Edmonton-In addition to being a teacher and researcher, some engineering professors also hold the title of inventor.
Holder of 40 U.S. patents, Thomas Thundat, A Canada Excellence Research Chair and professor in Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, has been named a Fellow of the distinguished National Academy of Inventors (NAI) based in Tampa, Florida in the United States.
"It's an honour to be elected to NAI and I plan to nominate my colleagues in the future," Thundat said.
Election to NAI Fellow status is a high professional distinction accorded to 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.
As of 2014, the total number of NAI Fellows comes to 414 representing more than 150 prestigious research universities, governmental, and non-profit research institutions. Among the NAI fellows are 61 presidents and senior leadership of research universities and non-profit research institutes, 21 inductees of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, 16 recipients of the U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation, 10 recipients of the U.S. National Medal of Science, 62 IEEE Fellows, and 21 Nobel Laureates, among other awards and distinctions.
Thomas Thundat holds the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Oil Sands Molecular Engineering. He has also been elected as Fellow of the American Physical Society, the Electrochemical Society, the American Association for Advancement of Science and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
"There aren't as many resources in Edmonton to patent inventions as there are in the U.S." Thundat explained. "We need to increase the spirit. It's so important to encourage inventors to apply for patents. We have good people here with great ideas."
NAI Fellows are nominated by their peers for their outstanding contributions to innovation in areas such as patents and licensing, innovative discovery and technology, significant impact on society, and support and enhancement of innovation.
Thundat's patents are mostly focused on his work developing different methods of sensing. His research is focused on novel physical, chemical and biological detection of using micro- and nano -mechanical sensors. His expertise lies in the areas of interfaces, biophysics, scanning probes, nanoscale phenomena and quantum confined atoms.
"Edmonton is promoting entrepreneurship and on my part at the U of A, I also want to encourage people to become inventors," Thundat said. "I hope to see more inventions patented in Edmonton. Positivity can lead to change."
The Deputy U.S. Commissioner for Patent Operations from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will induct the NAI Fellows during the 4th Annual Conference of the National Academy of Inventors on March 20, 2015, at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Fellows will be presented with a trophy, newly designed medal, and a rosette pin in honor of their outstanding accomplishments. To honor these academic luminaries of invention and innovation, a plaque listing the name and institution of each NAI Fellow will be on permanent display at the USPTO.