Washington hosts recipients of the National Medals of Science, Technology and Innovation, along with National Inventors Hall of Fame inductees
A hurricane of vision and accomplishment blew into our nation’s capital recently.
On October 24, President Biden awarded the National Medal of Science (NMS) and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation (NMTI) to a number of Americans with exemplary achievements in science, technology, and innovation.
Two days later, the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) celebrated its 50th anniversary when it honored its 2023 inductees at a black-tie gala at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. The USPTO was a presenting sponsor.
The National Medal of Technology and Innovation is the nation’s highest award for technological achievement. It recognizes American innovators whose vision, intellect, creativity, and determination have strengthened America’s economy and improved our quality of life.
Established by Congress in 1980 and administered by the USPTO, the first NMTI was presented in 1985.
Those honored by the president represented a diverse field from different walks of life throughout the world.
Among the National Medal of Science recipients, Purdue University professor Gebisa Ejeta is a scientist from rural Ethiopia who won the World Food Prize in 2009 for his work with drought- and parasite-resistant hybrid strains. Belgian-born Myriam Sarachik, who died in 2021, conducted experiments that revealed subtle but fundamental physics in the electronic and magnetic behavior of materials.
U.S.-born Rory Cooper, cover subject for the November 2019 Inventors Digest, was among the NMTI recipients. He had a busy week, receiving his NMTI on Tuesday and being inducted into the NIHF on Thursday.
Cooper is director of Rehabilitation Research and Development’s Human Engineering Research Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh, where he oversees and conducts research to support the needs of disabled veterans and other individuals with mobility impairments. HERL holds 25 patents.
Other NMTI recipients: Mary-Dell Chilton, Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc.; John M. Cioffi, Stanford University, ASSIA, Inc.; Ashok Gadgil, University of California, Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Juan E. Gilbert, University of Florida; Charles W. Hull, 3D Systems; Jeong H. Kim, Kiswe Mobile, Inc.; Steven A. Rosenberg, National Cancer Institute; Neil Gilbert Siegel, University of Southern California; James G. Fujimoto and Eric Swanson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and David Huang, Oregon Health & Science University (team).
For a complete list of 2023 National Inventors Hall of Fame inductees: invent.org/inductees/new-inductees
