Four faculty members from Arizona universities have been named as fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and will be inducted at a gathering in Phoenix next summer.
The three professors from the University of Arizona and one from Arizona State University are among 164 academic innovators from 116 universities and institutes around the world to be selected for the honor.
The new fellows from UArizona are Liesl Folks, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs and professor of electrical and computer engineering; Mark Van Dyke, associate dean of research and professor of biomedical engineering; and Terry Matsunaga, a research professor of medical imaging and adjunct professor of biomedical engineering.
From ASU is Jianming Liang, an associate professor at the College of Health Solutions.
The NAI says that its fellows program honors academic inventors who have demonstrated a spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society.
NAI fellows hold more than 48,000 issued patents that have generated more than 13,000 licensed technologies and companies and created more than a million jobs and $1 trillion in revenue, the organization said.
"Recent years have shown us – maybe more than any other time in recent memory – the immeasurable impact inventors can have on making a better world for all," Doug Hockstad, assistant vice president for Tech Launch Arizona, the UArizona office that commercializes inventions stemming from university research, said in a statement. "My wish is that the spirit and drive of these three extraordinary faculty serve as a model for the many, many more innovators in our community whose work has the potential to address the challenges we face."
About the honorees
UArizona’s Folks — an internationally recognized expert in magnetic materials and devices, nanoscale metrology and spin-electronic devices — holds 14 U.S. patents involving technologies such as 3D memory arrays, electromagnetic resonance sensors and patterned magnetic recording media. Her work has been used in motors, cellphones, headphones, field sensors and more.
Van Dyke has 40 U.S. patents and has made contributions to tissue engineering and trauma treatment, introducing the use of keratin-based biomaterials to treat burns, hemorrhage, bone damage and peripheral nerve damage.
Matsunaga is listed on 17 patent applications and is an inventor in 23 issued patents. His research in microbubble technology for cancer imaging and drug and gene delivery has helped in echocardiogram diagnoses and he has played a vital role in intravascular ultrasound advances.
ASU’s Liang — who specializes in artificial intelligence and deep learning for computer-aided diagnosis — holds 33 patents and has more than 40 pending. His work has particularly helped cancer and pulmonary embolism patients.
UArizona President Robert Robbins said Folks, Van Dyke and Matsunaga reflect their school’s deep commitment to exploration.
"The inclusion of our faculty members in this prestigious group of innovators speaks volumes about the tremendous work being done at the University of Arizona to create positive impact in people's lives," Robbins said in a statement.
Deborah Helitzer, dean and professor at ASU’s College of Health Solutions noted the direct positive effect that Liang’s work has had on millions of patients.
“Through our conversations and his lectures I have attended, I can attest that our students and faculty have an accomplished yet down-to-earth colleague who is generous with his time and provides significant service to the college,” Helitzer said in a statement. “He is the role model to which we all aspire.”
This year’s class of fellows include 33 members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and three Nobel Prize winners.
"The caliber of this year's class of NAI Fellows is outstanding. Each of these individuals are highly-regarded in their respective fields," Sanberg said. "The breadth and scope of their discovery is truly staggering. I'm excited not only see their work continue, but also to see their knowledge influence a new era of science, technology, and innovation worldwide."
The new fellows will be inducted in Phoenix on June 15 at the NAI’s 11th annual meeting.
