The National Academy of Inventors is a member organization comprising U.S. and international universities, and governmental and nonprofit research institutes, with more than 4,600 individual inventor members and fellows spanning more than 260 institutions worldwide.
The NAI was founded to recognize and encourage inventors with U.S. patents, enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students, and to create wider public understanding of how its members’ inventions benefit society.
About NAI Fellows
The NAI Fellows program was established to highlight academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society. Election to NAI fellow status is the highest professional distinction accorded solely to academic inventors.
There are 1,898 NAI Fellows worldwide representing more than 300 prestigious universities and governmental and nonprofit research institutes. Collectively, the fellows hold more than 63,000 issued U.S. patents, which have generated more than 13,000 licensed technologies, 3,200 companies and upwards of 1 million jobs. In addition, over $3 trillion in revenue has been generated based on NAI fellow discoveries.
Among all NAI Fellows, there are more than 170 presidents and senior leaders of research universities, governmental and non-profit research institutes; about 710 members of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine; about 62 inductees of the National Inventors Hall of Fame; 69 recipients of the U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation and U.S. National Medal of Science; and 53 Nobel Laureates, among other awards and distinctions.
“Remarkable innovation occurs every day at USC. Our institution’s NAI Fellows include experts who produce a diverse array of world-changing inventions. They are creators, engineers, scientists, and clinicians, whose innovations produce solutions required to improve the human condition and ensure our prosperity.”
Dr. Ishwar K. Puri
Senior Vice President,
Research and Innovation
USC NAI Fellows & Senior Members
Of the 2,450+ NAI fellows and senior members around the country, USC represents 46 of them.
In addition, USC researchers who are named on a U.S. patent are inducted into the USC Chapter of the National Academy of Inventors. Institutions are encouraged by NAI to host their own chapter and customize it to their organization’s innovation goals and initiatives. USC has one of the largest chapters in the United States, with more than 320 members through calendar year 2020.
The USC chapter launched in 2017 and was featured in a 2018 story in the NAI publication Technology and Innovation.
2024
Senior Members
Bart Kosko
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Law
Daniel Lidar
Viterbi Professorship in Engineering and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics and Astronomy
Denis Evseenko
Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Director of Skeletal Regeneration;
Vice Chair for Research of Orthopaedic Surgery
John Mackay
Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomedical Engineering and Ophthalmology
Justin Ichida
Associate Professor of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, John Douglas French Alzheimer's Endowed Professor in Regenerative Medicine
Peter Beerel
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Peter Kuhn
University Professor of Biological Sciences, Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering, and Urology
Qiang Huang
Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Senior Elite Member Travis Williams
Professor of Chemistry, Organic and Organometallic Chemistry
Wei-Min Shen
Associate Professor of Computer Science Practice
Yang Chai
University Professor and George and MaryLou Boone Chair in Craniofacial Molecular Biology; University Professor, Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine; Director, Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology; Associate Dean of Research, Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC
2023
Fellows
Chongwu Zhou
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Eun Kim
William M. Hogue Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
2022
Fellows
Gerard Medioni
Professor Emeritus of Computer Science
Joshua Yang
Arthur B. Freeman Chair Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Lifetime Fellow Petros Ioannou
A.V. "Bal" Balakrishnan Chair, University Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, and Industrial and Systems Engineering
Senior Members
Paul Ronney
Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Yong Chen
Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering
2021
Fellows
Andrea Armani
Ray Irani Chair in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, and Chemistry
Cyrus Shahabi
Helen N. and Emmett H. Jones Professorship in Engineering and Professor of Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Spatial Sciences
Sri Narayan
Late professor of chemistry and scientific director of the Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute
Senior Members
Chongwu Zhou
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
2020
Fellows
C.-C. Jay Kuo
Ming Hsieh Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science
Gerald Loeb
Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Neurology
Senior Members
Michael Zyda
Professor Emeritus of Computer Science Practice
Noah Malmstadt
Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Chemistry
Yan Liu
Philip and Cayley MacDonald Endowed Early Career Chair and Professor of Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Biomedical Sciences
2019
Fellows
Gianluca Lazzi
Fred H. Cole Professorship in Engineering, and Provost Professor of Ophthalmology, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Clinical Entrepreneurship, and Biomedical Engineering
Keith Chugg
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Neil Segel
IBM Professor of Engineering Management and Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Computer Science Practice
Senior Members
Qifa Zhou
Zohrab A. Kaprielian Fellow in Engineering and Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Ophthalmology
Wei Wu
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
2018
Fellows
Lifetime Fellow Ellis Meng
Shelly and Ofer Nemirovsky Chair in Convergent Bioscience and Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering
Michael Waterman
University Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences, Computer Science, and Mathematics
2017
Fellows
Andrew Viterbi
USC Presidential Chair and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Ming Hsieh
Adjunct Research Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Medicine
2016
Fellows
Lifetime Fellow Mark Humayun
Professor of Ophthalmology, Biomedical Engineering, and Integrative Anatomical Sciences; Cornelius J. Pings Chair in Biomedical Sciences; Co-Director, USC Eye Institute; Director of USC Institute for Biomedical Therpeutics; Director, USC Sensory Science Institute