Jack Andraka, a 17-year-old who invented a new rapid and inexpensive test for diagnosing pancreatic cancer, is the first recipient of G2 Intelligence’s Lab Innovation Award, designed to recognize innovation in the field of medical diagnostics. The award, sponsored by Halfpenny Technologies Inc., was presented by Jack Redding, senior vice president, sales and marketing, for Halfpenny, during the 32nd annual Lab Institute, held Oct. 15-17, 2014, in Washington, D.C. Andraka, of Crownsville, Md., worked with a professor from Johns Hopkins University to develop a new dipstick-type test for pancreatic cancer using a novel paper sensor, similar to that of the test strip used in diabetes. The test is more than 90 percent accurate in detecting the presence of mesothelin, a protein that can indicate the presence of pancreatic cancer. The test is also effective for detecting ovarian and lung cancer, due to the same biomarker they have in common. David Dexter, president and chief executive officer of Sonora Quest Laboratories LLC, a joint venture between Quest Diagnostics and Banner Health, is the 2014 recipient of the G2 Intelligence Laboratory Public Service National Leadership Award. Sponsored by Kellison & Co. (Cleveland), the award was announced at this year’s Lab Institute on Oct. 16 in Washington, D.C. Scott Liff, Kellison’s president for business development, presented the award, which recognizes singular accomplishments that directly enhance patient care and the laboratory profession in one or more specific areas: basic and applied research, business creativity and innovations, public policy, and lifetime achievement. Dexter received the award in recognition of his business creativity and innovations. For more than a decade, Dexter has led one of the most successful laboratory networks in the nation as the head of Sonora Quest and president and CEO of Laboratory Sciences of Arizona, which manages labs for the 13 Banner Health hospitals in Arizona. According to G2 founder and Executive Editor Dennis Weissman, who announced the award, what makes Dexter’s success unique is the very special workplace culture of excellence, quality, and community service that he has built among the 2,600 employees he leads. In fact, Sonora Quest has received a number of awards for this culture, including Best Places to Work award for five consecutive years by the Phoenix Business Journal, winner of the inaugural Arizona’s Most Admired Companies Award by BestCompanies AZ and Arizona Business Magazine. “Treating every employee with dignity and respect, Dex’s business philosophy is that you need work-life balance, and that requires having perspective—so no matter how significant the business challenge, if you can keep it in proper perspective, it won’t affect your leadership, health, or home life,” said Weissman. “And because he believes it’s a moral and ethical responsibility to give back to the communities in which we work, Dex requires that both he and every one of his senior team leaders either lead a major charitable event each year, participate in a charitable board, or do both as part of their executive development.” Jazmen Myers, a senior in the clinical laboratory science (CLS) program at Texas State University in San Marcos, is the 2014 recipient of G2 Intelligence’s Scholarship Award for Excellence in the Clinical Laboratory Sciences, sponsored by McKesson. Brian Kemp, executive director of client services, McKesson Business Performance Solutions, presented Myers the $2,500 scholarship award at Lab Institute on Oct. 16. Myers, who has excelled academically, served as the junior representative to the Texas State CLS Society last year and is currently vice president for the Texas State CLS Student Society. She was one of only four junior CLS students to attend the state Texas Association for Clinical Laboratory Science conference last year and this year became the first Texas State CLS student to be elected as the vice chair of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science Student Forum. According to Rodney Rohde, Ph.D., professor and chair of the CLS program, Myers demonstrates a high level of knowledge, motivation, and drive for educational excellence in the clinical laboratory sciences. “Her personal attributes complement her academic ability,” wrote Rohde in the nomination.