Charlotte Is Becoming A National Hub And Center Of Innovation
UNC Charlotte brought together leaders from government, industry, academia and the defense community on April 24, for the 2026 Invention of the Year Awards at the Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City. The event highlighted the University’s growing role in innovation, commercialization and technological impact.
Speakers included John Squires, under secretary of commerce for intellectual property and director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; North Carolina Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt; and retired Brig. Gen. John Teichert, the keynote speaker. Their remarks underscored the connection between innovation, economic growth and national security.
“Innovation is one of the most powerful drivers of economic growth and national resilience, and UNC Charlotte is rapidly becoming a national hub for that work,” said Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber. “Our faculty, students and partners are pushing boundaries across disciplines, and their achievements reflect UNC Charlotte’s expanding role as a center of innovation for our region, state and beyond.”
The Invention of the Year Awards recognize the moment when research becomes a protected invention, often the first step toward commercialization. UNC Charlotte has seen rapid growth in patents and startup formation, ranking among national leaders in innovation productivity per research dollar. Its discoveries are advancing fields spanning health care, energy resilience, advanced manufacturing and dual-use defense technologies. The program is led by Laura Peter, executive director of IP and Technology Transfer.
This year’s competition considered 41 patented technologies, up from 27 in its inaugural year.
Award recipients included:
- Clean Energy and Power Systems — Self-healing polymers for resilient electronics and energy systems, by Christopher Bejger, associate professor of chemistry; Sushil Bhatta, postdoctoral fellow; Fuead Hasan, Ph.D. student in chemistry; and Jonathan Gillen, Ph.D. student in chemistry
- Information and Data Science — AI-powered drone platform for real-time disaster response, by Elizabeth Johnson, senior lecturer in computer science, and Kaleb Wainright ‘20, ‘23 M.S.
- Life Sciences and Health — Bi-specific antibody therapy advancing precision cancer treatment, by Irwin Belk Distinguished Professor Pinku Mukherjee and Timothy Erick, senior science writer for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- Physical and Material Science — Portable optical inspection system for detecting microscopic defects, by Kosta Falaggis, associate professor of mechanical engineering and engineering science, and Sevda Mamaghani, Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering.
The Grand Award was presented to Soumitra Roy Joy, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, for work on signal transmission using engineered metallic island structures, with applications in wearable electronics, resilient communications and next-generation defense systems.
The evening also marked the launch of UNC Charlotte’s chapter of the National Academy of Inventors, further raising the University’s national profile and support for its inventor community.