8/13/2020 Joseph Park, Illinois ECE
Illinois Assistant Professors Arijit Banerjee and Pengfei Song were both elected as National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Seniors Members for the August 2020 class, recognizing their success and real-world impact.
Written by Joseph Park, Illinois ECE
Illinois ECE Assistant Professors Arijit Banerjee and Pengfei Song were both elected to the rank of National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Senior Members for the August 2020 class.
Founded in 2009, the NAI is an organization comprising of universities, governmental and non-profit research institutes with over 4,000 individual inventor members and Fellows representing more than 250 institutions across the world.
The mission of NAI is 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.
According to the NAI website, this new class of NAI Senior Members consists of 38 accomplished academic inventors representing 24 research universities, governmental entities and non-profit institutes worldwide. Additionally, they are named inventors on 397 issued U.S. patents. Banerjee and Song are the first two from the University of Illinois system to be honored as NAI Senior Members.
Senior Members are chosen by the NAI Senior Member Advisory Committee for their success in patents, licensing, commercialization, and for producing technologies that bring real impact on the welfare of society.
"Senior members in the NAI are a select group of active academic inventors. They are chosen not just for patents, but also for inspiring their students, excellence in nurturing creativity, and impact on society," said Illinois ECE Research Professor Philip T Krein, Grainger Endowed Chair Emeritus in Electric Machinery and Electromechanics in Electrical and Computer Engineering.
"Their inventions were evaluated for commercial success and impact. Prof. Song’s inventions have had enormous influence on medical ultrasound imaging. Prof. Banerjee’s inventions are used in industry for monitoring and diagnostics of the vast installed base of power system equipment. It is thrilling to see this recognition for their high-impact innovations."
The Senior Member program allows for members to expand the reach of the NAI and further their goals in recognizing the contributions of inventors around the globe.
Song is also affiliated with the Beckman Institute.
Find the full list of the August 2020 class of NAI Senior Members here.