{"688539":{"#nid":"688539","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Five Georgia Tech Faculty Named to NAI Senior Members Class of 2026 ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFive faculty members from\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;have been elected as\u0026nbsp;senior\u0026nbsp;members of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).\u0026nbsp;As members, they are recognized as distinguished academic inventors with a strong record of patenting technologies, licensing IP, and commercializing their research. Their innovations have made, or have the potential to make, meaningful impacts on society.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u201cThe election of our faculty members to this prestigious association is a powerful affirmation of the innovative research happening at Georgia Tech,\u201d said Raghupathy \u201cSiva\u201d Sivakumar, chief commercialization officer at Georgia Tech. \u201cTheir work to take research to market reflects the growing importance of invention in addressing society\u2019s most complex challenges. This recognition signals the strength of the commercialization ecosystem at Georgia Tech to advance impactful research, encourage innovation, and prepare the next generation of inventors.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 2026 Georgia Tech NAI\u0026nbsp;senior\u0026nbsp;members are:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJason David Azoulay\u003C\/strong\u003E, associate professor, School of Materials Science and Engineering School and School of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJaydev Prataprai Desai,\u003C\/strong\u003E professor and cardiovascular biomedical engineering distinguished chair, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDavid Frost\u003C\/strong\u003E, Elizabeth and Bill Higginbotham Professor and Regents\u2019 Entrepreneur,\u0026nbsp;School of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChandra Raman\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;Dunn Family Professor of Physics, School of Physics\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAaron Young\u003C\/strong\u003E, associate professor, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/jason-azoulay\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJason David Azoulay\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAzoulay is recognized for pioneering new classes of functional materials through innovative polymer synthesis, heterocycle chemistry, and polymerization reactions. His work spans electronic, photonic, and quantum materials, device fabrication, and chemical sensing for environmental monitoring. He has\u0026nbsp;demonstrated\u0026nbsp;new classes of organic semiconductors with infrared functionality and holds nine issued U.S. patents. Azoulay is the Georgia Research Alliance Vasser-Woolley Distinguished Investigator and holds a joint appointment in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bio\/jaydev-p-desai\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJaydev\u0026nbsp;Prataprai\u0026nbsp;Desai\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDesai is recognized for advancing medical robotics and translational biomedical innovation with inventions spanning robotically steerable guidewires for endovascular interventions, minimally invasive surgical tools, MEMS sensors for cancer diagnosis, and rehabilitation robotics for people with motor impairments. He is the founding\u0026nbsp;editor-in-chief of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EJournal of Medical Robotics Research\u003C\/em\u003E, has authored more than 225 peer-reviewed publications, and serves as the\u0026nbsp;Director of Georgia Center for Medical Robotics at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;Desai holds 15 U.S. and International patents.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/j-david-frost\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDavid\u0026nbsp;Frost\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrost\u0026nbsp;has built a career at the intersection of civil engineering research\u0026nbsp;and entrepreneurship. A leader in the study of natural and human-made disasters and their impacts on infrastructure, he has founded two Georgia Tech-based software companies:\u0026nbsp;Dataforensics, which offers tools for subsurface data collection and infrastructure project management, and Filio,\u0026nbsp;an\u0026nbsp;AI-powered mobile platform\u0026nbsp;that\u0026nbsp;supports visual asset management in construction and post-disaster reconnaissance. In 2023, Frost was named a Regents\u2019 Entrepreneur by the University System of Georgia\u2019s Board of Regents, a designation reserved for tenured faculty who have successfully taken their research into a commercial setting.\u0026nbsp;He holds four U.S. patents.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/chandra-raman\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChandra Raman\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERaman\u0026nbsp;is a physicist, inventor, and technology entrepreneur whose research on ultracold atoms is enabling a new generation of ultraprecise quantum sensing devices. He is the co-inventor of chip-scale atomic beam technology \u2014 a breakthrough that makes it possible to miniaturize quantum sensors for navigation and timing applications in environments where GPS fails, with uses spanning autonomous vehicles, aerospace, and national security. Raman holds six U.S. patents, three of which have been issued and two licensed. To bring his inventions to market, he founded 8Seven8 Inc., Georgia\u2019s first quantum hardware company. He is a\u0026nbsp;fellow of the American Physical Society and an advisor to national and space-based quantum initiatives.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/young\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAaron Young\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYoung directs the Exoskeleton and Prosthetic Intelligent Controls Lab, where he develops robotic exoskeletons and intelligent control systems to improve walking function and physical capability for people with mobility impairments and industrial safety applications. His research has been supported by major federal grants from the National Institutes of Health, and he holds three U.S. patents. Young works with Georgia Tech\u2019s Office of Technology Licensing and Quadrant-i\u0026nbsp;to advance promising technologies toward real-world adoption.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Tech\u2019s Office of Commercialization\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;Office of Commercialization is\u0026nbsp;the nexus of research commercialization and entrepreneurship at Georgia Tech,\u0026nbsp;bringing\u0026nbsp;leading-edge research\u0026nbsp;and innovation to market.\u0026nbsp;It\u0026nbsp;comprises\u0026nbsp;six\u0026nbsp;key units\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;ATDC,\u0026nbsp;CREATE-X,\u0026nbsp;VentureLab,\u0026nbsp;Quadrant-i,\u0026nbsp;Technology Licensing, and Velocity\u0026nbsp;Startups \u2014\u0026nbsp;that empower students and faculty to launch startups, manage intellectual property, and transform research ideas into positive societal impact. Learn more at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/commercialization.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecommercialization.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the National Academy of Inventors\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe National Academy of Inventors is a member organization\u0026nbsp;comprising\u0026nbsp;U.S. and international universities, and governmental and nonprofit research institutes, with over 4,000 individual inventor members and fellows spanning more than 250 institutions worldwide. It was founded in 2010 to recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, and translate the inventions of its members to\u0026nbsp;benefit\u0026nbsp;society.\u202fLearn more at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/academyofinventors.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eacademyofinventors.org\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe professors have been\u0026nbsp;recognized for patenting and commercializing technologies with real-world impact.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The professors have been recognized for patenting and commercializing technologies with real-world impact. "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-02-26 12:21:15","changed_gmt":"2026-03-03 22:20:24","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679445":{"id":"679445","type":"image","title":"nai.jpg.png","body":null,"created":"1772112951","gmt_created":"2026-02-26 13:35:51","changed":"1772112951","gmt_changed":"2026-02-26 13:35:51","alt":"Five professors named senior members of NAI. ","file":{"fid":"263609","name":"nai.jpg.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/26\/nai.jpg.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/26\/nai.jpg.png","mime":"image\/png","size":910902,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/26\/nai.jpg.png?itok=02M_s5UD"}}},"media_ids":["679445"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/academyofinventors.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2026-Senior-Member-List.pdf","title":"2026 Class of NAI Senior Members (pdf)"}],"groups":[{"id":"660356","name":" Technology Licensing Group"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}