Introducing Our National Invention Ambassadors

Dr. Kiana Aran is an internationally recognized inventor, entrepreneur, and bioengineer whose work bridges semiconductor technology, molecular biology, and medicine. She is an Associate Professor in the Shu Chien–Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering at the University of California San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, with a joint appointment in the UC San Diego School of Medicine. 

Dr. Aran’s research focuses on developing bioelectronic technologies that directly interface with biological systems. By integrating nanoelectronics, molecular engineering, and artificial intelligence, her laboratory creates platforms to measure DNA, proteins, cells, and biochemical signals in real time. Her innovations have broad applications in early disease detection, gene-editing quality control, precision medicine, healthy aging, environmental monitoring, and biomanufacturing.

A central theme of her work is transforming semiconductor devices into powerful tools for biology. Her laboratory has pioneered graphene and nanoscale transistor platforms that can electronically detect molecular interactions and characterize the behavior of individual biomolecules. Her team is also developing bioelectronic sensory systems inspired by nature, including technologies that combine biological receptors with semiconductor devices to detect and distinguish chemicals and odors. Through this work, she is helping establish a new generation of electronic systems capable of translating complex biological information into measurable and actionable data.

Dr. Aran is a prolific inventor named on many U.S. and international patent filings, including multiple issued U.S. patents covering bioelectronic sensing, molecular diagnostics, gene-editing analysis, graphene devices, and related technologies. She has consistently translated academic discoveries into practical and commercially relevant innovations. She co-founded Cardea Bio, served as its Chief Scientific Officer, and helped advance graphene-based biological signal processing toward commercialization. Cardea Bio was acquired by Paragraf in 2023. She also co-founded CRISPR QC to develop electronic tools for assessing gene-editing activity and quality.

Her research and inventions have been supported by the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, philanthropist and leading industry partners. Her current research includes high-bandwidth transistors for analyzing molecular dynamics, single-cell electronic phenotyping, and continuous molecular monitoring technologies.

Dr. Aran is a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors and a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. Her many honors and distinctions include the global Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature, the Nature Research Award for Inspiring Women in Science, recognition as one of Inc. magazine’s Top 200 Female Founders, the Distinguished Engineer Medal of Excellence from Rutgers University, and Engineer of the Year from the San Diego engineering community, among others. She is also a TEDx Fellow and an active contributor to national initiatives advancing scientific innovation, technology translation, and engineering leadership.

Beyond her research and entrepreneurship, Dr. Aran is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of scientists, engineers, and inventors. Her career demonstrates how interdisciplinary research, intellectual property, and entrepreneurship can transform scientific discoveries into technologies that improve human health and benefit society.

Charleson S. Bell, PhD is the National Chair of the NSF National Innovation Network, the Hub Director of the NSF I-Corps Hub, Mid-South Region (“Mid-South Hub”), Program Director of the NSF ExLENT Coalition Responsible for Excellence in Skills Training (CREST), and State Lead of the NIH Mid-South Research, Evaluation, and Commercialization Hub (REACH) Hub. He is a Research Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Director of the Vanderbilt Innovation Corps unit at Vanderbilt University, and Associate Director of the Medical Innovators Development Program in the Vanderbilt School of Medicine. Dr. Bell is a “Triple ’Dore” earning his Bachelors in Engineering, Masters in Science, and Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering – the first African-American to earn a PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Vanderbilt. Dr. Bell’s Department of Defense funded research seeks to improve point-of-care deployability, interoperability, and smartphone-compatibility. Dr. Bell has always possessed an entrepreneurial spirit and embraces new endeavors and innovations with great enthusiasm and passion. The first graduate student at Vanderbilt to receive an investment of venture capital to launch a startup while in school, Dr. Bell uses his innovative mind to combine his engineering knowledge to create novel technologies of great impact. He has garnered multiple patents across many fields and co-authored multiple peer-reviewed publications. Most importantly, he is a staunch believer that the value and practice of convergent innovation is critical to optimize the way innovators empathize with humanity and ideate solutions that create positive change across the world.

