Materials Scientist Named Senior Member of National Academy of Inventors

A researcher studying materials for extreme environments and energy transduction in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering was named a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), a recognition that acknowledges individuals with success in producing technologies that impact the welfare of society.

Professor Shenqiang Ren joins a class of 162 emerging academic inventors, the largest to date, hailing from 64 NAI Member Institutions who collectively hold over 1,200 U.S. patents. He has published peer-reviewed articles in journals like Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nature Communications, and Nano Letters, and currently holds 13 U.S. patents.

“I am deeply honored to be recognized as a Senior Member of the NAI. This distinction reflects not only my dedication to innovation but also the invaluable support of my students, postdocs, colleagues, mentors, and collaborators. I remain committed to advancing research and discovery, fostering creativity, and contributing to meaningful technological progress within the UMD community,” said Ren.

The professor also thanked members of the University of Maryland Ventures (UM Ventures), a joint initiative of the MPowering the State Program, for their crucial support. UM Ventures seeks to bring the University of Maryland, Baltimore and University of Maryland, College Park together to commercialize discoveries and create economic impact.

“NAI Senior Members are rising stars who foster a spirit of invention, while educating and mentoring the next generation. Professor Ren is truly deserving of this recognition and his inventions have the potential to contribute, in an environmentally responsible fashion, to industries as varied as construction, energy, and electronics,” according to Ken Porter, executive director of UM Ventures, College Park.

This year’s class will be celebrated during the Senior Member Induction Ceremony at NAI’s 14th Annual Conference taking place June 23-26th, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. The conference brings together visionaries and innovators to converge to share ideas, foster collaborations, and celebrate advancements in invention. The prestigious Senior Member Induction Ceremony is one of the cornerstones of the conference, exemplifying the spirit of creativity and discovery that drives the global inventor community.

“To see this program grow year over year is a testament to the dedication our Member Institutions have to fostering innovation on their campuses and supporting their inventive staff and faculty,” said Paul R. Sanberg, President of NAI. “This year’s class comes from a multitude of impressive fields and research backgrounds from across the world. We applaud their pursuit of commercialization to ensure their groundbreaking technologies can make a difference by tackling the world’s most pressing issues, improving quality of life across society, and advancing the economy.”

A complete list of Senior Members can be found on the NAI pamphlet.

Published February 20, 2025