Drexel Professors Among 2013 Philadelphia Geek Awards Nominees

Dr. Frank Lee, the man behind the 29-story game of Pong on the side of the Cira Centre, is a nominee in three categories at this year's Philadelphia Geek Awards.

Nominees for the 2013 Philadelphia Geek Awards are in.  Among the field for this year’s recognition of local ingenuity, intellect and innovation are Drexel’s Dr. Frank Lee, an associate professor in the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design and director of the Entrepreneurial Game Studio, and undergraduate digital media student Greg Lobanov.

The awards, which are hosted by the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University and presented by the blog Geekadelphia, have been selected annually since 2011 to honor and celebrate Philadelphia’s vibrant “geek” culture. This year the 14 categories range from Scientist of the Year to Comic Creator of the Year, from Startup of the Year to Event of the Year. A panel of subject matter experts, representatives from Geekadelphia and the Academy review the nominees and select the winners.

Last year, Dr. Youngmoo Kim, an associate professor in the College of Engineering and director of the ExCITe Center, took home "Scientist of the Year" honors for his breadth of work to educate and excite people about science in Philadelphia.  

Lee made waves in the tech and gaming community locally and nationally when he turned the LED-lit north face of the Cira Centre office building into a 29-story version of the classic arcade game Pong as part of Philly Tech Week in April. He is nominated for “Hacker of the Year” and “Geek of the Year,” which, according to Geekadelphia co-founder Eric Smith, is the most highly coveted award at the ceremony. And the event, itself, is a nominee in the category of “Geek Story of the Year.”

Lobanov is a student in Westphal College’s digital media program and started his own game design company. His game “Perfection,” which was launched this spring for iOS, Android, PC and Mac, was nominated for “Indie Game of the Year.”

The awards, which Smith describes as “like the Oscars, but a lot sillier and a lot more fun,” are a black-tie, red-carpet affair that will take place at the Academy on Saturday, Aug. 17. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with cocktails, and the ceremony begins at 8 p.m.

For more information, tickets and the complete list of nominees visit www.phillygeekawards.com.