Honored with a 2022 U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring for her work to develop fully the Nation’s human resources in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Karen J.L. Burg is the Harbor Lights Chair of Biomedical Research in the Department of Small Animal Medicine & Surgery and Professor of Chemical, Materials, & Biomedical Engineering at the University of Georgia. Burg is a biomaterials educator, inventor, and researcher with passion for inspiring innovation in biomedicine and biomedical education. Her 3D tissue fabrication cultureware and methodology was the impetus for the launch of functional precision oncology company Kiyatec, Inc., which has demonstrated the utility of her technology in multiple clinical trials, evaluating patient-specific predictor tests for improved response to cancer therapies. Dr. Burg’s research and innovation has inspired hundreds of mentees now working in industry, academia, and government; her research mentoring efforts are visible in the National Institutes of Health’s National Research Mentoring Network Launching Research course series (Relaunching Network for Research Mentoring Nationwide (NRMN)) course series, which she authored. Burg is also an AgTech enthusiast; she is the founding CEO of NextGA, a National Science Foundation-funded regional innovation engine in development, serving producers in South Georgia and partnering with multiple agencies and organizations to establish an agriculture innovation ecosystem to support data, water, and automation technology advances. Honors to Karen include the inaugural Swiss AO Research Prize, recognition as an MIT TR Young Innovator, an American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, an American Council on Education Fellow, a Biomedical Engineering Society Fellow, an American Institute for Medical & Biological Engineering Fellow, a National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Fellow and Invention Ambassador, a Presidential Early Career Awardee for Science & Engineering, an International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering Fellow, and an American Association for the Advancement of Science-Lemelson Invention Ambassador. She is a long-serving member of the NAI Board of Directors and has served as vice president for research at Kansas State University and the University of Georgia and as vice provost for academic affairs and dean of the graduate school at Clemson University.

Almesha L. Campbell, Ph.D. is the Assistant Vice President for Research and Economic Development at Jackson State University (JSU). In this capacity, she supports the Vice President with overall responsibility for the Division of Research and Economic Development. For over 12 years, she has served as the Di

Almesha L. Campbell, Ph.D., RTTP, currently serves as the Vice President for Research and Economic Development at Jackson State University (JSU). In this capacity, she oversees Sponsored Programs, Research Development, Grants and Contracts, Research Compliance, Federal Relations, the Office of Innovation Management (Tech Transfer), JSU Global (International Programs), and all TRIO programs.

Dr. Campbell is an exemplary leader in research, technology transfer, innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development. She has secured and managed numerous federal grants from agencies such as the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Small Business Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of War, Leidos, W. K. Kellogg Foundation, and the Delta Regional Authority. She plays a pivotal role as principal investigator (PI) and co-PI on several national programs, including the NSF Mid-South I-Corps Hub, NSF Accelerating Research Translation (ART) program, and the NIH Mid-South REACH Hub – advancing innovation, commercialization, and research translation across the region.

She co-developed the JSU Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship to leverage the institution’s STEM, business, and entrepreneurial strengths to drive talent development and economic impact. Her initiatives, including the JSU Innovation Fellows Program, micro-credential programs, AI and Data Science for Cybersecurity Certificate, the JSU AI Multi-Disciplinary Education Hub, and the integration of virtual reality into STEM education, are preparing students for the future of work and positioning JSU as a leader in innovation.

Dr. Campbell served as Chair of the AUTM Board of Directors (2023–2024) and serves on the advisory board of the Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS). She is affiliated with national organizations such as the Licensing Executives Society and the Society of Research Administrators International, and she is an honorary member of the National Academy of Inventors. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies from the University of Central Florida, a Master of Science in Mass Communications, and a doctoral degree in Public Policy from Jackson State University.

James Conley is an inventor who serves as a faculty member in the Operations Group and the Kellogg Center for Research in Technology & Innovation.  He also serves as a Faculty Fellow at the Northwestern University Segal Design Institute.  He is a Charter Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and has served presenting at workshops hosted at the National Academy of Sciences.

In 2004, 2007, 2014, 2015 and 2016, he received the Professor of the Year award from the Master of Product Development program at Northwestern University.  In 2011 and 2013 he received the Professor of the Year award from the Master of Science program at the WHU in Germany.

His academic research investigates the strategic use of intangible assets and intellectual properties to build and sustain competitive advantage. Research sponsors have included the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Chicago Biomedical Consortium, US Department of the Treasury IRS, Microsoft, National Science Foundation, NASA, FAA, NIST, the Department of Defense, Motorola and others. His publications have been recognized with “Best Paper” commendations from the American Foundry Society, the Society of Automotive Engineers, The Rapid Prototyping Journal and others. Mainstream outlets for his scholarship include the Wall Street Journal, the Sloan Management Review and the California Management Review.

Beyond Northwestern, he serves as an expert and author for the UN based World Intellectual Property Organization and has served as an appointed member on the United States Department of Commerce Trademark Public Advisory Committee to the Patent and Trademark Office.  He also serves on the board of several companies and the US Intellectual Property Allliance and the Illinois Intellectual Property Alliance.

He has been called to offer testimony on intellectual property related matters in legal and policy forums including the International Trade Commission, US Federal District Court, US Federal Tax Court and at International Tribunals in Asia and beyond.  Further, he is appointed to serve as an external Ph.D. examiner by Abo Akademi in Finland.

He is serving as Senior Editor of Technology and Innovation and serves on the editorial boards of the California Management Review and The Journal of the National Academy of Inventors.

Paul J. Corson has spent three decades pursuing entrepreneurial and tech-based economic development initiatives in the United States, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia. His focus cuts across the public and private sectors, as well as NGOs and higher education. In his executive leadership roles, Paul has built startups, developed and implemented public policy for the federal government, and spurred technology commercialization, access to capital, and business formation in higher education.

