Academic Leaders from USF and UCF to Attend and Speak
The National Academy of Inventors (NAI), which is headquartered at the University of South Florida’s Research Park in Tampa, Florida, will bring together some of the world’s leading minds for its annual conference. The conference will be held in Phoenix, Arizona, on June 14th and 15th at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass.
“Discussing how we can help young inventors tackle the globe’s greatest challenges, the future of patents, and the role of academic research in the inventing space are all on the agenda for this conference,” said Elizabeth Dougherty, Easter Regional Outreach Director at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Ms. Dougherty will represent the USPTO at this year’s Fellows induction ceremony.
Other notable attendees include:
- Dr. Karen Panetta, Dean of Graduate Education for the School of Engineering and Professor of electrical and computer engineering at Tufts University, is a world-renowned inventor and researcher in the field of computer-vision technology. She’s also the founder of Nerd Girls, an international program aimed at promoting and showcasing the need for women in STEM careers.
- Dr. Mihri Ozkan, Climate Action Champion Professor at the University of California Riverside and leader in green technology. Her innovations include a reusable sponge that can soak up oil spills and lithium-ion batteries that last three times longer than graphite versions, among several others.
- Dr. Gary Michelson, National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductee and philanthropist whose work in non-invasive methods has revolutionized back surgeries for millions of people.
Some of Florida’s foremost academic leaders will also be featured in panel discussions, including:
- Dr. Alexander Cartwright, University of Central Florida President and internationally recognized researcher and scholar in the area of optical sensors, will speak on the President’s Panel. Cartwright, who has extensive experience in securing research funding for universities, will address the role of innovation in university culture and how to inspire future generations of inventors.
- Dr. Sylvia Wilson Thomas, University of South Florida Vice President of Research & Innovation and renowned researcher with over 10 patents, will speak on the Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Panel. Thomas is involved with several organizations that aim to create a more diverse STEM field, including Black Girls Code, the Society of Women Engineers, and the National Society of Black Engineers. Her leadership shows how some of the biggest challenges for minority inventors can be overcome.
The NAI is a member-based organization of patent-holding inventors at academic institutions and nonprofit research organizations across the U.S. and around the globe. With a membership of more than 4,000 from 250 institutions, NAI members have won 44 Nobel Prizes and 63 U.S. Medals of Science, Technology, and Innovation. They hold more than 53,000 patents and have started over 13,000 licensed technologies and companies, creating 1 million jobs and $3 trillion in revenue.
For the full list of events and attendees, please visit NAI’s conference agenda website. For more information or to stream conference events online, please contact Ashley Young at ashley.young@otterpr-outreach.com.