Introducing Our Ambassadors

Dr. Augelli-Szafran has more than 35 years of drug discovery and leadership experience in pharma, academia and not-for-profit organizations. After 17 years at Parke-Davis/Pfizer, where she held a number of leadership roles mainly in the neurodegenerative field of study, she spent 8 years at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital where she built a drug discovery laboratory from ground zero with a focus on novel Alzheimer disease therapies. She moved to Southern Research 10 years ago where she holds the position of Vice President of Scientific Platforms, the Drug Discovery division. Her responsibilities include the leadership and management of synthetic, medicinal, and bioanalytical chemistry, high throughput screening, oncology and structural biology and computer-aided drug design, which includes almost forty professional employees focused on the identification of new therapies in several therapeutic areas. Other duties include the support and contribution of the overall strategic roadmap of Southern Research, management of budget and resources, and the strengthening, identification and development of key collaborators and partnerships. 

Some of the current key research programs that involves Dr. Augelli-Szafran’s strategic oversight include new therapies for Cystic Fibrosis, antivirals, oncology, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dermatology, and kidney disease. She is responsible for and funded by multiple grants, including 3 R01s, UG3, U19, DoD and DTRA awards, NIAID Task Orders and a NIAID BAA as well as Foundation and commercial funding. She is an Affiliated Professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a faculty member in the Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Public Health, a member of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center and a member of the Gregory Fleming James Cystic Fibrosis Research Center. Dr. Augelli-Szafran has been a standing member on NIH grant review panels (NINDS) for 15 years, a reviewer for several journals and a mentor to several graduate and undergraduate students. She has received numerous awards, served as scientific advisor and consultant and is a board member. Her scientific record includes more than 70 publications, 146 presentations, 57 invited lectures, 45 patents (all composition of matter patents, of which 26 are U.S. issued patents). Preclinical and development candidates highlighted from these inventions include treatment for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, atherosclerosis, and dementia. Over the past few years, several programs have advanced to animal efficacy studies, of which two candidates are now in Phase 1 clinical trials for cancer and diabetes and an IND package is being prepared for a first-in-class antiviral therapeutic small molecule for the treatment of Chikungunya virus. She received her BA in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania and her MS and PhD in Organic Chemistry from New York University. 

Dr. Issa Batarseh is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Central Florida (UCF). He received the Ph.D., and M.S. in Electrical Engineering and the B.S. in Computer Engineering and Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1983, ’85 and ’90, respectively. Dr. Batarseh was a visiting Assistant Professor at Purdue University, Calumet, from 1989 to 1990 before joining UCF in 1991.

Dr. Batarseh’s power electronics research focuses on the development of advanced systems for solar energy conversion to improve cost, power density, efficiency and performance. The research includes the analysis and design of high frequency dc-ac inverters, resonant converter topologies; low-voltage dc-dc converters, small signal modeling and control of PWM and resonant converters; power factor correction techniques. He is an inventor on 36 patents and author of more than 300 articles and 2 books, with approximately 7,000 citations to his published work. Dr. Batarseh has significant commercialization experience as a founder of two start-up companies involved solar energy conversion: Advanced Power Electronics Corp. (APECOR) and Petra Systems. He is also a fellow member in National Academy of Inventors (NAI), AAAS, IEEE, and IEE. He served as an Associate Editor for several IEEE Transactions and chaired and co-chaired several international conferences. Dr. Batarseh supervised 34 Ph.D. Dissertations, 43 MS Theses, and 15 Undergraduate Honor Theses.

Honored with a 2022 U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring for her work with underrepresented groups to develop fully the Nation’s human resources in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Karen J.L. Burg is the interim Chief Executive Officer of NextGA, a National Science Foundation Engine-in-Development, and 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 an internationally recognized biomaterials educator, inventor, and researcher for her work to inspire equitable innovation in biomedicine and biomedical education. Her body of published work initiated and elucidated critical processes and technologies that have led to the current state of commercial tissue fabrication. 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 most recently visible in the National Institutes of Health’s National Research Mentoring Network Launching Research course series, which she authored. 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 Fellow, 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. A tireless innovator with passion for leadership, she has served as vice president for research at Kansas State University and the University of Georgia and as vice provost for research and innovation and dean of 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 Director for Technology Transfer and Commercialization at JSU and continues to manage the intellectual property process from triage of invention disclosures to commercialization.

Almesha designs and manages a number of national and local programs around innovation and entrepreneurship in an effort to broaden the participation of underrepresented minorities in these areas.  She has garnered approximately $12M in federal grants and contracts since 2016. She is the principal investigator or co-principal investigator for several federally funded programs including the National Science Foundation (NSF) Mid-South I-Corps Hub and the National Institutes of Health REACH Hub , the NSF Enabling SBE Science via the Network for Transformative Research program, the NSF Engines Development Award: Advancing Food Security and Climate Resilience (MS), and the recently awarded NSF Accelerating Research Translation program led by the University of Southern Mississippi.

She co-led the development of the JSU Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at JSU, which houses XR Academy, makerspace, eSports Lab, learning collaboratory, production room, and more. She created the JSU Innovation Fellows Program and spearheads an initiative to transform the STEM curriculum using virtual reality. She is nationally and internationally recognized for her commitment and contributions to innovation and research translation, and promotes the inclusion of innovation and entrepreneurship in the faculty tenure and promotion process. She serves as the liaison for the Princeton Alliance for Collaborative Research and Innovation (PACRI) program for faculty, as well as the Google supported TechWise program for students.

She was elected a chair of the AUTM Board of Directors (2023 – 2024) – the first black person and the first from an HBCU to sit on the Board (2021 – 2025). In addition to AUTM, Almesha holds membership in professional organizations such as the Licensing Executives Society, Society of Research Administrators (SRA) International, the American Society of Public Administration, and is an honorary member of the National Academy of Inventors. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida, and a master’s degree in mass communications, and a doctoral degree in public policy and administration from Jackson State University.

Dr. Dedric A. Carter is Vice Chancellor for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development and Chief Innovation Officer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Carter has cabinet level responsibility for the entrepreneurship, innovation, economic development and commercialization portfolios at the University through Innovate Carolina and the Innovate Carolina Junction among other oversight and engagement roles. He teaches courses in systems applications to technical, business and policy issues with an emphasis on the entrepreneurial process, innovation and new venture creation.

Prior to his appointment, he was the Vice Chancellor for Innovation & Chief Commercialization Officer at Washington University in St. Louis with faculty appointments as professor of engineering practice at the McKelvey School of Engineering and professor of practice in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the John M. Olin School of Business. Dr. Carter had responsibility for the entrepreneurship, innovation and commercialization portfolios at Washington University. Dr. Carter was the founding Co-principal investigator of NSF Missouri Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation in STEM program ($5M) and principal investigator on one of 44 inaugural Type 1 NSF Engine awards ($1M, NEURO360). During his time at Washington University, Dr. Carter launched the Needleman Program for Commercialization for advancing drug development.

Prior to joining Washington University, he served as the senior advisor for strategic initiatives in the Office of the Director at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) in addition to serving as the executive secretary to the U.S. National Science Board executive committee. At NSF, Dr. Carter launched and oversaw the NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program to impact the speed of basic research commercialization.

Dr. Carter became chairman of the Missouri Technology Corporation in 2021. He is a member of the MIT Office of Sponsored Research Visiting Committee, and a Fellow of the Academy of Science-St. Louis. Additionally, he is a board member of the Center for American Entrepreneurship, the Lemelson Foundation International Advisory Board, and Junior Achievement.

Among other experiences, Dr. Carter has been a venture-backed entrepreneur. He has an undergraduate and graduate degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT, an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, and a Ph.D. in Information Systems from Nova Southeastern University.

The research mission of Shigao Chen, Ph.D., is to provide novel ultrasound solutions to meet critical clinical needs. His research program is mainly focused on developing next-generation ultrasound imaging technologies for the quantitative evaluation of various diseases with high accuracy. Special emphasis is given to translational research that brings innovation from bench to bedside to improve patient care.

The Comb-push Ultrasound Shear Elastography (CUSE) developed by Dr. Chen and colleagues has been licensed by leading ultrasound companies, implemented on clinical ultrasound scanners, and widely used around the world to benefit patient care.

His super-resolution microvessel imaging technology and liver steatosis quantification solution are licensed by several additional companies for technology transfer to impact clinical practice. Dr. Chen has 38 issued patents and many pending patent applications around the world. His research has been continuously supported since 2009 by competitive grants from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, and Department of Defense.

Rory A. Cooper, Ph.D. is a U.S. National Medal Laureate having been awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President of the United States Joseph Biden in 2023. Cooper earned B.S. and M.Eng degrees in electrical engineering from California Polytechnic State University in 1985 and 1986, respectively. He earned a Ph.D. degree in electrical & computer engineering from University of California at Santa Barbara in 1989. Cooper is Founding Director and VA Senior Research Career Scientist of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories a VA Rehabilitation R&D Center and a VA Technology Transfer Assistance Program lead site. He is FISA Foundation & Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) Distinguished Professor at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt). Cooper is an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University, and of the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, and he was awarded Honorary Doctorate by Xi’an Jiatong University. Cooper has authored or co-authored >400 peer-reviewed journal publications. He has >30 patents awarded/pending. Cooper is author of two books: “Rehabilitation Engineering Applied to Mobility and Manipulation” and “Wheelchair Selection and Configuration”, and co-editor of “An Introduction to Rehabilitation Engineering”, “Warrior Transition Leader: Medical Rehabilitation Handbook”, “Promoting Successful Integration”, and the award-winning book “Care of the Combat Amputee”. Cooper is a Fellow of National Academy of Inventors, as well as AAAS, RESNA, IEEE, AIMBE, RSM, and BMES. In 1988, he was a bronze medalist in the Paralympic Games. In 2013, Cooper was awarded the International Paralympic Scientific Achievement Award. Cooper is a U.S. Army veteran and a Director of the Paralyzed Veterans of America Research Foundation, and a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army. He serves on National Board of Directors of Easter Seals, Board of the World Institute on Disability, and Board Member of the US Intellectual Property Association. In 2024, Cooper was elected to the United States Olympians & Paralympians Association (USOPA) Executive Committee.

Dr. Cooper’s highest awards include the Samuel E. Heyman Service to America Medal, IEEE Biomedical Engineering Medal, Sigma Xi McGovern Medal, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Olin E. Teague Award, Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Medal, Distinguished Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts of America, National Guard Bureau “Minute Man Award”; U.S. Army Distinguished Civilian Service Medal, AAAS Mentor Award, Joseph F. Engelberger Award, AIMBE Advocacy Award, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Diversity & Inclusion Excellence Award, Order of Military Medical Merit, Chapel of Four Chaplains Legion of Honor, and Distinguished Eagle Scout. Dr. Cooper is a member of the class of 2023 of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, a member of the Pennsylvania Military & Veteran Hall of Fame, was in the inaugural class of the Spinal Cord Injury Hall of Fame. He was recognized in the Congressional Record of the United States Congress on Monday, July 27, 2009. In 2009, Cooper was featured on a Cheerios cereal box, and in August 2010, he with one of his robots was the centerfold in Popular Science. In 2015, TIME magazine produced a video on Cooper’s work for their on-line magazine (http://time.com/3975280/robotics-disabled/). In 2014, PN Magazine included Cooper as one of the people who have transformed the lives of people with SCI; while USO On Point featured Cooper as one of the veterans who have most influenced the lives of veterans through technology. In 2019, Cooper was revealed as the 28th inventor in the US Patent and Trademark Office “Inventor Collectible Card” Series. Cooper shared his story and insights to best-selling author, Mary Ann McFadden, during the writing of her novel “The Book Lover”. On November 10, 2023, Dr. Cooper was featured on the NBC Today Show. Further, Dr. Cooper’s students have been the recipients of over 75 national and international awards.

Atam P. Dhawan is senior vice provost for research at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). He is a tenured Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Executive Director of the Center for Translational Research, and Executive Director of Undergraduate Research and Innovation. He is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE), Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), and Fellow of the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering (IAMBE) and serves on the NAI Board of Directors, NJII Board of Directors, R&D Council of NJ Board of Directors and as Chair of the NIH Point-of-Care Research Network Advisory Board. 

Dr. Dhawan pioneered low-angle trans-illumination technology and first demonstrated its application in skin-cancer imaging and specifically diagnostic screening of skin-cancers in 1984. His invention, patented as Nevoscope, established the feasibility of point-of-care (POC) in-situ diagnostic evaluation of skin-lesions, creating the field of dermatoscopy for effective early detection of skin-cancers. His optical imaging cornerstone technology led to two successful medical companies for manufacturing and marketing of Veinlite and Dermlite devices, which respectively are being used in the interventional treatment of spider-vein diseases and early diagnosis and clinical management of skin-cancers, specifically malignant melanomas.  

Dr. Dhawan chairs the NIH Point-of-Care Technology Research Network (POCTRN) Independent Expert Board.  He is a recipient of numerous awards including Martin Epstein Award (1984), NIH FIRST Award (1988), Sigma-Xi Young Investigator Award (1992), IEEE EMBS Early Career Achievement Award (1995), Doermann Distinguished Lecture Award (1999), EMBS Distinguished Lecturer award (2012-2013), IEEE EMBS William J. Morlock Award in Excellence in Biomedical Technology (2021) and NJ Innovate 100 Leaders Award (2024) .

Dr. Dhawan served as the founding Editor-In-Chief of the IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine (2012-2018), and the founding chair of the IEEE EMBS technical committee on Translational Engineering and Healthcare Innovations (2014-2018). He also served as the Senior Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, Editorial Board Member for International Journal of Pattern Recognition, and steering committee member for IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging. Dr. Dhawan has chaired numerous NIH special emphasis and review panels, and site visit & review panels for NIH BTRR P41 program (1990-present). From 2008-2011, He chaired the NIH Chartered Study Section on Biomedical Computing and Health Informatics. 

His research interests lie in medical imaging, medical image analysis, point-of-care technologies, and pattern recognition. Dr. Dhawan has received more than $86 million in research grants and contracts as Principal Investigator or Co-PI. He has published over 216 research papers and book chapters. He has also authored and co-authored several books in medical imaging, and image analysis. He holds several patents, three of which have been commercialized or licensed. 

Dr. Dhawan has been a strong supporter of undergraduate research and innovation. As the department chair at NJIT, he developed a senior design and research program with student presentation workshops. During his tenure as the associate and interim dean of the NJIT Albert Dorman Honors College, he developed and funded the Interdisciplinary Design Studio (IDS) for undergraduate students with the engineering design, research and technology development for unmet market needs of high societal impact. The IDS research and technology development program was embedded in the curriculum for honors college students from freshmen too senior years. Later in 2012, he developed the NJIT Undergraduate Research and Innovation (URI) program for all undergraduate students with URI Student Seed Research grants (up to $3,000 per project) during the academic year and URI Undergraduate Summer Research Program (currently with $5,000 stipend per student) with the Dr. James Stevenson Innovation Awards. About 200 undergraduate students from different URI programs funded by industry, NSF REU site programs and private donations are working on engineering design, research and innovation projects this summer who will be presenting their innovative projects to the external advisory board at the NJIT 2024 Undergraduate Summer Research Symposium to compete for Dr. James Stevenson Innovation Awards. 

