Three Elected to Inventors Academy

Three NC State faculty members have been elected fellows of the National Academy of Inventors, a nonprofit organization that encourages academic innovation.

Physics professor David Aspnes, material science and engineering professor Jerome Cuomo and chemical engineering professor Joseph DeSimone were among 143 fellows honored at NAI’s annual convention in Alexandria, Va., March 6-7.

The 2013 class includes six recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, two recipients of the National Medal of Science, nine Nobel laureates, five Lemelson-MIT Prize winners, 23 AAAS fellows and 23 IEEE fellows.

Aspnes has 23 patents and has published over 450 papers with an emphasis on the theory and practice of linear and nonlinear optical spectroscopies for determining the properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and bulk materials. He is generally credited with developing spectroscopic ellipsometry, the linear-optic materials/thin-film diagnostic technique on which integrated-circuit technology depends.

Cuomo has developed innovations in materials synthesis and processes that enabled diverse technologies that include electron emission cathodes, tungsten films, ion beam technologies, amorphous magnetic materials and amorphous hydrogenated silicon. He has published more than 350 papers and has about 125 patents.

DeSimone has developed a technique for the fabrication of monodisperse particles with simultaneous control over structure and function. This innovation is being used to develop next-generation vaccines and treatments for cancer and pulmonary and systemic diseases. He has published more than 300 articles and holds more than 140 patents.

Academic inventors and innovators elected to the rank of NAI fellow are nominated by their peers for outstanding contributions to innovation in areas such as patents and licensing, innovative discovery and technology, significant impact on society, and support and enhancement of innovation.

NAI was founded in 2010 to recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, 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.