One highlight of the conference was recognizing Len Czuba with the prestigious Glenn Beall Founders Award, honoring a career defined by technical excellence, industry leadership, and unwavering service to the medical device community.
Congratulations to the SPE MPD MiniTec organizing team for a great event. It was great to connect with so many industry peers dedicated to improving healthcare.
The Society of Plastics Engineers’ Medical Plastics Division (SPE MPD) recently recognized Len Czuba with its prestigious Glenn Beall Founders Award, honoring a career defined by technical excellence, industry leadership, and unwavering service to the medical device community.
This award, named in honor of Glenn Beall, celebrates individuals whose contributions have helped shape and strengthen SPE MPD and the broader medical plastics field. Len’s selection reflects decades of impact as an engineer, educator, innovator, and mentor.
For more than four decades, Len Czuba has been a leading voice in medical device materials and manufacturing. As President of Czuba Enterprises, he has guided hundreds of companies from early concept through commercialization, helping teams navigate material selection, processing challenges, regulatory requirements, and risk management.
His work spans:
Medical-grade polymers and biomaterials
Injection molding and extrusion optimization
Design-for-manufacturing in regulated environments
Failure analysis and expert witness services
Patent development and intellectual property strategy
Through this work, Len has helped transform promising ideas into safe, reliable, and scalable medical products.
Leadership Within SPE MPD
Beyond his technical achievements, Len’s long-standing commitment to SPE has been central to his legacy.
Over the years, he has served in multiple leadership roles, including Medical Plastics Division Chair and SPE International President. He has also been a consistent presence at conferences, workshops, and training programs—sharing practical insights grounded in real-world experience.
His contributions include:
Organizing and supporting educational programs
Mentoring early-career engineers
Promoting ethical and professional standards
Strengthening collaboration across industry, academia, and consulting
For many members, Len has been both a trusted resource and a steady advocate for excellence.
Advancing Education and Knowledge
Len is widely recognized as one of the field’s most effective educators. Through seminars, articles, courses, and conference presentations, he has helped thousands of professionals deepen their understanding of medical plastics.
His teaching style combines:
Clear technical fundamentals
Real-world case studies
Regulatory and risk-awareness
Practical problem-solving frameworks
This blend has made his sessions invaluable to engineers, product managers, quality leaders, and executives alike.
Why the Glenn Beall Founders Award Matters
Glenn Beall was more than a founding member—he was a mentor, innovator, and tireless advocate for the advancement of medical plastics. This award ensures that his legacy continues to inspire excellence and service within our community. The Glenn Beall Founders Award is one of SPE MPD’s highest honors. It recognizes individuals who:
Demonstrate sustained leadership
Advance the medical plastics profession
Support the growth of the SPE community
Inspire future generations
Len’s career embodies each of these values. His influence extends far beyond individual projects—shaping how medical devices are designed, built, validated, and improved across the industry.
A Well-Deserved Recognition
Len Czuba’s career reflects what is possible when deep technical mastery is combined with generosity, integrity, and commitment to community. Whether advising startups, supporting global manufacturers, or mentoring young engineers, he has consistently raised the standard for the profession.
On behalf of the medical plastics community, SPE MPD proudly congratulates Len on receiving the Glenn Beall Founders Award.
His work continues to inspire—and his legacy will benefit our field for generations to come.
One of the highlights of our recent event was the poster sessions. These presentations showcased the curiosity, creativity, and commitment that drive innovation in medical plastics and biomaterials. We are grateful to all of our presenters for sharing their work and engaging in thoughtful discussions with attendees
Our academic researchers brought forward impressive and impactful projects.
Block CoPolymer-Directed Self-Assembly of Optically Active Nanoparticles by Jayme Chow from UC Irvine
Influence of Carbon Fiber Reinforcement on the Shape Memory Characteristics and Mechanical Properties of PETG by Viswanath Aditham and Yanika Schneider from San Jose State University
We were equally pleased to feature strong industry-focused research and real-world perspectives.
Materials Testing to Support Root Cause Analysis for Manufacturing and Quality Issues at AtriCure by Cameron Sawyer, AtriCure, Inc.
IGS GeboJagema and SPE Medical Plastics Division are proud to announce the Awardees of the Student Scholarship in the topic of Molding of Medical Plastics and Polymers. The winners are:
OVERALL WINNER:
Dakota Antcliff
Plastics Engineering student at Ferris State
FINALIST:
Molly Garber
Plastics Engineering student at UW Stout
FINALIST:
Ethan Graetz
Plastics Engineering student at UW Stout
We were incredibly impressed with the quality of the student candidates – and can’t wait to see the impact they have on the world!
The Medical Plastics Division exists to facilitate the exchange of technical and regulatory information on polymer materials/components used in medical devices and the healthcare industry.
On October 21 2025, MPD hosted our conference on Medical Polymers at MD&M Midwest in Minneapolis. We had a great time meeting old and new friends across the MedTech community. Speakers and attendees joined us from across industry and academia to discuss hot topics in Medical Polymers and Medtech.
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: Open August 22 – October 31, 2025
IGS GeboJagema and SPE Medical Plastics Division are proud to announce a Student Scholarship in the topic of Molding of Medical Plastics and Polymers. The $4,000 award is co-sponsored by IGS and SPE MPD and is expected to be provided to students in the 2026 calendar year. $4,000 is to be paid in cash to the student following the Terms and Conditions section below.
Requirements for Applicants:
Undergraduate student enrolled in a U.S.-based university or college, in an accredited engineering or science major.
Examples of appropriate majors: Plastics Engineering, Plastics Technology, Mechanical Engineering with focus on Plastics and/or Plastics Mold Development, or Materials Engineering with focus on Plastics.
Completion of submission form on SPE MPD website, to include:
Your academic background, current career plans, and description of interest in medical plastics or polymers.Verification as a current member of SPE. It is free for students to join at Membership Application | SPE (4spe.org).
Approval for SPE MPD to verify your enrollment at your noted university or college.
Pre-award interview: Commitment to attend (virtually) one 30-minute conference call between October 31 and December 31, 2025. The purpose of this call is to interview potential candidates for the award.
Post-award interview: Commitment to attend (virtually) one 30-minute conference call between January 1 and January 30, 2026. The purpose of this call is to provide notification of the selection, discuss the awardee’s plans, and record the meeting for publicity purposes.
Slots for additional conference calls will be available to the selected student to meet with IGS and SPE MPD representatives, based on the interest of the student, but are not required.
Deadline for submission is October 31, 2025. Scholarship is expected to be selected by December 31, 2025.
Terms and Conditions of Cash Stipend:
Total value not to exceed 4,000 U.S. Dollars.
Award may be split into increments following successful completion of requirements and award selection noted above. After selection, the full value is expected to be disbursed on or before June 30, 2026.
This announcement is not a commitment to award this scholarship. IGS GeboJagema and SPE Medical Plastics Division retain the right to withhold this funding if no suitable candidate is selected.
Scholarship funds may be partially or fully withheld from the awarded candidate if not all Requirements above are fulfilled.
Upon the candidate’s preference, funds from the award may be used to support travel to the MD&M West Expo & SPE MPD MiniTec conference in Anaheim, CA, in February 2026. Any funds used for this purpose will replace an equal portion of the cash stipend.
If you are interested in submitting an application, please submit your application at:
