Tampa, FL – February 26, 2026
The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has announced the 2026 class of Senior Members, composed of 230 emerging inventors from NAI’s Member Institutions. This year’s class of NAI Senior Members is the largest to date, hailing from 82 NAI Member Institutions across the globe and collectively holding over 2,000 U.S. patents. A full list of the 2026 Class of Senior Members is available here.
“This year’s Senior Member Class is a truly impressive cohort. These innovators come from a variety of fields and disciplines, translating their technologies into tangible impact,” said Paul R. Sanberg, FNAI, President of NAI. “I commend them on their incredible pursuits and I’m honored to welcome them to the Academy.”
The Senior Member recognition program was launched in 2018, with the guidance of NAI Board Member Sethuraman Panchanathan, FNAI, former Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF). The program was created to recognize active faculty, scientists, and administrators at NAI Member Institutions who have successfully produced, patented and commercialized technologies that have brought, or aspire to bring, real impact on the welfare of society and economic progress.
The ability to nominate an individual for NAI Senior Member recognition is an exclusive opportunity afforded to NAI Member Institutions to recognize their outstanding innovators and foster a culture of innovation and invention on their campuses. These Member Institutions are widely regarded as innovation powerhouses that continuously promote and foster the spirit of innovation at their institutions and in their communities.
Today, there are 945 Senior Members holding over 11,000 U.S. patents.
“It has been incredible to watch this program grow year over year, and see these inventors get the recognition they truly deserve,” said Dr Panchanathan. “It highlights the dedication of our Member Institutions to celebrating their inventive faculty and fostering innovation on their campuses and within the broader innovation ecosystem.”
The 2026 class of Senior Members will be honored during the Senior Member Induction Ceremony at NAI’s 15th Annual Conference taking place June 1-4th, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.