More recently, Dr. Dhawan founded the NJIT Center for Translational Research (CTR) for promoting excellence in collaborative research, innovation partnerships, entrepreneurial pathways, education and training, and infrastructure development to translate technology into applications with a high societal and economic impact. The CTR is funded by the Accelerating Research Translation (ART) program from the Technology, Innovation and Partnerships directorate of the National Science Foundation.

Anne C. Di Sante, Executive Director of MSU Technologies: Anne Di Sante is an experienced technology transfer professional and views that role as a catalyst for technology development, adoption and public benefit. Since beginning her technology transfer career in 1987, she has assumed the roles of a technology manager, director of licensing, tech transfer office leadership and is now the executive director of MSU Technologies. As Executive Director, Anne leads an office of 22 professionals who engage inventors on all aspects of innovation, intellectual property, and commercialization. She is leading the office through several transitions, all the while supporting the continued growth of the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship at MSU. Additionally, Anne consistently encourages transparency, which has contributed to improved relationships with MSU Technologies’ stakeholders. Anne frequently speaks on various aspects of academic technology transfer, innovation and commercialization. She is an active member of AUTM, volunteering for AUTM since 1988, and was its Vice President, Central Region. Prior to her career in academic tech transfer, Anne was an ASCP-certified medical technologist. She earned her bachelor’s degree in medical technology, master’s degree in microbiology and immunology and master’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Prof. Duncan joined Sandia National Labs, and then the Physics and Astronomy Department at UNM, after earning his physics degrees at MIT and UC Santa Barbara.  He became a Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff at Sandia in 1995, and then the first Associate Dean for Research within the College of Arts and Sciences at UNM in 1999. He served as the founding Director of the New Mexico Consortium at Los Alamos National Lab in 2006, before going on to serve as the Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Missouri (MU), and then as the Senior Vice President for Research at Texas Tech University.  He currently serves as the President’s Distinguished Chair in Physics at Texas Tech. His experimental research interests are in solid state nuclear physics, dynamic critical phenomena, quantum fluids, and in precision measurement and new quantum sensing instrumentation designs.  

Prof. Duncan has published eighty papers in refereed journals, and he has taught throughout the undergraduate and graduate curriculum in physics at UNM and Texas Tech.  He has served as a NASA Flight Principal Investigator (PI) within the Microgravity Fundamental Physics Program. Prof. Duncan is a Fellow and a life member of the American Physical Society, and a Fellow and an Executive Board Member of the National Academy of Inventors. He serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the United States Air Force. Prof. Duncan was named the Gordon and Betty Moore Distinguished Scholar within the Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy at Caltech in 2004. He chaired the Instrumentation and Measurement Topical Group for the American Physical Society in 2002, and the International Symposium on Quantum Fluids and Solids in 2003. He has co-invented 15 US patents and 31 international patents, and he has assisted in the invention and formation of companies, three of which are now traded on NASDAQ. Prof. Duncan chaired the Panel on Fundamental Physical Science in Space for the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Decadal Survey in 2010. He has also served on the NAS Panel to evaluate the effectiveness of the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), and on the NAS Decadal Survey Panel on Biological and Physical Sciences in Space in 2022. He is a frequent plenary speaker at the World Federation of Scientists in Erice, Sicily, and he has served on executive ‘blue ribbon’ review committees at the Naval Research Laboratory, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Duncan currently serves as a PI in ARPA-E Exploratory Topics, and recently in NASA Innovative and Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program. Duncan and Dr. Annette “Annie” Sobel married in 1993, and they now reside in Lubbock, TX, and in Sandia Park, NM.

Anna has >35 years of experimental physics research and development engineering in cryogenic and superconductor materials, devices and electromagnetic systems. She founded the Cryogenic Exploitation of Radio Frequency (CERF) Laboratory at Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, creating a group of innovative scientists and engineers who publish and patent prolifically. Technical breakthroughs and technology transition into the Naval Fleet at CERF brought national attention at every level of the DoD. To continue to push technology in new ways, since retiring from Federal Service in 2022, she is serving as an Entrepreneur in Residence for the UC San Diego Office of Innovation and Commercialization and founded Quantum Vector Inc.  She is a Board Member for Ambature, a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and a Senior Member of the IEEE with 22 patents and 57 publications.  She serves her community as member of several technical committees and boards including the Superconductivity Global Alliance, the Applied Superconductivity Education Foundation and the National Academy of Inventors.

