Five 黑洞社区faculty members have been named by the National Academy of Inventors to its new class of 2023 Senior Members.
NAI Senior Members are active faculty, scientists and administrators from NAI member institutions who have demonstrated remarkable innovation producing technologies that have brought, or aspire to bring, real impact on the welfare of society. They also have growing success in patents, licensing and commercialization, while educating and mentoring the next generation of inventors.
This latest class of NAI Senior Members, the largest to date, demonstrates a shared commitment to celebrate the diversity of the academic ecosystem, with 48 outstanding female and/or minority academic inventors included. Hailing from 50 NAI member institutions and research universities across the nation, the 95 members of this impressive class are named inventors on more than 1,200 U.S. patents with many of those being licensed and commercialized.
鈥淭his is outstanding recognition for these five faculty members who are working on the frontiers of medicine, energy, and electronics, and whose work is having global impact in saving lives, protecting our planet, and providing extraordinary learning experiences for 黑洞社区students,鈥� said Sylvia Thomas, interim vice president for research and innovation at USF.
The five new 黑洞社区NAI Senior Members are listed below, with links to their faculty profile page.
Burt Anderson, professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine and associate dean in the 黑洞社区Health Morsani College of Medicine
His research focuses on virulent and infectious bacterial pathogens using unique molecular approaches for their identification and detection. His work has uncovered unique characteristics of these pathogens and he has developed innovative and patented diagnostics, several of which have been licensed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as private industry.
Svitlana N. Garbuzova-Davis, professor in the Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair, 黑洞社区Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair, 黑洞社区Health Morsani College of Medicine
Her research concentrates on the frontier of neurosurgery/neuroscience, especially on developments in stem cell therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)鈥攁lso known as Lou Gehrig鈥檚 disease鈥攆atal degenerative disease affecting motor neurons in the spinal cord, brainstem and cortex.
John N. Kuhn, professor in the Department of Chemical, Biological, and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering
His research has advanced an area of critical concern, globally and nationally鈥攖he urgent need for renewable fuels, especially bioenergy technology. He holds nine patents, three of which are licensed, and he founded two startup companies making national news for their development and implementation of his patented processes.
Ashok Kumar, professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, and affiliated faculty member of the 黑洞社区Clean Energy Research Center and 黑洞社区Nanomedicine Research Center
His research is focused on the development of nanotechnology-based novel materials for multifunctional applications, especially in advanced thin films/coatings for microelectronic and MEMS applications, superhard nanocrystalline coatings for mechanical and tribological applications, and specific coatings for biomedical applications.
Sarath Witanachchi, professor and chair, Department of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences
His research has pioneered the advanced materials and processes to increase the efficiencies of solar energy power production, to make photovoltaics a global and accessible source of energy, as well as hybrid technologies. His work also encompasses technologies and methods to improve digital images, particularly digital camera technologies, resulting in, for example, improved images in low-light situations.
The 2023 class of Senior Members will be celebrated at NAI鈥檚 Annual Meeting June 25-27 in Washington, D.C. See for more information on the event and how to register.
About the University of 黑洞社区
The University of 黑洞社区, a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success, generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News and World Report鈥檚 national university rankings than USF. Serving more than 50,000 students on campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee, 黑洞社区is designated as a Preeminent State Research University by the Florida Board of Governors, placing it in the most elite category among the state鈥檚 12 public universities. 黑洞社区has earned widespread national recognition for its success graduating under-represented minority and limited-income students at rates equal to or higher than white and higher income students. 黑洞社区is a member of the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.
About the National Academy of Inventors
The National Academy of Inventors is a member organization comprising U.S. and international universities, and governmental and non-profit research institutes, with over 4,000 individual inventor members and Fellows spanning more than 250 institutions worldwide. It was founded in 2010 to recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate, and mentor innovative students, and translate the inventions of its members to benefit society. The NAI has a close partnership with the USPTO and is one of three honorific organizations, along with the National Medals and National Inventors Hall of Fame, working closely with the USPTO on many discovery and innovation support initiatives. The NAI publishes the multidisciplinary journal, .