Presently, Paul leads national initiatives and communications strategies for the National Academy of Inventors.  This includes the American Innovation Campaign, is conducted in partnership with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  Immediately prior to this work, Paul was the Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer for the University of Texas at Arlington, where he also served as an Arlington Economic Development Corporation Board Member.  

Paul holds an MA in International Relations from The George Washington University and a BA in Political Economies from Franklin and Marshall College.  Both degrees concentrated on Soviet and post-Soviet studies.  He also completed an executive management program at Singularity University. 

Erwin is an executive strategist and globally recognized intellectual capital leader, serving as Founder and CEO of Forge & Fortress, where he combines practitioner-led expertise with AI-powered platforms to modernize IP strategy, enhance  portfolio management, and unlock new sources of enterprise and innovation-driven value. With more than two decades  of experience, he advises Fortune 500 companies, high-growth enterprises, and research institutions on transforming  invention into measurable impact, competitive advantage, and scalable business outcomes. 

He holds graduate degrees in Information Systems Management, Business Administration, and Law, bringing an  integrated perspective that bridges technology, business strategy, and intellectual property law. He is a named inventor  on multiple U.S. patents across digital commerce, computer vision, artificial intelligence, and robotics, and is recognized  for building IP strategies that directly contribute to revenue growth, capital efficiency, and enterprise risk mitigation. 

He is at the forefront of applying agentic AI to intellectual capital strategy. Through Forge & Fortress, he is developing  AI-driven platforms that leverage broad data environments to deliver AI-driven insights that unlock immediate strategic  action and create first-mover advantage in rapidly evolving innovation landscapes. His work supports a diverse set of  stakeholders—including inventors, research institutions, product teams, executives, and investors—redefining intellectual  capital as a scalable, data-driven asset class. 

He has built and operationalized IP-centered innovation hubs, designed enterprise portfolio governance models, and led  invention strategies aligned to global market expansion and emerging technology trends. A sought-after advisor across  industry and academia, he is known for translating complex technical and legal frameworks into actionable strategies  that accelerate innovation, commercialization, and long-term value creation in an AI-enabled economy.

Carmine Denisco is a respected leader and advocate in the inventor community, known for his long-standing commitment to supporting innovators at every stage of development. In his current role as President of the United Inventors Association, Carmine has played an instrumental role in advancing education, resources, and opportunities for inventors and Innovators across the country and the world.

With decades of hands-on experience in product design, development and manufacturing, Carmine has dedicated his career to helping inventors and Entrepreneurs navigate the often complex journey from idea to marketplace. Through mentorship, speaking engagements, and industry leadership, he continues to empower innovators of all ages, fostering creativity, protecting Inventors, and promoting ethical invention practices.

Kirti Gupta is an engineer and economist specializing in technology; intellectual property (IP) issues such as standard essential patents (SEPs) and fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory (FRAND) licensing; and antitrust. Dr. Gupta addresses class certification, breach of contract claims, licensing, and damages in IP matters, and liability and damages issues in antitrust matters.

Dr. Gupta provides economic and statistical consulting, analysis, and expert testimony in complex business litigation. Her expertise in the technology sector spans engineering, supply chain, litigation, and policy issues. She serves as a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington, DC-based think tank, and as a research director at the University of California, Berkeley.

Before joining Cornerstone Research, Dr. Gupta was the vice president and chief economist at Qualcomm Inc., a global leader in mobile communications and semiconductors.

Mr. Juan Harrison is Vice President, Strategic Partnerships and Business Development.  He is responsible for developing institutional partnerships with industry to expand Harrington’s capabilities, resources and expertise to accelerate drug discovery and development.

Juan is a seasoned partnering professional with more than three decades of transaction and partnership building experience in the pharma, biotech and venture capital arenas.  His experience covers licensing transactions, company formation, investment and partnership building, both on the buy and sell sides.  He is particularly interested in the business translation of early-stage drug discovery to mature drug opportunities in organizations with the resources and capabilities to create bona fide medicines.

Prior to joining Harrington, Juan was CEO/CAO of IMIDomics Inc., a immunology focused drug discovery company utilizing a deep, proprietary patient dataset and machine learning, where he led a multinational organization and presided over successful financings.  Previously, he was VP Strategic Academic Alliances and VP Takeda Ventures at Takeda Pharmaceutical Company.  He was responsible, together with the institutions, for establishing the Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute in New York, as well as the formation of Bridge Medicines, Inc., a translational company associated with the Tri-I TDI.  While at Takeda Ventures, he spearheaded the financing of several biotech companies the formation of Envoy Therapeutics, Inc. which was eventually acquired by Takeda.  His work has been informed by an early career in pharmaceutical product development and his degree in Combined Sciences at Santa Clara University, which emphasized organic chemistry.

