HOUSTON, April 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Approximately 400 members and constituents of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) will convene in Houston April 10-11 for the eighth Annual Meeting of the NAI. The meeting will feature keynote speeches by Maria Oden, Director of the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen at Rice University; Walter Copan, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology; Steven Sasson, University of South Florida and inventor of the digital camera; Ellen Ochoa, veteran astronaut and former director of the Johnson Space Center; and Drew Hirshfeld, U.S. Commissioner for Patents. The meeting will culminate with the 2019 NAI Fellows Induction Ceremony and Signature Gala at Space Center Houston.
The theme of the NAI's eighth Annual Meeting is "Connecting the Innovation Community," and the program features presentations on topics such as Industry, Academia and Government Collaborations, Connecting Disciplines to Explore Innovative Solutions and Insights for Future Innovation. Presenters include NAI members and Fellows along with university leaders and government officials.
"The Annual Meeting of the NAI is consistently a space of collaboration and inspiration where we can support and encourage academic inventors to pursue their loftiest goals," said Paul R. Sanberg, President of the NAI. "Houston, home of the Johnson Space Center, is a vibrant hub of innovation, exploration and discovery, and the perfect place to recognize our incredible community. I look forward to two days of learning from and with our attendees, and honoring the outstanding achievements of our members."
The NAI will induct the new Fellow inducteess on April 11, 2019, in the Astronaut Gallery at Space Center Houston. Hirshfeld will deliver the keynote address at the ceremony.
"It is my distinct pleasure to attend the eighth Annual Meeting of the NAI, which promises to serve as the premier arena where academic innovation and entrepreneurship is recognized, honored and cultivated," Hirshfeld said. "The academy has continued to grow in pursuit of their mission in leading the conversation surrounding the innovation ecosystem's impact on academia. I look forward to recognizing the newest class of NAI Fellows and the immeasurable impact they have made upon their communities."
Collectively, the 1,060 NAI Fellows represent over 250 institutions worldwide. They hold more than 38,000 issued U.S. patents that have generated more than 11,000 licensed technologies and created more than 36 million jobs. In addition, discoveries made by NAI Fellows have generated over $1.6 trillion in revenue.
Among all NAI Fellows, there are over 125 presidents and senior leaders of research universities, governmental and non-profit research institutes; 502 members of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine; 40 inductees of the National Inventors Hall of Fame; 57 recipients of the U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation and U.S. National Medal of Science; and 34 Nobel Laureates, among other awards and distinctions.
A detailed agenda is available here. Invited papers from the meeting will be published in the NAI's multidisciplinary journal Technology & Innovation (T&I). To learn more about T&I, visit https://academyofinventors.org/ti-journal/.
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 at the University of South Florida 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. The NAI publishes the multidisciplinary journal, Technology & Innovation. www.academyofinventors.org
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SOURCE National Academy of Inventors
