WHAT:  The Harold Berger Award is bestowed bi-annually by Penn School of Engineering and Applied Science to a technological innovator who has made a lasting contribution to the quality of our lives.

WHO: Dean Kamen, inventor and physicist, founder of DEKA Research & Development and creator of the Segway Human Transporter.  Kamen will receive the award for his creative use of technology to advance health care and his championing of engineering education.

WHERE:  University of Pennsylvania, Levine Hall,

Wu & Chen Auditorium,

3330 Walnut St., Philadelphia

WHEN:   5 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 7

Pioneering inventor Dean Kamen will receive the Berger Award, which is named after Harold Berger, an alumnus of both SEAS and Penn Law.  

While most popularly known for the invention of the self-balancing Segway device, Kamen was first noted for the development and application of innovative technologies for health care.  In  1982, he patented a fluid management system that became the core of the Baxter HomeChoice PD, the first compact and portable peritoneal dialysis machine.  More recently, Kamen developed the Independence iBOT 3000 Mobility System, a wheelchair device capable of climbing stairs, navigating rough terrain and raising its occupant to eye-level with a standing person.  

One of Kamen's proudest accomplishments is founding For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, an organization dedicated to motivating the next generation of engineers to understand, use and enjoy science and technology.  Kamen remains the driving force behind FIRST, recruiting leaders of American business, government and education to invest time and resources in the initiative.  The FIRST Robotics Competition, an annual event teaming professional engineers with high school students nationwide, attracts hundreds of teams, breaks participation records each year and inspires students to pursue careers in science and technology.