NSF Director, Nobel Laureate, NASA Astronaut and Moderna Co-Founder Headline Conference of Inventor Notables

TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) hosted their tenth Annual Meeting with a packed speaker line-up featuring legendary inventors such as Robert Langer, Co-Founder of Moderna; Sethuraman Panchanathan, Director of the National Science Foundation (NFS); Ellen Ochoa, Chair, National Science Board and former director of NASA's Johnson Space Center; Ming Hsieh, Founder Fulgent Genetics; James Howard, Executive Director Black Inventors Hall of Fame; Cato T. Laurencin, Distinguished Professor at the University of Connecticut; George Smith, Nobel Laureate, from the University of Missouri and Paul R. Sanberg, NAI President.

The three-day event also included keynote speakers Rhea Law, President of the University of South Florida (USF) and Paul Sohl, CEO of the Florida High Tech Corridor; a Signature Gala, and induction ceremonies for the newest classes of NAI Fellows and Senior Members.

The purpose of the hybrid-style conference, attended by over 400 guests, was to discuss to critical role academic discovery played throughout the pandemic and will play moving forward concerning our society and planet's health.

This was clearly demonstrated in NAI Fellow Langer's presentation on the rapid development of his company's Moderna vaccine (against covid-19) and Fellow Panchanathan's passionate speech outlining the NSF's organizational priorities to address the most urgent and complex issues we face today.

New to the annual event was the presentation of NAI's Founders' Awards given to individuals who were instrumental in the establishment and success of the Academy. Awards recipients included: Panchanathan Sethuraman (NSF); the United States Patent and Trademark Office's former Director, David Kappos, and former Associate Commissioner, Richard Maulsby; Judy Genshaft, former President of USF; and Paul Sanberg, founder of the NAI.

Many NAI Members hold leadership roles in national academic institutions, boards and councils. They represent some of the most distinguished and translational individuals in all fields of scientific inquiry, including over 40 inventive noble laureates.

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 to recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), 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 has a close collaborative relationship with the USPTO and is one of three honorific organizations, along with the National Medals and National Inventors Hall of Fame, working closely with the USPTO on many discovery and innovation support initiatives. The NAI publishes the multidisciplinary journal, Technology and Innovation. www.academyofinventors.org

Media Contact:
Jody Santoro, National Academy of Inventors
[email protected]
+1-813-974-0782

SOURCE National Academy of Inventors

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