EVANSTON, Ill. --- Three Northwestern University doctoral candidates were named to the 2009 “50 for the Future” list sponsored by the Illinois Technology Foundation (ITF).

Biomedical engineering student Carrie Brubaker and electrical engineering and computer science students Francisco Iacobelli and Nathan Nichols were honored at a recent ITF awards ceremony. They were selected from among 150 nominees.

The competition recognizes regional talent in technology research and provides students with connections to business leaders through one-on-one mentorships and networking opportunities.

“Networking is very important, but the award was also a good motivation boost,” said Iacobelli. “Sometimes it is very hard to go from a research project to a concrete application, so it is nice know our ideas and the way we execute them are among the finest they have seen.”

Northwestern University Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Morteza Rahimi and Deputy Chief Information Officer and Associate Vice President Patricia Todus attended the event and served as education judges for the celebration.

“The ITF provides an unparalleled opportunity for rising information technology stars to network with industry leaders and educators,” said Rahimi.

The ITF is the educational outreach initiative for the Illinois Technology Association, a regional industry trade association with more than 600 member companies, headquartered in Chicago and serving all of Illinois. Northwestern is an educational partner in the organization.