About News Batten’s Bala Mulloth Receives COVID-19 Social Entrepreneurship Grant Aug 03, 2020 Batten’s Bala Mulloth Receives COVID-19 Social Entrepreneurship Grant In a multidisciplinary effort, Mulloth and his colleagues will use the grant funding to further research commercialization efforts on a new technology to combat the shortage of personal protective equipment. From left, Bala Mulloth, Gaurav Giri and Michael D. Williams. (Mulloth and Giri photos by Dan Addison, University Communications; Williams by Sanjay Suchak, University Communications)A team of faculty that includes Batten professor Bala Mulloth has been awarded $110,000 for its proposal titled “Technology-Driven Entrepreneurial Solutions to Address Healthcare Worker Protection Needs.” The team’s efforts center around a novel, patent-filed process to rapidly apply metal organic frameworks, MOFs, to fabrics, making it possible for the fabric to filter particulate and viral matter. Using both a technology and human centered design thinking approach, these MOF-coated fabrics can be integrated into existing textile dyeing processes with wide flexibility in fabric choice to create effective PPE’s. The grant comes from the Charlottesville-based Ivy Foundation, which has committed $2 million to support research concerning COVID-19. In a multi-disciplinary effort, Mulloth is collaborating with Gaurav Giri from the School of Engineering and Michael D. Williams from the School of Medicine to address the national shortage of personal protective equipment. Mulloth and Giri are the co-founders of Hava, Inc., a materials science-based company focussed on the fabrication of mass manufacturable and effective air filtration devices. The team seeks to work in tandem with staff at the UVa Medical School to figure out how best the technology can be utilized as an effective PPE based on the healthcare workers’ evolving needs and wants. Given that the compound has the potential to increase the filtration capacity of cotton by a factor of 10, materials treated with it are anticipated to rival N95 masks, the current gold standard. Masks created with the compound are also anticipated to be breathable and washable. "We're grateful to the Ivy Foundation COVID-19 Translational Research Fund for their support. As the pandemic swells and we confront N95 mask shortages, alternative PPE will be essential,” Mulloth said. “We’re confident that our patent-filed manufacturing process and social entrepreneurial approach will help us address the problem in a smart, timely and efficient manner.” Fourteen projects from UVA faculty were selected to receive support from the Ivy Foundation. In addition to healthcare worker protection, the fund will enable research covering diagnosis, treatment, and vaccine development. Read more about this project and the thirteen others selected for funding in UVA Today. Bala Mulloth Bala Mulloth is an assistant professor at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Mulloth is a globally oriented educator and entrepreneur and his work focuses on innovation and social entrepreneurship. Read full bio Related Content Bala Mulloth Challenges to measuring social value creation through social impact assessments: the case of RVA Works Research What are the issues that socially driven organizations face as they attempt to measure their social impact through the myriad social impact assessments (SIAs) available? In this paper, we aim to investigate this overarching research question using the example of RVA Works, a Virginia (Richmond)-based social enterprise that utilized educational programming to promote small business ownership and financial self-sufficiency among traditionally underserved and underprivileged demographics. 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Designers and researchers join forces to imagine the home of the future News Batten’s Bala Mulloth and chemical engineering professor Gaurav Giri, co-founders of Hava Inc., are one of nine design teams commissioned to provide the public with a glimpse into the future of home furnishings and objects for a show titled Hybrid at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia. Stay Up To Date with the Latest Batten News and Events Subscribe
Bala Mulloth Bala Mulloth is an assistant professor at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Mulloth is a globally oriented educator and entrepreneur and his work focuses on innovation and social entrepreneurship. Read full bio
Challenges to measuring social value creation through social impact assessments: the case of RVA Works Research What are the issues that socially driven organizations face as they attempt to measure their social impact through the myriad social impact assessments (SIAs) available? In this paper, we aim to investigate this overarching research question using the example of RVA Works, a Virginia (Richmond)-based social enterprise that utilized educational programming to promote small business ownership and financial self-sufficiency among traditionally underserved and underprivileged demographics.
Strengthening public policies for decent work in Francophone Africa in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic Research The project seeks to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small informal businesses in Benin, Cameroon, Morocco, and Senegal. It will explore policy options for targeted support to those businesses in a way that helps contain the spread of COVID-19 and similar pandemics in the future. It will also seek to identify the best options for building the long-term resilience of vulnerable population groups involved in small informal businesses.
Professor Bala Mulloth and Team Close to Marketing Better-Filtering, More Comfortable Cloth Face Masks News Gaurav Giri and Batten assistant professor of public policy Balashankar Mulloth co-founded Hava, Inc. to develop technology with the potential to dramatically improve the air filtration efficiency and breathability of face masks.
Designers and researchers join forces to imagine the home of the future News Batten’s Bala Mulloth and chemical engineering professor Gaurav Giri, co-founders of Hava Inc., are one of nine design teams commissioned to provide the public with a glimpse into the future of home furnishings and objects for a show titled Hybrid at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia.