An institutional member of the prestigious National Academy of Inventors (NAI), the University of Iowa has formed a new local chapter of the organization.
“The University of Iowa Research Foundation created this institutional chapter with encouragement from the NAI to recognize local inventors and further foster a culture of innovation in our university community,” said Aliasger Salem, associate vice president for research and president for the UI Chapter of the NAI.
The chapter expands access to NAI’s educational materials for inventors and entrepreneurs and provides a platform to recognize and celebrate a wide range of the university’s inventors. The new chapter members will be recognized at a reception in September 2024.
The UI Chapter of NAI includes the university’s four recipients of the prestigious NAI Fellowship, which is the highest professional distinction accorded solely to academic inventors. Iowa’s NAI Fellows are:
- Matthew Howard, professor, Department of Neurosurgery, John C. VanGilder Chair in Neurosurgery (Elected Class of 2018)
- John Engelhardt, professor, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology (Elected Class of 2019)
- Milan Sonka, professor of electrical and computer engineering and Lowell G. Battershell Chair in Biomedical Engineering (Elected Class of 2021)
- Aliasger Salem, associate vice president for research and Bighley Chair and Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics (Elected Class of 2023)
The 35 new chapter members of the UI Chapter of NAI include 20 faculty inventors who have made significant contributions to the University of Iowa, and 15 honorary members who facilitate innovation and economic development.
Inventors
| Aliasger Salem | Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics | |
| Andrean Burnett | Radiation Oncology | |
| C. Allan Guymon | Chemical and Biochemical Engineering | |
| Chris Ahern | Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | |
| Christopher Sales | Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences | |
| David Cwiertny | Civil and Environmental Engineering | |
| Donna Santillan | Obstetrics and Gynecology | |
| Evgeny Arshava | Cardiothoracic Surgery | |
| Fatima Toor | Electrical and Computer Engineering | |
| John Prineas | Physics and Astronomy | |
| Karim Abdel-Malek | Biomedical Engineering | |
| Mark Santillan | Obstetrics and Gynecology | |
| Matthew Howard | Neurology | |
| Michael Welsh | Internal Medicine | |
| Ned Bowden | Chemistry | |
| Paul McCray | Pediatrics | |
| Sarah Vigmostad | Biomedical Engineering | |
| Thomas Schnell | Industrial and Systems Engineering | |
| Ziying Yan | Anatomy and Cell Biology | |
| Milan Sonka | Electrical and Computer Engineering | |
Honorary Members
| Abbey Schnell | University of Iowa Research Foundation |
| Chris Parker | UI Ventures |
| Hozhabr Mozafari | University of Iowa Research Foundation |
| Jolene Griffith | University of Iowa Research Foundation |
| Jon Darsee | UI Ventures |
| Jordan Kaufmann | UI Ventures |
| Katie Larson | University of Iowa Research Foundation |
| Kellen Sensor | University of Iowa Research Foundation |
| Marie Kerbeshian | University of Iowa Research Foundation |
| Marty Scholtz | Vice President for Research |
| Mihaela Bojin | University of Iowa Research Foundation |
| Sarah Sapouckey | University of Iowa Research Foundation |
| Sherry McClellen | University of Iowa Research Foundation |
| Tyann Porepp | University of Iowa Research Foundation |
| Katherine Larson | University of Iowa Research Foundation |
The UI chapter joins more than 50 chapters nationwide with over 2,600 members that together create a network dedicated to facilitating innovation and celebrating local and regional inventors.
The University of Iowa Research Foundation and the Office of the Vice President for Research sponsor the UI Chapter of NAI.