MACNY announces winner of 2019 Innovator of the Year award

DeWITT, N.Y. — A man who has worked on developments in cryocooling will receive the 2019 Innovator of the Year Award from the Manufacturers Association of Central New York (MACNY).

The association has chosen Chao Wang, chief technology officer at DeWitt–based Cryomech Inc. for the honor. Tabitha Sebastino, Wang’s co-worker, nominated him for his “innovative” developments in cryocooling.

 “Chao is driven by innovation and tackling tough design challenges. Talking to people at conferences and seeing how we might be able to help the research community excel is something he enjoys immensely. He is proud of how much Cryomech has accomplished and looks forward to seeing what they can achieve in the future,” Sebastino said in a MACNY news release.

Besides the MACNY honor, Wang has won many awards for his work, including the Roger W. Boom Award and the Humboldt Award for Outstanding Young Scientists.

The MACNY Innovator of the Year Award, which Corning, Inc. sponsors, was created at the suggestion of MACNY member executives and CEOs as a “way to nominate and recognize individuals within a company who consistently demonstrate forward thinking ideas in the areas of technology, innovation, and advancement of products and production.”

As part of MACNY’s tradition, the organization will honor Wang at the association’s 106th annual dinner at the SRC Arena and Events Center at Onondaga Community College on May 23. More than 600 manufacturers and business leaders from Central and upstate New York are expected to attend.

MACNY represents more than 300 companies in a 26-county region in upstate New York. Since 1913, the organization has provided “human-resource services, training, purchasing solutions, networking opportunities, and advocacy support for its members,” per the release.

About cryocooling and Wang

A cryocooler is a device used for active cooling of something down to cryogenic temperatures. The cryogenic temperature range “has been defined as from −150 degree Celsius (−238 degrees Fahrenheit) to absolute zero (−273 degree Celsius or −460 degree Fahrenheit), the temperature at which molecular motion comes as close as theoretically possible to ceasing completely,” per a description on britannica.com, the website of Encyclopedia Britannica.

Wang had worked on the commercialization of the two-stage 4K pulse tube cryocooler, which has been instrumental in securing Cryomech’s “position as a world leader” in cryocooling and ultra-low temperature applications.

Wang also worked on the first laboratory scale reliquefiers which created a “whole new” line of liquid-helium products for Cryomech. This innovation was first applied at the Amundsen-Scott Science Research Station in the South Pole to prevent boil off of their liquid helium supply, “ensuring they had sufficient quantities when deliveries were not an option.”

More recently, Wang is recognized for overseeing last year’s launch of the PT420 and AL630 cryocoolers, which are described as “the largest cryocoolers of their type in the world.”

In his role as chief technology officer, Wang has been “fundamental” in developing and implementing new technologies to support customer needs, while also “differentiating Cryomech as a leader in cryocooling,” MACNY said.

“On behalf of MACNY, I would like to congratulate Dr. Wang and Cryomech, Inc. on receiving this well-deserved honor,” Randy Wolken, president & CEO of MACNY, said. “We received nominations for many well-qualified candidates who are considered outstanding innovators by their peers and colleagues. The committee was thoroughly impressed by Dr. Wang and his many innovations and the continued success he has brought to Cryomech. On behalf of the MACNY membership, we look forward to recognizing Dr. Wang and Cryomech, Inc. for their many innovative achievements at MACNY’s 106th Annual Dinner.”

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

Photo credit: MACNY