May 22, 2009 - Claremont, Calif. - The 2009 Harvey Mudd College (HMC) Green Engineering Award has been awarded to D-Link Systems, Inc., a leading end-to-end networking solutions provider for consumers and business, for its excellence in initiating “green” innovations throughout its company and products.

The award was presented on May 14, 2009, at the 16th-annual TechAmerica OC/IE High-Tech Awards Dinner, which spotlights robust technology companies and individuals in Orange County and the Inland Empire.

“To be a winner among so many outstanding technology companies in this thriving Southern California area is a testament to our commitment to do our part in helping save the Earth’s precious resources and provide consumers and businesses with the best possible solutions to meet their computer networking needs,” said Carlos Casassus Fontecilla, president of D-Link Pan America, who accepted the award.

“D-Link has led the way in designing energy saving routers and algorithms,” added HMC’s Sarah Harris, assistant professor of engineering who presented the award on behalf of the college and its engineering department. “These products are both innovative and far-reaching, from large and small businesses to single users. Some of their installations boast 80 percent reductions in power consumption.”

Two Certificate of Merit awards were also presented to finalists in the HMC Green Engineering category: Balqon Corporation, which has designed and built zero-emission electric tractors for hauling cargo containers at the Port of Los Angeles, and EcoTek Lighting, Inc., a leader in the use of energy-efficient LEDs for lighting menus and signs.

The Green Engineering Award, established in 2008, is sponsored by Stephen LaCount P07, an Irvine-based lawyer.

“The primary motivation in creating this award was to raise HMC’s profile in the Orange County/Inland Empire technology sectors and create a partnership with TechAmerica (formerly AeA), the largest tech industry trade association,” LaCount explained.

“I feel that my involvement is a natural extension of being a proud parent of a 2007 HMC graduate (Lauren LaCount) and a supporter of an extraordinary science and engineering college,” he added.

This year’s selection committee evaluated six nominations submitted to TechAmerica for the HMC award.

The committee included: David Money Harris, associate professor of engineering and director of HMC’s Engineering Computing Facility; Sarah Harris; Richard Haskell, chair of the award selection committee, HMC’s Burton Bettingen Professor of Physics and director of the college’s Physics Clinic; HMC student Robert Best ‘10; HMC Trustee Raymond E. Grainger ‘88, founder and chief executive officer, Mavenlink, LLC; Gregg Ander, chief architect for the customer service business unit of Southern California Edison; Olivier Chaine ‘95, founder and chief executive officer, Magnify360; Don Allen, vice president of corporate communications, Incuity; and Jon P. Roberts ‘93/’94, director of building science, CTG Energetics, Inc.

The winner of the award must have made a significant contribution in the area of “green” engineering or sustainability in one of several areas:

1. Design and production of a specific new device, system or technology that conserves energy or natural resources, reduces the production and emission of pollutants, or reduces the organization’s carbon footprint significantly below current levels
2. Adoption and implementation of new and innovative production technologies for current products that significantly improve the environment
3. Support for community-based initiatives to address environmental issues related to the design, production and use of electrical and electronic technologies

Last year’s award went to Incuity Software for their IncuityCEM software packaging that saved Rice University 22 percent of their annual energy expenditure.