Three Stevens Institute of Technology Leaders Chosen as Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors

Hoboken, N.J. (PRWEB) December 10, 2013

Stevens President Nariman Farvardin, Stevens Provost George Korfiatis and Stevens Vice Provost Christos Christodoulatos have been elected Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), a prestigious honor awarded to inventors from business and academe.

Dr. Farvardin—who became the seventh president of Stevens in 2011 and has been the driving force for the implementation of an ambitious 10-year strategic plan—has an impressive background as an inventor and entrepreneur. As a member of the University of Maryland faculty for 27 years, he pioneered research which made significant contributions to a number of communications standards and practical systems in data communication, image and video compression, and voice coding in wireless applications. Farvardin holds seven U.S. patents in data communication, image coding and wireless communication. He also co-founded two companies: Zagros Networks, a venture-funded fabless semiconductor company; and NovaTherm Technologies, a high-tech start-up company that develops technologies to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. He is also a passionate advocate of technological innovation, contributing to numerous professional organizations, corporate boards and educational non-profits. Earlier this year, he was named CEO of the Year by the New Jersey Technology Council.

Dr. Korfiatis, provost and university vice president, is an internationally-recognized expert in environmental research and technology development. In his 30-year career at Stevens, he has been a professor and researcher, the dean of engineering, and interim president. As dean of the Schaefer School of Engineering and Science at Stevens, he implemented an environment of academic entrepreneurship where faculty and students work to enhance inventiveness, creativity and entrepreneurship as the core values of the university's educational foundation. He was also a co-founder of two Stevens spin-off companies—PlasmaSol Corp. and HydroGlobe LLC—which each marketed technologies which were acquired by Fortune 500 companies.

Dr. Christodoulatos, vice provost of innovation and entrepreneurship, has successfully modernized the technology transfer process at Stevens and also spearheads the inclusion of innovation and entrepreneurship concepts in the classroom and the research laboratory. Christodoulatos is an accomplished environmental science researcher whose research accomplishments include the development of environmentally compatible technology and responsible natural resource management practices that support environmental sustainability. He holds several patents in water and air treatment technology. He is the cofounder, with Korfiatis, of PlasmaSol Corp. and HydroGlobe LLC.

“The fact that three members of the leadership team of Stevens Institute of Technology were named Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors this year is a fitting illustration of what distinguishes Stevens,” said Farvardin. “Innovation, invention and entrepreneurship are a part of our heritage and a part of our DNA. Generations of Stevens faculty and alumni have made tremendous contributions to society based on their inventions and innovations. To this day, Stevens is defining the future through its education and research programs, and I'm honored to be a part of this.”

Farvardin, Korfiatis and Christodoulatos will be inducted as NAI Fellows by the U.S. Commissioner for Patents Margaret A. Focarino on March 7, 2014 at the United States Patent and Trademark Office headquarters in Alexandria, Va. The induction ceremony is part of the 3rd Annual NAI Conference.

NAI Fellows are academic innovators who have contributed to the invention of products, goods and services which have positively impacted quality of life, economic development and welfare of society. They are nominated by their peers for outstanding contributions to innovation in areas such as patents and licensing, innovative discovery and technology, significant impact on society, and support and enhancement of innovation. They must be a named inventor on at least one patent issued by the USPTO and must be affiliated with a university, nonprofit research institute or other academic entity.

The inaugural class of 2012 NAI Fellows included 101 innovators who hold more than 3,200 U.S. patents and represent 56 prestigious research universities and non-profit research institutes. Included in the class is Stevens telecommunications pioneer Dr. Victor Lawrence, as well as eight Nobel Laureates, four recipients of the National Medal of Science, and many other notable honorees.

The NAI Fellows Selection Committee is comprised of 13 prestigious innovators, including: NAI Charter Fellows, recipients of U.S. National Medals, National Inventors Hall of Fame inductees, members of the National Academies, and senior officials from the USPTO, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Association of University Technology Managers and the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

About Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology, The Innovation University®, is a premier, private research university situated in Hoboken, N.J. overlooking the Manhattan skyline. Founded in 1870, technological innovation has been the hallmark and legacy of Stevens’ education and research programs for more than 140 years. Within the university’s three schools and one college, more than 6,100 undergraduate and graduate students collaborate with more than 350 faculty members in an interdisciplinary, student-centric, entrepreneurial environment to advance the frontiers of science and leverage technology to confront global challenges. Stevens is home to three national research centers of excellence, as well as joint research programs focused on critical industries such as healthcare, energy, finance, defense and STEM education and coastal sustainability. The university is consistently ranked among the nation’s elite for return on investment for students, career services programs and mid-career salaries of alumni. Stevens is in the midst of a 10-year strategic plan, The Future. Ours to Create., designed to further extend the Stevens legacy to create a forward-looking and far-reaching institution with global impact.

About the National Academy of Inventors
The National Academy of Inventors® is a 501c3 non-profit organization comprised of more than 45 U.S. and international universities and non-profit research institutes, with over 2,000 individual academic inventor members, and growing rapidly. It was founded in 2010 to recognize and encourage inventors with a patent issued from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students, and translate the inventions of its members to benefit society. The NAI publishes a newsletter and edits the multidisciplinary journal, Technology and Innovation – Proceedings of the National Academy of Inventors, published by Cognizant Communication Corporation (NY).

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