University of Akron President R.J. Nemer delivered the keynote address for Thursday’s Innovation Day 2026, an exhibition of leading-edge innovations emerging from Northeast Ohio’s innovation ecosystem. Organized jointly by Northeast Ohio’s public universities and sponsored by community partners, this event celebrates the discoveries, technologies and entrepreneurial collaborations driving the future of the region.

Speaking to a room of students and faculty – many of whom are working in science, engineering and technology fields – administrators and community partners, Nemer drew parallels to his own career in law and business, which included forming his own sports marketing and management agency, which he eventually sold.

“A huge part of innovation is the ability to reinvent yourself, the ability to be adaptive and the ability to realize that regardless of what industry you're in, it's not going to be static,” Nemer said during his talk in the Kaulig Club Level lobby at InfoCision Stadium. “It's going to be bumpy. It's filled with sleepless nights and self-doubt.”

Hosted at UA for the first time, Innovation Day 2026 bought together researchers, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, students and community partners to showcase groundbreaking research, emerging technologies and commercialization successes from across Northeast Ohio’s public universities. The event is a collaboration between the institutional members of the Northeast Ohio Public University Research Alliance (NEO-PURA), which is made up of UA, Cleveland State University, Kent State University, Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) and Youngstown State University.

Attendees had the opportunity to explore transformative innovations, connect with leading researchers and innovators, build meaningful partnerships, and discover how university research is creating economic opportunities and real-world impact throughout the region. There were 47 student poster presentations displayed.

Nemer also offered advice to the innovators in the room, encouraging them to build a team of mentors early in the development process and to not take no for an answer.

“When you're taking that path that leads you to a technical career or (something else) it's really about that belief in yourself and the ability to forge ahead,” he said.

Dr. Suzanne Bausch, UA’s vice president of research and business engagement, and Kelly Bialek, the University’s director of technology transfer and the executive director of the University of Akron Research Foundation (UARF), served as co-masters of ceremony.

There were also three panel discussions, each of which included panelists with UA connections. Bausch moderated a panel about entrepreneurial pipeline, during which attendees heard from Akron Law graduate Jessica Sublett, now president and CEO of Bounce Innovation Hub in Akron, and Isaiah Kaiser, the founder and CEO of Aeris Biosciences, who has a bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. from UA. Hans Dorfi, the executive director and chief innovator of the Polymer Industry Cluster, of which UA is a member, and Bialek, also a UA alumna, joined the panel.

Dan Hampu, president and chief executive officer of the Burton D. Morgan Foundation, moderated a panel about the Innovation Corps, known as I-Corps. Hampu earned his Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration from UA. Brian Davis, the former director of research in what is now UA’s College of Engineering and Polymer Science, and former chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, also joined the panel as a current associate dean at Cleveland State.

UA alumna Haley Burk, senior director at JumpStart Inc., spoke on a panel about entrepreneurial support services.

"It was inspiring to see so many students, researchers and innovators sharing their work, exploring new opportunities for collaboration, gaining insight on the entrepreneurial journey and learning about all the resources available in Northeast Ohio," Bausch said. "It was equally moving to hear from successful entrepreneurs such as President Nemer and more junior emerging innovators like Isaiah Kaiser share their stories and words of encouragement and inspiration. Events like Innovation Day help build the next generation of entrepreneurs and forge relationships that turn promising ideas into impact."

"It was good to see faculty and students from across the NEO-PURA institutions come together to share their research, learn about commercialization opportunities and build valuable connections within the entrepreneurial support ecosystem," Bialek said.

Media contact: media@uakron.edu