Texas Tech and TTUHSC Faculty Named NAI Senior Members

Four faculty members across the two institutions received recognition for their inventions.

• By Allen Ramsey
• February 17, 2023
• Research

The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has designated four faculty members from the Texas Tech University System as Senior Members.

Two professors from Texas Tech University’sEdward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering, Harvinder Gill and Siva Vanapalli, along with two professors from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Medicine, Ted Reid and Lindsay Penrose, were among the 95 academic inventors identified by NAI’s member institutions as the 2023 class of Senior Members.

“What a wonderful honor for Texas Tech and TTUHSC faculty,” Texas Tech Vice President for Research & Innovation Joseph Heppert said. “We are proud of their accomplishments, and extremely happy that NAI has recognized their work with this important distinction.”

NAI Senior Members are active faculty, scientists and administrators from NAI Member Institutions who have demonstrated remarkable innovation producing technologies that have brought, or aspire to bring, real impact on the welfare of society. They also have growing success in patents, licensing and commercialization, while educating and mentoring the next generation of inventors.

“We are truly proud of our newly inducted Senior Members, at both TTUHSC and Texas Tech,” said Lance R. McMahon, TTUHSC Senior Vice President of the Office of Research and Innovation. “I am particularly grateful for the collaborative efforts between our universities, not only between faculty inventors working creatively together in their labs, but also between our research offices and system commercialization office to help our inventors achieve this prestigious national recognition.”

The ability to nominate an individual for NAI Senior Member recognition is an exclusive opportunity afforded to NAI Member Institutions to recognize their emerging innovators and foster an inclusive culture of innovation and invention on their campuses. Each of these member organizations are widely regarded as innovation powerhouses which continuously promote and foster the spirit of innovation.

The induction ceremony for new NAI members will take place June 26, 2023, at the 12th NAI annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

“I’m delighted to see how this program has expanded in just a couple years’ time,” NAI President Paul R. Sanberg said. “It really reflects the shift we are seeing at universities where invention is not only being recognized but prioritized as well.”

The NAI’s mission is to recognize and encourage academic 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.