Charlotte Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber Ushers In Innovation And Excellence At Invention Of The Year Awards
UNC Charlotte held its inaugural Invention of the Year Awards at The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City to celebrate groundbreaking inventions and cutting-edge technology designed to solve today’s grand challenges.
Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber spoke about the University’s recent achievement of R1 status, which places UNC Charlotte among the nation’s top research institutions. She also emphasized the significance of the University’s ranking in the U.S. News & World Report as No. 45 for innovation and its placement at third in the nation for new startup companies per research dollar.
“Innovation is at the heart of progress,” said Gaber. “Tonight’s celebration is a reflection of UNC Charlotte’s commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and excellence and reinforces Charlotte’s position as a hub for cutting-edge research and economic development.”
Executive Director of the Office of Research Commercialization and Partnerships Laura Peter, who spearheaded the inaugural event, said, “We celebrate the brilliant minds who manifest their genius in patented inventions.”
Awarding Excellence
This year’s highest honor, the Invention of the Year Excellence Award, was presented to Kirill Afonin, professor of chemistry, and Yasmine Radwan, graduate student in chemistry and nanoscale science for their invention: RNA-DNA Fusomers with Tunable Physicochemical, Mechanical and Biological Properties for Diverse Biomedical Applications.
This innovative approach to nucleic acid-based therapy has the potential to revolutionize how diseases are treated, offering improved customization and reduced immune response in advanced biomedical applications.
Sen. Thom Tillis’ Video Remarks
U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, offered congratulatory remarks. He emphasized protecting IP is not just about protecting ideas, but it is “about ensuring our nation’s competitiveness in a global economy where innovation is the currency of progress. The success of universities like UNC Charlotte in creating a pipeline of innovation is vital for fueling economic growth and national security.”
Keynote Address
The evening’s keynote address was delivered by Andrei Iancu, former undersecretary of commerce for intellectual property and director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He highlighted the pivotal role of the patent system in advancing human progress and reaffirmed that the patent system continues to be a vital force for innovation, ensuring that today’s discoveries become the foundation for tomorrow’s breakthroughs.
Additional Invention of the Year Award Recipients
John Daniels, vice chancellor for research, highlighted the University’s remarkable surge in innovative activity. “We have accelerated patent filings by 200 percent over the past five years,” said Daniels before announcing the Invention of the Year Awards with groundbreaking work in four categories:
- Clean Energy and Power Systems
Optimized Magnetic Block Structure for Enhanced Coupling Coefficients in Wireless Power Transfer
Inventors: Tiefu Zhao, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering; Shen-En Chen, professor of civil and environmental engineering; Nicole Braxtan, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering; and Xiuhu (Mason) Sun, graduate student in electrical engineering, Jiale Zhou, graduate student in electrical engineering and Karl Lin, graduate student in infrastructure and environmental systems - Information and Data Science:
ArcNet-Lite: Lightweight Deep Neural Network for Real-Time Series AC Arc Fault Detection
Inventors: Tiefu Zhao, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and Kamal Paul, postdoctoral fellow - Life Sciences and Health:
Vitrification Device
Inventor: Charles Lee, associate professor of mechanical engineering and engineering science - Physical and Material Sciences:
Ceramic Powder Preparation for Additive Manufacturing
Inventor: Ahmed El-Ghannam, professor of mechanical engineering and engineering science
Additional Highlights
Deborah Thomas, associate vice chancellor for research, led the celebration of this year’s patent award winners:
- UNC Charlotte’s formal induction as a National Academy of Inventors Member Institution occurred this past June, an esteemed milestone that highlights the University’s growing impact.
- Ishwar Aggarwal, research professor in physics and optical science, was honored as the University’s first homegrown NAI Fellow.
- Naz Fathma Tumpa, graduate student in chemistry and nanoscale science and Aiden Hawkins, undergraduate student in chemistry, placed in the top five finalists in the National Collegiate Inventors Competition.
- Susan Trammell, professor of physics and optical science, earned third place in the PMU-NAI International Patent Award competition.
- UNC Charlotte’s first class of NAI senior members was announced, recognizing Kirill Afonin, professor of chemistry; James Amburgey, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering; Glenn Boreman, professor and chair of the department of physics and optical science; Olya Keen, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering; Jordan Poler, professor of chemistry; Susan Trammell, professor of physics and optical science; and Michael Walter, professor of chemistry for their outstanding contributions to innovation and research.
In addition, Gaber and Daniels were named honorary members of the National Academy of Inventors in recognition of their dedication and service toward creating invaluable impact within the innovation ecosystem.
Peter, addressing attendees, said, “Let us take this moment to reflect on the transformative impact of tonight’s honorees and look forward with confidence that patents will continue to fuel the fire of genius and solve the grand challenges of our day — right here at UNC Charlotte.”
A Big Thank You to Sponsors and Industry Partners
The Division of Research expressed its appreciation to its industry partners and sponsors: Maynard Nexsen, NCInnovation, UNC Charlotte’s Klein College of Science and William States Lee College of Engineering, Bank of America, Myers Bigel, IDiyas, Alston & Bird, Jenkins, Taylor & Hunt P.A. and the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.
The division also recognized the industry leaders, entrepreneurs and investors who attended the event or who served as judges including the Office of Sen. Thom Tillis, Albermarble, Ally Financial, AquiSense Technologies, Atrium Health, AUTM, Charlotte Center City Partners, Duke Energy, Electric Power Research Institute, Electrolux, Honeywell, Joules Accelerator, Lowes, Meta, North Carolina Department of Commerce, The Glinsky Group, Trane Technologies, USPTO, Wells Fargo, North Carolina Department of Commerce and many others.