The University of Utah is ranked 30th on a list of the most innovative universities in the world, according to the new 2018 rankings from newswire service, Reuters.
Stanford came in at No. 1 followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The rankings are based on “educational institutions doing the most to advance science, invent new technologies and power new markets and industries.”
Click here to read the full story about the rankings from Reuters.
In providing an example of the U’s innovations in research development, Reuters pointed to new technology developed by University of Utah electrical and computer engineering associate professor Rajesh Menon in which digital photos can be created with a “lensless” camera.
According to the Reuters story focusing on the U:
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niversity of Utah engineers recently unveiled a new method to take digital photographs using a standard pane of glass or a window instead of a traditional lens. The system uses reflective tape to scatter light through glass and into a sensor where computer algorithms decode the image. Future iterations of the technology could allow car windshields to function as giant cameras that can see objects on the road, or allow every window in a house to function as built-in security cameras.
Since 1970 the University of Utah has launched more than 230 companies from technologies developed by faculty and students, including Recursion Pharmaceuticals, which is developing artificial intelligence systems that can quickly and efficiently identify new treatments for diseases. In May 2018, the Salt Lake City-based company received a $546,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to investigate new drugs for the treatment of malaria.