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Mortenson honored for promoting STEM in education

Published on March 12, 2020

NORTH EAST, Md. – Mark Mortenson, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Clene Nanomedicine in North East, Md., was among 11 individuals honored by the Northeastern Maryland Technology Council (NMTC) at the Ninth Annual Visionary Awards banquet on Thursday, Feb. 27, in the Richlin Ballroom in Edgewood, Md.

Mortenson, who is the Chair of the Board of Trustees at ��һ�Թ��� College, was the recipient of the Leader Award which acknowledges his steadfast, consistent contribution to the building of a STEM-educated workforce and advancing technology innovations  in a public forum while inspiring others to help in accomplishing shared goals.

Also honored were:

• Visionary Award: Lyle Sheldon FACHE, President & CEO, University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health
• Leader Award: Tamalene Imbierowicz, Professor of Biology and Environmental Science, Harford Community College
• Innovator Award: Jill Orsini, Project Lead the Way Instructor, Bel Air Middle School
• Innovator Award: Cyrus Etemad-Moghadam, Founder and President, RPM Technology
• Mentor Award: Cathy Perkins, Technical Project Manager / Site Lead, U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center
• Mentor Award: Davlyn Williams, Technical Project Manager, Data Systems Analysts, Inc
• Mentor Award: Dr. Timothy Kluchinsky, Chief, Health Hazard Assessment Div., U.S. Army Public Health
• Mentor Award: Richard Becker, Research Engineer, U.S. Army Research Lab
• Rising Star Award: Brian Leftridge, STEM Program Specialist, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Developmental Command
• Rising Star Award: Mikale Brutus, STEM Outreach Specialist, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Developmental Command

NMTC connects collaborative leaders in academia, industry and the federal government to build a STEM educated workforce and advance innovation and technology to expand the state’s economy and protect national security.

“We are grateful to these individuals for volunteering their time and knowledge. Maryland’s economic infrastructure is increasingly driven by emerging and complex technology,” said John Casner, executive director of NMTC. “These individuals understand this technology and share their knowledge to create the workforce for the future.”

Under Mortenson’s guidance, Clene Nanomedicine has developed the Clean-Surface Nanosuspension technology platform. Clene Nanomedicine is in the process of developing a solution for Multiple Sclerosis (MS), which is in FDA human clinical trial.

“Everything I do is an attempt to help my neighbor. No matter where they live, everyone within ��һ�Թ��� County is my neighbor, and we should be working to improve their lives. To that end, it is a recognition of how important the college is, not only for students but the county. If the college is healthy and doing its job, the county will be healthier,” said Mortenson. Mortenson’s dedication to higher education was evident while he served as the chair of the ��һ�Թ��� College Foundation during its recent campaign of inspiration to raise $1.5 million in support of student success. Throughout his career, he has been asked to become involved with other institutions, but it wasn’t until he was asked to provide insight and inspiration at ��һ�Թ��� College that he found the opportunity to make the local community a better living and working environment.

“��һ�Թ��� College is providing a betterment for the person down the street or within your family. These are the people in your life. It is not like a four-year college where the person is from another state. You are making the area around you a better place to live for not only yourself but everyone within the community,” said Mortenson.

Mortenson is very connected to the community having lived in ��һ�Թ��� County for more than 30 years. He currently resides in North East with his wife Julianna, where they raised four children.