Jerome Lynch is the winner of the 2008 Shah Family Innovation Prize
 — awarded in 2009

The Shah Family Innovation Prize Selection Committee awarded the 2008 prize to Professor Jerome Lynch of the University of Michigan in recognition of his exceptional leadership as a researcher, educator, and innovator in the field of remote sensor technologies for the seismic protection of large-scale civil infrastructure systems.

Lynch’s work in wireless sensing represents a significant paradigm shift for the earthquake risk management field for three important reasons:

1. wireless sensors eradicate the need for high-cost wiring resulting in affordable monitoring systems defined by high sensor densities;
2. wireless sensors include computational resources that facilitate data interrogation directly at the sensor; and
3. wireless sensors can be used with special control devices to limit damage to structures during earthquakes, thereby contributing to the reduction of global earthquake risk.

A revolutionary aspect of his wireless sensor work is the inclusion of automated data interrogation algorithms within each wireless sensor that can infer potential damage in a structure shortly after a seismic event. More recently, Lynch has extended his research portfolio by exploring a new generation of materials created at the nano-scale using the tools and processes of the nanotechnology domain. He co-founded the successful start-up Sensametrics , which currently offers low-cost wireless sensing and decision support solutions to risk management and insurance professionals. Selected as Professor of the Year by the ASCE Student Chapter at the University of Michigan in 2005, Professor Lynch’s contagious passion for earthquake engineering has positively impacted students and practicing engineers alike.

In response to news of the award, Lynch wrote, "As a graduate student at Stanford, Professor Shah was a role model for me because he exemplified the role of the innovator and the entrepreneur within the earthquake engineering field. As a result, being selected as the recipient of this year's Shah Family Innovation Prize is a great honor which I will always remember."

Endowed by a generous gift from the Haresh Shah family, the Shah Family Innovation Prize is a cash award granted to younger professionals and academics selected among candidates submitted to the Shah Prize Selection Committee .