Kate Hudson has served at AAU since March 2022. As Deputy Vice President and Counsel for Government Relations and Public Policy, Kate assists in managing and directing the Government Relations and Public Policy department and developing and executing strategies to advance AAU’s advocacy and public policy priorities in the federal legislative and regulatory arenas. Her portfolio includes intellectual property, technology transfer, open and public access, export controls, sexual harassment, data privacy, and copyright issues. In addition, she supports AAU’s policy and federal relations work in areas that require legal expertise, such as tax issues related to research, labor and employment, research security policy, higher education Title IX issues, and other regulatory matters important to America’s leading research universities. Kate also leads AAU’s General Counsels (GC) constituent group and the CFR Tax Task Force.  

Prior to joining AAU, Kate served in the U.S. federal government as a senior attorney-advisor in the legislative and executive branches, most recently with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). At GAO, she provided legal counsel on a range of issues including interagency governance bodies, federal financial management, legislative drafting, and technical advice to Congress. Before her work at GAO, Kate served as an attorney-advisor with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), as both an administrative litigator before the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and regulatory counsel. Additionally, she served as agency counsel for three years in the federal litigation surrounding the 2015 OPM cyberbreach case (In re: OPM, 928 F.3d 42 (D.C. Cir. 2019), the largest federal class action privacy lawsuit in U.S. history. Before serving at OPM, she was the inaugural director of the Executive branch CXO Fellows Program at the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and as a key member of the Office of Government-wide Policy (OGP) providing programmatic support to the Office of the Chief Information Security Officer (OCIO), the Office of Federal Financial Management (OFFM), and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) at the U.S. Office of Management & Budget (OMB).   

Before her federal government service, Kate began her legal career as an attorney with the Georgia Legal Service Program (GLSP) Augusta office, providing comprehensive civil and administrative representation to low-income and indigent clients in a thirteen-county area in rural Georgia. Following a move to North Carolina, she became an assistant public defender with the NC Office of the Public Defender in the 13th Judicial District, where she represented clients in criminal misdemeanor, felony, and parole proceedings. Following the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008, Kate became a staff attorney with Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) as part of the Mortgage Foreclosure Defense Project, representing clients both in federal and state courts in affirmative litigation on a wide range of special proceedings actions including emergency bankruptcy petitions and negotiating loan modifications to save clients’ homes from unlawful foreclosure in a nine-county area. Before law school, Kate worked in government relations with the American Hospital Association (AHA) and as a data analyst with the National Committee for an Effective Congress (NCEC).     

An active volunteer, Kate is a member of the Military Spouse JD Network (MSJDN), the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia (WBA), and Women in Government Relations (WGR). She also provides pro bono legal services to District of Columbia residents through Whitman-Walker Health and the District of Columbia Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project.     

She holds a master’s degree in public administration and policy from American University; a law degree from the University of Dayton School of Law; and both a master’s and bachelor’s degree in political science from Ohio University. She is licensed to practice law in Georgia, North Carolina, and the District of Columbia.

Andrew Inesi is the Vice President & Global Head of Policy and Business Affairs at Dolby,  where he has worked for over 13 years. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the  company’s worldwide government affairs and public policy initiatives, and for monitoring and  advising on geopolitical developments. 

Mr. Inesi specializes in bringing order to new and complex areas. Prior to his current  position, he held a diverse series of roles at Dolby, from transactional lawyer, to new business  legal liaison, to legal operations lead. Most recently, he spent several years helping develop  Law Department strategy and thought leadership, and in facilitating the effective  communication of both. 

He joined Dolby in October 2013 after an 8-year tenure at Mattel, Inc., where he served as  the lead technology lawyer after establishing an office in Bermuda focused on intellectual  property, tax and corporate legal issues. Prior to his corporate legal career, Mr. Inesi was an  entrepreneur, founding a company that expanded to over 30 employees with offices in Los  Angeles and Milan, Italy. 

Mr. Inesi holds a juris doctorate from Harvard Law School, a masters of law from UC Berkeley.

Anna Leese, FNAI, is a physicist, inventor, entrepreneur, and technology leader with more than three decades of experience advancing superconducting and cryogenic electronics from fundamental research toward real-world applications. During her career with the U.S. Navy, she was selected as the Navy’s Distinguished Scientist for Cryogenic Electronics, a Senior Science and Technology Manager (SSTM, O-7 equivalent) position. While based at Naval Information Warionfare Center (NIWC) Pacific, Leese founded the Cryogenic Exploitation of Radio Frequency (CERF) group and laboratories, building a sustained Navy capability focused on superconducting and cryogenic technologies for advanced RF and defense systems. She architected and led cross-agency R&D programs applying superconducting, quantum, cryogenic, and mixed-signal technologies to sensing, SIGINT, communications, and electronic warfare. A Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, Leese is a prolific inventor and published researcher whose work spans SQUID arrays, quantum sensors, high-temperature superconducting systems, cryogenic electronics, and RF technologies. Since leaving federal service, she has expanded her focus to entrepreneurship and technology commercialization, including serving as an Entrepreneur in Residence with UC San Diego’s Office of Innovation and Commercialization and founding Quantum Vector Inc., where she serves as CEO and works to accelerate the transition of superconducting electronic technologies from the laboratory into practical applications. She serves on the boards of the National Academy of Inventors, the NAI Innovation Alliance, the Applied Superconductivity Education Foundation, and Ambature, and remains active in national and international efforts advancing superconducting and quantum technologies.