Kenneth Ford is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of IHMC, a not-for-profit research institute located in Pensacola and Ocala, Fla. IHMC has grown into one of the nation’s premier research organizations with world-class scientists and engineers investigating a broad range of topics related to building technological systems aimed at amplifying and extending human cognition, perception, locomotion and resilience.

Dr. Ford is the author of hundreds of scientific papers and six books. Dr. Ford’s research interests include: artificial intelligence, cognitive science, human-centered computing, and entrepreneurship in government and academia. Dr. Ford received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Tulane University. Ford is a Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and a charter Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.

Ford has received many awards and honors including the Doctor Honoris Causas from the University of Bordeaux in 2005 and the 2008 Robert Englemore Memorial Award for his work in artificial intelligence. In 2012 Tulane University named Ford its Outstanding Alumnus in the School of Science and Engineering. In 2015, the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence named Dr. Ford the recipient of the 2015 Distinguished Service Award. In 2017 Dr. Ford was inducted into the Florida Inventor’s Hall of Fame.

In January 1997, Dr. Ford was asked by NASA to develop and direct its new Center of Excellence in Information Technology at the Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley. He served as Associate Center Director and Director of NASA’s Center of Excellence in Information Technology. In July 1999, Dr. Ford was awarded the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal. That same year, Ford returned to private life and to the IHMC.

In October of 2002, President George W. Bush nominated Dr. Ford to serve on the National Science Board (NSB) and the United States Senate confirmed his nomination in March of 2003. The NSB is the governing board of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and plays an important role in advising the President and Congress on science policy issues. In 2005, Dr. Ford was appointed and sworn in as a member of the Air Force Science Advisory Board.

In 2007, he became a member of the NASA Advisory Council and on October 16, 2008, Dr. Ford was named as Chairman – a capacity in which he served until October 2011. In August 2010, Dr. Ford was awarded NASA’s Distinguished Public Service Medal – the highest honor the agency confers.

In February of 2012, Dr. Ford was named to the Defense Science Board (DSB) and in 2013, he became a member of the Advanced Technology Board (ATB) which supports the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). In 2018, Dr. Ford was appointed to the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence.

In 2020, Florida Trend Magazine named Ford one of its Living Legends, a list of all-time influential Florida leaders in business, medicine, academia, entertainment, politics, and sport.

In February 2023, Dr. Tatiana Litvin-Vechnyak assumed the role of Vice President for the Office of Technology Commercialization at Georgetown University, where she spearheads technology transfer initiatives to foster innovation and faculty entrepreneurship. With more than 18 years of expertise in intellectual property protection, business development, and licensing, she previously held the position of Associate Vice President of Innovation Ventures at Rutgers University. During her tenure at Rutgers, Tatiana achieved remarkable milestones, including overhauling patent policies, establishing a highly successful fellowship program, and making pivotal contributions to the launch of the TechAdvance funding initiative. Tatiana holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and is a duly Registered Patent Agent. She actively engages in professional organizations, frequently delivering intellectual property and technology licensing talks. Beyond her illustrious career, Tatiana is an avid sailor who ardently supports sailing endeavors within her family at their local club.

Professor Mihri Ozkan is a faculty member in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, Riverside (UCR). In July 2024, she represented the United States as a delegate at the United Nations Climate Panel in Vienna, Austria, where she delivered a presentation on the energy and cost dynamics of Direct Air Capture (DAC). Her expertise was shared with a global audience of leading authorities in Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR), further solidifying her role as a key contributor to the field of sustainable energy and environmental technology.

