University of Florida announces the 2024 National Academy of Inventors Fellows
Fan Ren, Ph.D., a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Florida, has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors , the organization announced today.
Ren, who joined UF’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering in 1998, researches next-generation semiconductor electronic device fabrication technologies and advanced health sensors for events like heart attacks
The NAI Fellowship is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors and this year’s class comprises 170 exceptional individuals. The full list of 2024 Fellows can be found here.
“This year's class of NAI Fellows represents a truly impressive caliber of inventors. Each of these individuals are tackling real-world issues and creating solutions that propel us into the future. Through their work, they are making significant contributions to science, creating lasting societal impact, and growing the economy,” said Paul Sanberg, Ph.D., D.Sc. FNAI, president of the NAI.
Ren is a distinguished professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at UF. He is the recipient of the Gordon E. Moore Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Solid State Science and Technology and Albert Nerken Award in American Vacuum Society. He holds 31 U.S. patents and 13 foreign patents that have been licensed to four companies. He has published over 1,000 articles, seven books, and 56 book chapters and serves as a technical editor in ECs JSST, guest editors in ECS and AVS. He is a Fellow of American Institute of Chemical Engineers, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, American Vacuum Society, American Physical Society, Electrochemical Society, Materials Research Society, IEEE, and SPIE.
The 2024 cohort of fellows exemplifies the academy’s belief that groundbreaking innovation knows no bounds and inventors can be found everywhere. This is evident in the fact that the honorees represent 39 U.S. states, 12 countries, and 43% identify as underrepresented inventors.
The 2024 fellows hail from 135 research universities, governmental and non-profit research institutions worldwide and their work spans across various disciplines. They are not only phenomenal researchers holding prestigious honors and distinctions such as the Nobel Prize, U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation and National Medal of Science, and membership to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, but are also incredible inventors who collectively hold over 5,000 issued U.S. patents and whose innovations are making significant tangible societal and economic impacts today and will well into the future.
Since its founding in 2012, the NAI Fellows program has grown to include 2,068 exceptional researchers and innovators, who hold over 68,000 U.S. patents and 20,000 licensed technologies. NAI Fellows are known for the societal and economic impact of their inventions, contributing to major advancements in science and consumer technologies. Their innovations have generated over $3.2 trillion in revenue and generated 1.2 million jobs. The 2024 Class of Fellows will be honored and presented their medals by a senior official of the United States Patent and Trademark Office at the NAI 14th Annual Meeting on June 26, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.