Mihri Ozkan is Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, Riverside (UCR), where she leads interdisciplinary research at the intersection of advanced materials, sustainable energy technologies, artificial intelligence, and innovation. She received her graduate education at Stanford University and the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego), where she developed the interdisciplinary foundation that continues to shape her research and innovation leadership. Her work spans next-generation batteries, sustainable AI infrastructure, carbon management technologies, and the translation of scientific discoveries into technologies that create societal and economic impact.

Professor Ozkan is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and has been selected as one of the inaugural National Invention Ambassadors, a national leadership initiative established through a five-year partnership between the National Academy of Inventors and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The initiative seeks to strengthen America’s innovation ecosystem by expanding intellectual property education, accelerating research commercialization, fostering mentorship, and building stronger partnerships among academia, industry, government, and the nonprofit sector. 

As a National Invention Ambassador, Professor Ozkan leads the Bridging Innovation Initiative, a national effort to strengthen university innovation ecosystems through data-driven benchmarking and evidence-based analysis. Working directly with university presidents, chancellors, provosts, technology transfer leaders, and innovation offices, she develops frameworks that evaluate research translation, commercialization pathways, innovation efficiency, and institutional best practices. Through campus engagement and collaboration, the initiative helps universities identify opportunities to strengthen their innovation ecosystems while accelerating the transformation of research discoveries into societal and economic impact. This work closely aligns with the mission of the National Invention Ambassadors Network to strengthen the nation’s invention-to-impact pipeline through intellectual property, commercialization, collaboration, and innovation leadership. 

Professor Ozkan holds approximately 50 issued U.S. and international patents, has authored more than 400 peer-reviewed publications, and her work has been cited more than 15,000 times. Her research has been supported by federal agencies, industry, and international collaborators. She serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of MRS Energy & Sustainability (Springer Nature) and has received numerous national and international honors recognizing her contributions to innovation, engineering research, and technology commercialization.

Through research, invention, education, and public engagement, Professor Ozkan is committed to advancing intellectual property awareness, mentoring the next generation of inventors and entrepreneurs, strengthening America’s innovation ecosystem, and accelerating the translation of research discoveries into technologies that improve lives, enhance economic competitiveness, and address global challenges.

Ishwar K. Puri is vice president of research and professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering at the University of Southern California. He oversees the USC Office of Research and Innovation that guides the university’s research programs.

Puri is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He is the author of over 200 archival publications and books that have been cited over 7,500 times on Google Scholar with an h-index of 49. Puri ranks among the top 2% of scientists globally based on the citations of those published between 1965 and 2019. He has founded and mentored startups, most recently Celerite Labs, a company that produces a rapid printer for cells and tissues.

Before his USC appointment, Puri was dean of the engineering faculty and a professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He was one of eighteen members of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, an appointment made by the governor general of Canada. In addition, Puri served as chair of Engineering Deans Canada. He was previously the N. Waldo Harrison Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where he served as department head from 2004 to 2013.

He began his teaching career at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) as an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, eventually rising to the rank of professor. Soon after, he served as associate dean for research and graduate studies and as executive associate dean of engineering. Before UIC, he was an assistant research engineer at the University of California, San Diego.

Puri holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Delhi’s College of Engineering and obtained his master’s degree in engineering science (applied mechanics) and PhD from the University of California, San Diego.

He serves on the editorial board of Scientific Reports, a Nature Group journal, and is an associate editor of Research, a Science partner journal.

Jamie Renee is the Executive Director of the National Academy of Inventors, where she leads efforts to advance the impact of invention and intellectual property and strengthen partnerships across universities, industry, government, and the broader innovation ecosystem. She also serves as Co-Vice Chair of the United States Intellectual Property Alliance, furthering national efforts to strengthen intellectual property awareness, education, and engagement.

With a particular focus on America’s innovation capacity and competitiveness, Jamie works across sectors to connect people, ideas, and institutions and expand the pathways that move discovery toward societal and economic impact. With more than 25 years of executive leadership experience, she is recognized by Korn Ferry in the top 2.5% of executive leaders globally for business acumen and brings a distinctive combination of strategic leadership, relationship-building, and organizational transformation.

She believes America’s innovative strength is built not only on breakthrough ideas, but on the people, partnerships, and intellectual property systems that allow those ideas to become impact.

Tobias Rodill is a seasoned leader and entrepreneur with a deep understanding of government affairs and strategic business deployment. Based in Northern Virginia, Tobias Rodill is driven by a passion for innovation, collaboration, and making a meaningful impact in the world. His expertise in strategic planning, business development, and technology readiness positions him as a valuable asset in leadership roles within defense contracting, business development, and government affairs.

