebrating excellence, elevating impact

    The second day of R&E Week focused on public impact, including a conversation between President Havidán Rodríguez and Angela Bednarek, director of scientific advancement at The Pew Charitable Trusts, as well as panels featuring journalists, community partners and state agency leaders. Rodríguez  is a member of Pew's Presidents and Chancellors Council on Public Impact Research.

    Day 3 featured four Pathbreaking Research Talks by Professor Shawn Bushway of Department of Public Administration & Policy, Professor Xin Li of the Department of Computer Science, Professor Robert Rosenswig of the Department of Anthropology, and Associate Professor Dola Saha of the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, as well as awards for excellence in research, scholarship and creative activities.

    This year's awardees include:

    R&E Week Student Art Contest

    • Alaina Jeeson - Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences

    Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award:

    • Dr. Lu Li -  assistant professor, Department of Environmental & Sustainable Engineering, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering 
    • Dr. Bariscan Yonel - assistant professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering
    First-Time Inventor Recognitions
    • Mohammed Agamy - professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering
    • Lennox Apudo - doctoral student, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering
    • J. Andrew Berglund - co-director, Center of Excellence in RNA Research and Therapeutics; director, The RNA Institute; Keith Hynes Endowed Professor in STEM & Distinguished Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences
    • Elijah Feret - doctoral student, Department of Nanoscale Science & Engineering, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering
    • Spyros Gallis - Associate Professor, Department of Nanoscale Science & Engineering, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering
    • Ben Griffy - associate professor, Department of Economics, College of Arts & Sciences
    • Camela Hughes - director, Cold Case Analysis Center, School of Criminal Justice, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy
    • Aidai Kokonova - business analyst, Office of Strategic Initiatives, Division for Research & Economic Development
    • Ciaran Mackenzie - graduate assistant, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering
    • Brett Orzechowski - assistant director, Office of Economic Development, Entrepreneurship, and Industry Partnerships, Division for Research & Economic Development
    • Seetal Potluri - assistant professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering
    • Abdulhamit Subasi - associate professor, Department of Information Sciences & Technology, College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity
    • Haixin Sui - associate professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Integrated Health Sciences
    • Ing-Nang Wang - associate professor, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences
    • Xin Wang - assistant professor, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, College of Integrated Health Sciences
    • Michael Yeung - assistant professor, Department of Chemistry, College of Arts & Sciences
    • Chau Lam Yu - research scientist, Department of Atmospheric & Environmental Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences
    • Fangqun Yu - senior research faculty, Atmospheric Sciences Research Center, College of Arts & Sciences
    Outstanding Research, Scholarship and Creative Work
    • Mohammed Agamy - professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering
    • Haesol Bae - assistant professor, Department of Educational Theory & Practice, School of Education
    • Gang Chen - associate professor & PhD director, Department of Public Administration & Policy, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy
    • Christopher Clary - associate professor & Master of International Affairs program director, Department of Political Science, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy
    • Sarah Domoff - assistant professor, Department of Psychology, College of Arts & Sciences
    • Cheryl Dozier - associate professor, department  co-chair and associate dean, Department of Literacy Teaching & Learning, School of Education
    • Kendra Smith-Howard - associate professor, Department of History, College of Arts & Sciences
    • Luyi Jian - assistant professor, School of Criminal Justice, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy
    • Kyoung-Yeol Kim - associate professor, Department of Environmental & Sustainable Engineering, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering
    • Xin Li - professor, Department of Computer Science, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering
    • Kevin Quinn - associate professor, Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
    • Walid Redjem - assistant professor, Department of Nanoscale Science & Engineering, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering
    Excellence in Research Services

    Excellence in Research Support Services Award:

    • Bryant Colwill - Innovation Lab manager, Department of Nanoscale Science & Engineering, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering
    • Stefan Brooks - assistant director for proposal management, Sponsored Programs Administration, Division for Research & Economic Development

    Innovation in Research Services Award:

    • John Douglas Cleary - assistant director of research, The RNA Institute
    • Yuemin Li - data analyst, Office of Strategic Initiatives, Division for Research & Economic Development

    Rising Star for Research Service Excellence Award:

    • Ewelina Mistek-Morabito - program manager, Center for Biophotonic Technology and Artificial Intelligence
    • Tammy Reid - assistant director of operations, The RNA Institute and the Center of Excellence in RNA Research and Therapeutics