Dawn Bowlus, director of the Jacobson Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship in the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, received an Iowa Women of Innovation Award presented by the Technology Association of Iowa on Nov. 10.

The Women of Innovation Awards are dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the outstanding contributions Iowa women make to technological communities. Bowlus was one of many finalists with ties to the University of Iowa recognized for innovation in research, academics, and business.

Bowlus received the award for her development of BizInnovator, an online entrepreneurship curriculum that allows high school juniors and seniors to get UI entrepreneurship credit. She also created the STEM Innovator in partnership with the College of Education, a program that will offer a STEM Innovator Certificate curriculum nationwide.

One finalist, Lindsay Dozeman, created her own database for the University of Iowa Hospitals’ Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) program after trouble with the purchased software. On her own time, Dozeman made a dynamic, user-friendly data management system that can be easily customized to meet the needs of physicians and the changing demands of the field.

The University of Iowa Research Foundation copyrighted her database in March, and Dozeman has been contacted by more than 100 BMT programs interested in her system. She recently implemented systems in Hong Kong and the National Institutes of Health program, with several more pending.

The full list of women with University of Iowa ties recognized at the ceremonies is below:

Research Innovation and Leadership

• Tori Forbes, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry
• Paloma Giangrande, Associate Professor, Internal Medicine
• Johna Leddy, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry
• Chioma Okeoma, Assistant Professor, Microbiology
• Maria Spies, Associate Professor, Biochemistry

Academic Innovation and Leadership

• Dawn Bowlus, Director, Jacobson Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship (winner)
• Leslie Flynn, Clinical Assistant Professor, College of Education

Business Innovation and Leadership

• Lindsay Dozeman, Data Coordinator, Blood and Marrow Transplant Care Team

Rising Star

• Angela Metzger, VIDA Diagnostics
• Kristina Thiel, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Immortagen
• Fatima Toor, Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Diversity Champion

• Saba Ali, Associate Professor, College of Education
• Tonya Peeples , Professor, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

Collegian Innovation and Leadership

• Kristin Knudson, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Tippie College of Business
• Emily Roberts, Tippie College of Business, Western Wise