AWARD FOR INNOVATION

Dr. Emilly Obuya is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Russell Sage College, where she teaches and mentors undergraduate students in chemistry and general education. She earned her Ph.D. in Materials and Inorganic Chemistry from SUNY Binghamton and her B.Sc. in Chemistry with First Class Honors from Kenyatta University.

Beyond her faculty role, Dr. Obuya is the Founder of Be5 STEM Club, a community-based program that provides hands-on STEM learning opportunities for K-12 students in the Capital Region of New York and internationally. These initiatives focus on fostering STEM identity, confidence, and early exposure to emerging technologies, with the goal of building sustainable and inclusive STEM ecosystems.

Why Dr. Obuya is an Innovator: Dr. Obuya first connected with TVCOG in 2024 to lead our after school FIRST Lego League Team for KIPP Troy Prep Middle School, thanks to funding from the United Way of the Capital Region. We’ve witnessed firsthand her enthusiasm and energy for developing and implementing unique programs to inspire the next generation of scientists & engineers right here in the neighborhoods of Troy. In a landscape where most funders want the instant gratification of new hires from job training programs, she has been a steadfast advocate for empowering students at ages where they are prone to dropping away from STEM – well before high school. Thank you for your leadership, Dr. Obuya!

AWARD FOR INNOVATION

John Haller founded the Saratoga Joinery, a non-profit community woodworking space, in 2022, which opened to the community in 2024. John’s passion of woodworking is relatively new; he did a three-month intensive at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in 2021 and became officially hooked.

John’s professional career was as a software entrepreneur locally.  He founded SportsSignup in 2003 – a company offering tools to Youth Sports organizations.  He was a co-founder of NearMe in 1999, a company delivering Location Based Services to wireless devices. In 1985, John co-founded MapInfo (now Pitney Bowes MapInfo) building the new desktop mapping industry.  

John attended Rensselaer in the 80s, getting a degree in Mathematics. When not at the shop and woodworking, John sails on Lake George and hikes and travels with his wife Michelle.

Why John is an Innovator: We’ve lost count of the number of TVCOG members who were employed by one of John’s startups at some point. Keeping engineering talent in the Capital Region requires not just jobs, but a supportive environment and a welcoming community. Clearly, the innovations John enabled helped inspire a generation of families to make Albany their home. To go even further, he recognized the need for a “third space” in Saratoga centered on the creativity of woodworking, an ever-popular medium for introducing new people to the hands-on skills they didn’t realize they had.

MEMBER OF THE YEAR

Quinn Miller has been a maker and volunteer at the Center of Gravity for over nine years! In that span, they’ve acted as Membership Coordinator, planned events, and given countless tours. They bounce around many zones within the COG, and have most recently focused on 3D printing merch, displays, and storage for their small business Artifice By Artifact, which they run alongside their partner Ezra.

Why Quinn exemplifies Member of the Year: We’re continuously inspired by Quinn’s selflessness. They’ve made thorough use of the COG’s resources over the years, but what stands out is how much Quinn wants to make sure others get just as much out of membership as they have. Whether it’s giving super enthusiastic tours on Social Night, or warmly greeting families joining us for STEAM Powered Saturdays, you can’t help but get excited about your project with some positive encouragement from Quinn. We’re also incredibly proud to play a role in helping Quinn launch their new small business. Their story encompasses everything the COG is about – personal growth, community growth, and business growth.