Professor Ozkan is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the Frontier National Academy of Engineering, and the Association of American University Women, honors that underscore her exceptional contributions to research and innovation. Recognized by UCR as a Climate Action Champion and Changemaker Professor, she exemplifies a unique blend of academic excellence and a deep commitment to environmental advocacy. Her graduate studies at Stanford University and the University of California, San Diego, equipped her to fuse her passion for climate justice and sustainability with pioneering research.

Her research group is at the forefront of sustainable battery technology, with a focus on utilizing innovative materials and low-energy, eco-friendly processing techniques. Her work aims to reduce carbon emissions across the battery lifecycle, reflecting her dedication to advancing a more sustainable future. This commitment has earned her recognition as one of UCR’s “Remarkable Women.”

A prolific inventor, Professor Ozkan holds approximately 50 granted patents, with an additional six pending. She has authored over 400 publications, with more than 12,871 citations on Google Scholar, an h-index of 58, and an i10-index of 156, demonstrating the significant impact of her research. As a dedicated mentor, she has guided nearly 85 graduate students, shaping the next generation of engineers focused on sustainability and climate solutions.

Beyond academia, Professor Ozkan is a passionate advocate for climate action and justice. Her leadership in climate initiatives earned her the prestigious “Selçuk Yaşar” award. She chaired the Climate Change Mitigation Technologies Symposium at the Fall 2021 Materials Research Society (MRS) meeting in Boston and served as guest editor for the April 2022 issue of MRS Bulletin on “Materials for Carbon Capture Technologies.” Additionally, she is a dedicated artist, using her paintings to raise global awareness about climate change.

Jamie Renee serves as the Executive Director for the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Before assuming the role as Executive Director, she served for two years as the Senior Advisor to the Academy’s Founder and President, Dr. Paul Sanberg, overseeing strategic partnerships, Board engagement, and team development. As Executive Director, she is committed to growing the impact of NAI through strategic partnerships and intentional member engagement and making strides in reaching and involving underrepresented populations in the innovation and invention ecosystem.

Jamie has a heart for humanity and a mind for business. Korn Ferry ranked her business acumen in the top 2.5% of executive leaders worldwide. She has more than 25 years of corporate and nonprofit experience, having served in leadership roles within Home Depot, OAI, The Children’s Home, United Way, and Habitat for Humanity. An alumna of the University of North Florida, Jamie is certified in Strength-based Professional Coaching from Gallup, Social Responsibility Planning from Yale, and Culture Creation from Harvard.

Before her appointment at the Academy, Jamie founded Good Day Solutions, a consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and culture alignment. Her firm worked with organizations and leaders committed to leveraging best practices that put people first and build a culture of inclusivity, trust, and cohesion. Jamie is passionate about bringing out the best in individuals and teams. She is committed to measuring and celebrating what matters and helps leaders identify and prioritize the key activities aligned with achieving success.

She has extensive experience developing and implementing strategic plans, leadership and team coaching, and project implementation. Having overseen multiple mergers and acquisitions, her passion for building cohesive teams and inspiring positive change helps take teams and operations to new levels.

Jamie is an avid life-long learner and loves to teach what she learns. As part of her commitment to “be the good in the world,” she founded Engage364, a nonprofit focused on mobilizing business leaders to engage with at-risk youth to help them discover and make a plan for their purpose.

Dana Vouglitois is a registered patent attorney and certified licensing professional licensed to practice law in Florida, New York and New Jersey. In her current role as Senior Associate Director of the Office of Technology Development at Florida Atlantic University, she oversees the legal protection and commercialization of innovations developed through university research. Prior to her time at FAU, she advised various non-profit institutions on intellectual property issues and related legal and business matters including the Florida Institute for the Commercialization of Public Research in Boca Raton and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. She also serves as a co-chair of the Palm Beach/Treasure Coast Chapter of BioFlorida, an industry association whose mission is to drive the growth of the life sciences in Florida, and a board member of the Florida chapter of ChIPs, an organization dedicated to advancing and connecting women in technology and intellectual property law and policy.