Stony Brook Celebrates Inventors Turning Research into Real-World Impact

The Stony Brook University Chapter of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI-SBU) brought together faculty, staff, research leaders and supporters for its 2026 Annual Meeting and Induction Ceremony, celebrating the university's most inventive faculty and members of our innovation community.

The annual program recognized new NAI-SBU chapter members, honorary members, Young Academic Inventor Award recipients and Stony Brook inventors whose work resulted in newly issued U.S. patents over the past year. The meeting was highlighted by a keynote presentation from Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith, an accomplished inventor and National Academy of Inventors Fellow, who was also recognized as the first inductee to the NAI-SBU's Inventors Hall of Fame.

The meeting opened with remarks from Mónica Bugallo, interim vice president for research and innovation. "At Stony Brook, invention and innovation are deeply embedded in who we are as a university," said Bugallo. "Even as a relatively young institution, Stony Brook researchers have transformed medicine, science, engineering and technology through discoveries that have changed lives around the world."

Bugallo pointed to Stony Brook's diverse history of discovery across fields including MRI technology, Lyme disease research, virtual colonoscopy, cancer therapeutics, energy systems, artificial intelligence and quantum technologies. She also emphasized that the university's innovation ecosystem continues to grow through the work of faculty, students, staff, industry collaborators and research partners.

The meeting continued as Adam DeRosa, executive director of the NAI-SBU Chapter, introduced Iwao Ojima, president of the NAI-SBU Chapter, NAI Fellow, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry and founder and director of Stony Brook's Institute of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, who provided an overview of the chapter.

Ojima reflected on the chapter's history and mission, emphasizing its role in recognizing academic inventors, increasing the visibility of university technology, encouraging intellectual property disclosure, mentoring students and translating inventions for the benefit of society. He also underscored the importance of building a community of inventors across disciplines.

The Induction and Award Ceremony was highlighted by the administration of the NAI oath and pin ceremony for new inductees by Paul R. Sanberg, president of the National Academy of Inventors.

A key part of the annual meeting was the presentation of the Young Academic Inventor Awards, which recognize early-career faculty already making significant contributions to invention, translational research and entrepreneurship. Each awardee received a $1,000 prize and certificate to acknowledge these great accomplishments.

The chapter also continued its tradition of recognizing Stony Brook inventors whose work resulted in U.S. patents. In 2025, Stony Brook was granted 27 U.S. patents to more than 30 individual inventors, who received honorary plaques commemorating the achievement. This was made possible by the SUNY Research Foundation and Intellectual Property Partners (IPP).

The meeting concluded with an overview of the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program from Anurag Purwar, professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, director and principal investigator of the NSF I-Corps Site at Stony Brook, and an NAI Senior Member. The program helps researchers explore the commercial potential of their work and supports faculty interested in translating discoveries into startups and industry partnerships.

In closing remarks, DeRosa thanked the new inductees and awardees, the chapter's board members, executive committee, sponsors and university partners, while also recognizing Sean Boykevisch for his five-year tenure as the chapter's former executive director. During that period, the chapter received the NAI's 2024 Chapter of Excellence Award.

The evening concluded with a networking reception celebrating Stony Brook's inventors, honorees and the growing community of faculty, staff, students and partners helping turn discovery into societal benefit.

Congratulations to this year's new NAI-SBU members and awardees:

New members of the National Academy of Inventors

Jun Chung, associate professor in the Department of Pathology in the Renaissance School of Medicine..

Shan Lin, associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Alexander Orlov, professor in the Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

New Honorary Members

Lisa Chichura, director of Stony Brook's Strategic Partnership for Industrial Resurgence (SPIR)..

Dorene Price, chief intellectual property counsel at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Alexander Vodovozov, senior attorney at Hoffmann & Baron LLP.

New Young Academic Inventor Award Winners

Dimitris Assanis, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Amir Rahmati, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science.

Shanshan Yao, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.