As the Founder and Managing Partner of Command Strategies, Tobias specializes in providing invaluable strategic counsel to the Department of Defense and other federal agencies. With a focus on national policy areas such as federal appropriations, defense, economic development, energy, civil works, transportation projects, education initiatives, and homeland security, Tobias navigates complex landscapes with precision and expertise. Over the past ten years, Mr. Rodill has led successful strategies to secure over one billion dollars in national security funding.

Throughout his career, Tobias has played a leading role in establishing large multi-year programs, ranging from critical medical initiatives to cutting-edge technology projects. His ability to bridge the gap between government, academia, and private industry has driven innovation and progress and often involves consortium development. Tobias is dedicated to ensuring that all projects have a positive impact on end-users, aligning objectives with real-world needs.

Prior to founding Command Strategies, Tobias served as a Senior Associate at a government relations firm based in Washington, D.C. In this role, he honed his skills in federal appropriations and policy development, representing a wide range of clients, from business organizations and industry associations to academic institutions and governmental bodies. This experience was instrumental in shaping his understanding of government affairs and strategic business deployment.

Tobias holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies and political science from Towson University, with a focus on international economics. This academic background has equipped him with a deep understanding of global affairs and economic principles, which he applies in his work. He has a strong commitment to service and leadership and is actively involved in various professional and community organizations, including board memberships and professional memberships.

Dr. Paul R. Sanberg is the former Senior Vice President for Research, Innovation and Knowledge Enterprise at University of South Florida, and currently Distinguished University Professor of Medicine, Engineering, and Business.

His innovations have been instrumental in translating new pharmaceutical and cellular therapeutics to clinical trials and commercialization for ALS, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and Tourette syndrome.

He is an inventor on 167 U.S. and international patents; author of over 700 scientific articles and 14 books, with over 40,000 citations. He has served on editorial boards for numerous scientific journals, is co-editor-in-chief of NAI’s journal Technology and Innovation, and has received numerous scientific awards, including the AIMBE Advocate Award; Australian Alumni Award (ANU); Bryden Alumni Award (York U); UBC Alumni Award; Fulbright Specialist; McGovern Science & Society Award (Sigma Xi); Ove Ferno Prize; IEEE George F. McClure Award; Florida Academy of Sciences Medalist; Florida Inventors Hall of Fame inductee and Pioneer Award recipient; Fellow of AAAS, ACNP, AIMBE, BMES, IEEE, Sigma Xi, the Royal Societies of Biology, Chemistry, Medicine and Public Health; AAAS-Lemelson Invention Ambassador; and  Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars inductee.

He served twice on the nomination evaluation committee for the US National Medal of Technology and Innovation; and advisory board for the APLU Commission on Innovation, Competitiveness, and Economic Prosperity. He was the first in his family to graduate college, and has been an airplane enthusiast most of his adult life, becoming a master flight instructor and  Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He is a NAI Charter Fellow and recipient of the NAI Founders Award (2021) and President’s Award.

Barbara Slusher, Ph.D., is Professor of Neurology, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Neuroscience, Medicine, and Oncology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She is Director of Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery and Co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for the Advancement of HIV Neurotherapeutics.  She has authored more than 350 scientific publications and is an inventor on over 150 patents and applications.

Prior to joining Johns Hopkins, she spent 18 years in the pharmaceutical industry, including senior leadership roles culminating in Senior Vice President of Research and Translational Development. She has extensive experience spanning drug discovery through early clinical development and contributed to the successful development,
launch, and/or post-marketing support of four FDA-approved medicines.

In 2010, she joined Johns Hopkins to lead its largest drug discovery program, assembling a multidisciplinary team of 25 medicinal chemists, assay developers, pharmacologists, toxicologists, and pharmacokinetic/drug metabolism experts. The program focuses on identifying novel therapeutic targets and translating them into clinical-stage drug candidates.

Since joining JHU, she has co-founded five companies that have collectively raised more than $150 million in financing and has licensed four drug discovery programs to pharmaceutical partners. She also founded the International Academic Drug Discovery Consortium (http://addconsortium.org/), which now includes more than 150 university-based centers and 1,500 members worldwide, fostering collaboration across academic translational drug discovery.

Dr. Slusher received her B.A. in Chemistry from Dickinson College, where she graduated valedictorian. She earned her Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, while simultaneously completing an M.S. in Administrative Science at the Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business (formerly School of Continuing Studies).

Paul Sohl is CEO of the Florida High Tech Corridor, an organization serving a 23-county region anchored by three of the country’s largest research institutions: the University of Central Florida, the University of South Florida and the University of Florida. The Corridor’s mission is to converge and catalyze the capacity of high tech, innovation, and bright minds to generate a global ripple effect that advances the lives of people in the communities it serves.

