Khonsari, Rao Elected Senior Members of National Academy of Inventors
February 12, 2019
BATON ROUGE, LA – Three LSU faculty members have been elected by the National Academy
of Inventors, or NAI, as senior members. They are among the 66 academic inventors
to the inaugural class of NAI Senior Members. The three faculty include LSU Department
of Mechanical Engineering Professor and the DOW Chemical Endowed Chair in Rotating
Machinery Michael Khonsari, LSU Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering
Emmett C. Wells Jr. Distinguished Professor Dandina Rao, and LSU Pathobiological Sciences
Professor Shafiqul Chowdhury.
These NAI Senior Members are active faculty, scientists and engineers at LSU, which is a NAI sustaining member institution. They have a record of success in patents, licensing and commercialization. They have produced technologies that have brought, or aspire to bring, real impact on the welfare of society.
“Dr. Khonsari has made the ‘game-changing’ contribution to the theory and methodology for lifetime assessment and prediction of materials and components subjected to degradation forces such as fatigue and wear,” said Dimitris Nikitopoulos, chair of the LSU Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. “Researchers around the globe are using these principles with remarkable success. Implementation of his inventions can offer significant benefits to industry.”
“Throughout his career, Dan Rao has developed new technologies for mobilizing oil and helping maximize recovery,” said Karsten Thompson, chair of the LSU Craft and Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering. “Today, his contributions are more important than ever, as we work to maximize production from existing resources before developing new areas. I’m very happy to see Dan recognized with this award.”
“We are especially proud of these three LSU faculty who have been recognized nationally for their innovation and dedication to solving today’s pressing challenges,” said Sam Bentley, LSU Office of Research & Economic Development interim vice president.
Senior members also foster a spirit of innovation within their communities through enhancing an inventive atmosphere at their institutions, while educating and mentoring the next generation of inventors.
“The creativity and spirit of innovation is catching here at LSU and our faculty are helping drive the state’s economic engine,” said Andrew Maas, LSU Office of Innovation & Technology Commercialization director.
This inaugural class of NAI Senior Members represents 37 research universities and government and non-profit research institutes. They are named inventors on more than 1,100 issued U.S. patents.
“The election of the inaugural class of NAI Senior Members is a significant designation for a group of prolific inventors from NAI Member Institutions who are collectively a driving force in American innovation,” said Paul R. Sanberg, NAI president. “This is truly an accomplishment worth celebrating.”
Senior members undergo a two-step selection process, including internal NAI review and consideration by the advisory committee. The committee comprises elected NAI members and other professionals considered pioneers in their respective fields.
In addition to the three inaugural senior members, LSU has four faculty who have been elected NAI Fellows: Roger Laine, Mandi Lopez, Isiah Warner and K.T. Valsaraj, who is also serving on the NAI board of directors for 2018-19.
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
Additional Link: NAI Senior Members list
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Contact Alison Satake
LSU Media Relations
225-578-3870
asatake@lsu.edu