
25 recipients named for National Medal of Technology and Innovation, National Medal of Science |
The “father of the cellphone” is among the 45th anniversary class of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation (NMTI), furthering a tradition of America’s leading role in invention and innovation.
Dr. Martin Cooper, 96, who made the first cellphone call on April 3, 1973, while working for Motorola, was among 11 NMTI laureates presented their awards by the Joe Biden White House during a January 3 ceremony that included 14 National Medal of Science laureates. The NMTI—the nation’s highest honor for technological achievement—is awarded to individuals, teams (up to four individuals), companies or divisions of companies for their outstanding contributions to America’s economic, environmental, and social well-being.
The NMTI is administered by the USPTO on behalf of the Department of Commerce.
Established in 1959, the National Medal of Science (NMS) is administered for the White House by the National Science Foundation. The medal recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to science and engineering.
The NMS was awarded to 14 recipients. Nine individuals were given the NMTI, along with two organizations—Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc., for their mRNA COVID vaccines.
In a statement from the White House, President Biden cited the 25 recipients’ discoveries in areas such as climate crisis, medical treatments, vaccine developments, changes in communication—even improvements in understanding of the universe and our place within it.
Cooper was honored for his work in advancing personal wireless communications for over 50 years. He has 11 patents.
Other individual NMTI selections:
Jennifer A. Doudna, a Nobel laureate in chemistry and the Li Ka Shing chancellor’s chair in Biomedical and Health Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. She is a pioneer of CRISPR gene editing.
Eric R. Fossum is the John H. Krehbiel Sr. professor for emerging technologies at Dartmouth College. He invented the CMOS active pixel image sensor used in cellphone cameras, webcams, and medical imaging.
Paula T. Hammond, an MIT institute professor, vice provost for faculty, and member of the Koch Institute, developed methods for assembling thin films that can be used for drug delivery, wound healing, and other applications.
Kristina M. Johnson, former president of Ohio State University, was recognized for research in photonics, nanotechnology, and optoelectronics. Her discoveries have contributed to sustainable energy solutions and advanced manufacturing technologies.
Victor B. Lawrence spent much of his career at Bell Laboratories, working on new developments in multiple forms of communications. He is a research professor and director of the Center for Intelligent Networked Systems at Stevens Institute of Technology.
David R. Walt, faculty member of the Wyss Institute at Harvard University, was honored for co-inventing the DNA microarray, enabling large-scale genetic analysis and better personalized medicine.
Dr. Paul G. Yock, an emeritus faculty member at Stanford University, invented, developed, and tested new cardiovascular intervention devices, including the stent.
Feng Zhang, the James and Patricia Poitras Professor of Neuroscience at MIT and a professor of brain and cognitive sciences and biological engineering, was recognized for his work developing molecular tools, including the CRISPR genome-editing system.
The 14 recipients of the NMS include:
Richard B. Alley, the Evan Pugh University professor of geosciences at Pennsylvania State University, researches the great ice sheets to help predict future changes in climate and sea levels.
Larry Martin Bartels, university distinguished professor of political science and law and the May Werthan Shayne chair of public policy and social science at Vanderbilt University. His scholarship focuses on public opinion, public policy, election science, and political economy.
Bonnie L. Bassler, squibb professor in molecular biology and chair of the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University, researched the molecular mechanisms that bacteria use for intercellular communication.
Angela Marie Belcher, the James Mason Crafts professor of biological engineering and materials science and engineering at MIT, designed materials for applications in solar cells, batteries, and medical imaging.
Helen M. Blau, Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter foundation professor and the director of the Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology at Stanford University, researched muscle diseases, regeneration and aging, including the use of stem cells for tissue repair.
Emery Neal Brown, Edward Hood Taplin professor of medical engineering and computational neuroscience at MIT, was recognized for his work revealing how anesthesia affects the brain.
John O. Dabiri, centennial chair professor at the California Institute of Technology in the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories and Mechanical Engineering. His research focuses on fluid mechanics and flow physics, with an emphasis on topics relevant to biology, energy, and the environment.
Ingrid Daubechies, James B. Duke distinguished professor emerita of mathematics at Duke University, was honored for her pioneering work on signal processing.
Cynthia Dwork, Gordon McKay professor of computer science at Harvard University, was recognized for research that has transformed the way data privacy is handled involving big data and AI.
R. Lawrence Edwards, regents and distinguished McKnight University professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Minnesota, refined radiocarbon dating techniques to study climate history and ocean chemistry.
Wendy L. Freedman, the John and Marion Sullivan university professor in astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Chicago, conduced observational cosmology research that included pioneering uses of the Hubble Space Telescope.
Keivan G. Stassun, Stevenson professor of physics & astronomy at Vanderbilt University, was honored for his work in astrophysics, including the study of star formation and exoplanets.
G. David Tilman, regents professor and the McKnight presidential chair in ecology, evolution, and behavior at the University of Minnesota, studies biological diversity, the structure and benefits of ecosystems, and ways to assure sustainability despite global increases in human consumption and population.
Teresa Kaye Woodruff, a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology and biomedical engineering at Michigan State University, is an internationally recognized expert in ovarian biology and reproductive science.