As CEO, Sohl facilitates connection and collaboration between the three universities and their partners in academia, industry and economic development.

He also oversees The Corridor’s portfolio of programs supporting research, marketing, workforce and entrepreneurship. This includes its cornerstone Matching Grants Research Program, which since its inception in 1996 has generated over $1 billion in verified downstream impacts;
Cenfluence — a clustering initiative in partnership with the governments of Orange County, Seminole County, the City of Orlando and Duke Energy; STEM outreach; and Small Business Innovative Research facilitation.

Sohl joined The Corridor in June 2020, following more than three decades of service in the U.S. Navy. In his last command, Sohl led over 500 civilian and military personnel at the Navy’s Operational Test & Evaluation Force in Norfolk, Virginia, where he directed the operational testing and evaluation of all Navy warfighting systems and capabilities.

He has also commanded the Naval Aviation Fleet Readiness Center enterprise headquartered in Patuxent River, Maryland, where he was responsible for a workforce of over 16,000 and an operating budget of $2.9 billion; the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division and Naval Test Wing Pacific in China Lake and Point Mugu, California; and the Fleet Readiness Center Southeast in Jacksonville, Florida. Sohl has extensive experience in simulation and training as a program director and test pilot and has served two tours overseas for Operation Desert Shield and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sohl holds a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from Stanford University.

Dr. Jitka Ismail Virag is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology at the Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, and a scientist, inventor, educator, and entrepreneur whose work bridges biomedical discovery, innovation, and commercialization. Her research has advanced understanding of cardiac repair and regeneration, leading to multiple patented technologies and translational therapeutic approaches focused on reducing myocardial injury and improving cardiovascular outcomes. As co-founder, President, and Chief Scientific Officer of VitalEphX, Inc., she is working to translate academic research into entrepreneurial ventures, demonstrating a strong commitment to moving innovations from the laboratory toward real-world clinical impact.

Beyond her research accomplishments, Dr. Virag is a passionate advocate for innovation education and entrepreneurial training. She has mentored students, trainees, and early-career investigators across disciplines while fostering critical thinking, creativity, and translational problem-solving. Her leadership in innovation has been recognized through her selection for the national Equalize Program for academic women entrepreneurs, participation in commercialization programs via FFVC/EGC and I-corps, success in the NC Bioneer Venture Challenge, and election as a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors. As an inaugural NAI Innovation Ambassador, she is dedicated to cultivating a culture of inventorship, entrepreneurship, and inclusive innovation that empowers the next generation of academic innovators.

Dr. Stephen J. Susalka is the Chief Executive Officer of AUTM, a 3,000+ member non-profit association, focused on supporting and enhancing technology transfer globally. He also oversees a cooperative agreement with the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer to support technology transfer for more than 300 federal labs across the US.  

As an internationally recognized leader in technology commercialization, Susalka leverages his extensive experience in fostering successful university-industry collaborations, along with his expertise in IP, licensing, and startups, to empower AUTM members in bringing groundbreaking innovations to market.

Brad Watts, senior vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC), oversees the center’s  day-to-day  operations. He also leads the development and implementation of the Chamber’s U.S. and global intellectual property (IP) agenda to foster a political, legal, and economic environment where innovators and creators can invest in the next big thing for the benefit of Americans and the world. 

Watts previously served as the Republican chief counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Intellectual Property.  There he was responsible for planning and implementing Senator Thom Tillis’ (R-NC) and the Republican party’s legislative portfolio on all aspects of IP law. 

In the 116th Congress, when Senator Tillis was chairman of the subcommittee, Watts served as majority chief counsel and staff director for the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Intellectual Property.   He was responsible for implementing the senator’s legislative and oversight agenda on all aspects of America’s innovation economy. 

During Watts’ tenure as majority chief counsel, the subcommittee held 17 legislative and oversight hearings and multiple staff briefings on IP issues, ranging from the state of patent eligibility law in America to reforming the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. Under his leadership, the subcommittee passed the CASE Act, the Trademark Modernization Act, and the Protecting Lawful Streaming Act, three landmark bills that collectively represent the largest changes to IP law since the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act. 

Earlier, Watts was chief immigration counsel to then-Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA). He began his career with former Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) as a legislative counsel on the Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest, handling civil rights and civil liberties law, general tort law, bankruptcy, telecommunications, and IP issues for the senator.

Phil has led VentureWell since its founding in 1996 and today serves as President and CEO. By  developing and expanding VentureWell’s programs on a national and global scale, he has  guided VentureWell in its mission to solve global challenges through science- and technology driven innovation and entrepreneurship. He accomplished this goal by designing and  overseeing a suite of programs that encourage and support the deeper engagement of higher  education and research institutions in curricular innovation, developing and strengthening  innovation communities and supporting emerging science and technology innovators. Phil is  committed to sharing VentureWell’s learnings and resources to support the creation of inclusive  and more equitable pathways for innovators to succeed in venture creation. Under his  leadership, VentureWell has partnered with key science funding agencies, major philanthropies,  and hundreds of universities to train and support thousands of emerging students, researchers  and faculty innovators. After celebrating VentureWell’s milestone 25-year anniversary in 2021,  he has accelerated work to fortify the broader innovation ecosystem and the launch of  groundbreaking innovations. 

