Prestigious award presented during celebratory event in Washington D.C. to honor exceptional contribution to research and innovation
RIVERSIDE, Calif., March 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, FarmSense proudly announces that co-founder and distinguished professor at the University of California, Riverside, Dr. Eamonn Keogh, has been named recipient of the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) 2024 St. Patrick’s Day Science Medal Award. A ceremony was held in Washington D.C., where Taoiseach Leo Varadkar presented Dr. Keogh with the award to recognize his immense contributions to research and innovation in academia.
The SFI St. Patrick’s Day Science Medal Award for Academia is bestowed annually “to a distinguished scientist, engineer, or technology leader living and working in the USA with strong Irish connections” [Ref]. Keogh, who is a native of Dublin, Ireland, holds the position of Distinguished Professor and Ross Family Chair at the Department of Computer Science, University of California, Riverside — in addition to serving as co-founder and CSO of award-winning agtech startup, FarmSense.
Pioneering the field of computational entomology, Dr. Keogh’s world-renowned expertise in the field of data mining and machine learning was paramount in the development of FarmSense’s FlightSensor technology through the application of data mining to the problem of flying insect classification and monitoring.
“I am honored to accept the 2024 SFI St. Patrick’s Day Science Medal for my work on data mining and computational entomology,” said Keogh. “I am proud to note that in recent years we have seen my work on computational entomology deployed in a dozen countries, helping to reduce food insecurity by helping to surveil and control insect pests. I am pleased to have maintained a connection with my Irish roots, collaborating with Irish colleagues regularly, and engaging with Irish primary and post-primary schools.”
In addition to the award in academia, SFI also presents a second medal to a leader in the industry category. The 2024 recipient in the industry leader category was John Hartnett, founder, and CEO of SVG ventures Thrive.
“On behalf of the Government of Ireland and Science Foundation of Ireland, I am delighted to present the SFI St. Patrick’s Day Science Medal to Dr. Eamonn Keogh and Mr. John Hartnett. This award recognizes their outstanding success in data mining and agri-food,” said Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, upon presenting the award recipients. “The work of Dr. Keogh and Mr. Hartnett really demonstrates the quality of research being undertaken by the US-Ireland diaspora. They are driving transformational research and innovation. This work is already helping us to respond to global challenges in areas like climate change, healthcare, and digitalization.”
Dr. Keogh is no stranger to major awards. Over the past three years, he has also been recognized for the IEEE ICDM 2023 10-Year Highest-Impact Paper Award, Nokia Bell Labs Award and the 2022 ACM SIGKDD Test of Time Award, amongst others. In addition to his personal accolades, Dr. Keogh’s contributions to FarmSense have helped the company garner substantial recognition as well, receiving five Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants with funding up to $4.2 million, alongside awards and grants from numerous organizations. To learn more about FarmSense and their FlightSensor technology, visit: https://www.farmsense.io.
About FarmSense: Founded in 2016, FarmSense helps farmers simplify pest management and take the guesswork out of insect monitoring. The company’s patented technology, alongside their innovative FlightSensor™ device, provides real-time insect counts and classifications, giving immediate access for farmers to make mission-critical decisions on crop and pest control.
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SOURCE FarmSense