Phil attended the University of Massachusetts where he was a co-founder of a biotechnology  company developing naturally occurring pest control products. He is a Founder and Past Chair  of the ASEE Entrepreneurship Division, and a recipient of the 2008 Price Foundation Innovative  Entrepreneurship Educators Award, the 2014 Engineering Entrepreneurship Pioneers Award  from ASEE, and the 2016 Deshpande Symposium Award for Outstanding Contributions to  Advancing Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Higher Education.

Dr. Scott Whalen is a Chief Scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), where he loves developing new manufacturing technologies. His team is pioneering the development of Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion (ShAPE), a breakthrough technology that is changing how metals are made. From transforming “dirty” scrap metal into high-performance products to enabling next-generation semiconductors, ultraconductors, and advanced magnets, ShAPE is redefining what is possible in advanced manufacturing. Scott is driven by the belief that innovation has the greatest impact when scientific discovery moves beyond the laboratory to solve real-world challenges.

Scott is especially passionate about helping the next generation of scientists and engineers discover the joy of inventing. Whether he’s judging a science fair, speaking at a career event, giving students a tour of his manufacturing laboratory, or mentoring interns and university students, he enjoys sharing the excitement of discovery and helping others recognize their own potential to become inventors.

As a lifelong inventor, Scott holds 23 U.S. patents and has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications describing both the scientific foundations and industrial applications of ShAPE. His work has been recognized with honors including the U.S. Department of Energy and National Academy of Inventors Innovator of the Year Award, Distinguished Inventor of Battelle, PNNL Inventor of the Year, PNNL Engineer of the Year, and two R&D 100 Awards. He earned degrees from the University of Idaho, Texas A&M University, and Washington State University before beginning his career at Sandia National Laboratories. Over the past 15 years at PNNL, he has focused on developing technologies that strengthen U.S. manufacturing and competitiveness.

When he’s not in the lab, Scott’s favorite role is at home where he considers his greatest accomplishments to be 30 wonderful years of marriage to his wife and the privilege of helping raise their three amazing children. He also enjoys the occasional challenge outside the laboratory, once solving the Rubik’s Cube in 19.62 seconds after learning and practicing over 100 algorithms.

Dr. Gabriela Mustata Wilson is an internationally recognized leader in health informatics and health innovation whose work focuses on translating research, data, and emerging technologies into practical solutions that strengthen health systems, improve population health, and build more resilient communities. With a multidisciplinary background spanning chemical engineering, molecular and computational sciences, health informatics, and public health, she has built a career at the intersection of research, innovation, education, and societal impact.

Dr. Wilson serves as Director of the Louisiana Center for Health Innovation (LCHI) and Professor in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where she holds the Dr. J. Robert Rivet Endowed Chair and the Acadian Ambulance Service/BORSF Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair in Health Informatics. Through LCHI, she leads interdisciplinary initiatives that bring together academia, healthcare, government, industry, and communities to translate innovation into measurable health and economic impact.

Her international career spans academia, healthcare, industry, and interdisciplinary research, with particular emphasis on health and biomedical informatics, digital health, data-driven innovation, workforce development, and the translation of emerging technologies into real-world applications. A strong advocate for mentorship and innovation education, she is committed to developing the next generation of researchers, inventors, and health innovation leaders.

Dr. Wilson’s contributions have been recognized through the 2023 HIMSS Changemaker in Health Award and election as a Fellow of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), Fellow of the International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics (FIAHSI), Fellow of the American Medical Informatics Association (FAMIA), and Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). She also serves as Editor-in-Chief of Informatics for Health and Social Care and Vice President of the American Romanian Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Craig J. Zamary is an executive leader and commercialization expert with 20+ years of experience launching ventures and building high-impact innovation programs across industry, academia, and government. He has founded and scaled multiple companies, including successful exits.

Craig currently serves as Director of HSWERX, a DEFENSEWERX Innovation Hub supporting the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where he leads public-private partnerships that accelerate technology transition and operational adoption to address national security and homeland security challenges at scale—supporting outcomes that impact a DHS workforce of 250,000+ employees and mission partners across government. He has launched and led multimillion-dollar initiatives and is known for high-leverage pilots that produce outsized operational results; for example, one targeted effort costing approximately $255,000 supported outcomes estimated at approximately $100M/year in annual cost savings for TSA.

Craig has also contributed to entrepreneurship and innovation efforts with organizations including the Kauffman Foundation, Cleveland Clinic, SBDC, XPrize Foundation, university commercialization programs, and has served as a U.S. Fulbright Specialist and on the Advisory Council for the National APEX Accelerator Alliance.