Author – Ethan Bochicchio
The Office of Research and Innovation (OORI) successfully assisted 12 University of Southern California faculty members in being selected as Senior Members of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), the prestigious nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging inventors in academia. This recognition celebrates academic inventors whose patented work has made measurable contributions to society through commercialization and innovation. The 12 USC professors who worked with OORI are part of a distinguished cohort who will join the NAI Senior Member ranks this year.
NAI Senior Members are active faculty, researchers, and innovators whose work demonstrates significant success in patents, licensing, and real-world impact. The election of the 12 USC inventors reflects both the strength of USC’s research and innovation ecosystem and the strategic support provided by OORI. OORI’s subunits, Research and Innovation Strategy (RIS) and USC Stevens Center for Innovation, collaborated to identify eligible faculty. RIS engaged eligible innovators and guided them through the conceptualization, preparation, and submission of the nomination package, ensuring alignment with NAI’s criteria. Each researcher assisted by RIS was selected by NAI, making the office 12-for-12 on this year’s applications.
OORI is also thrilled to share that, following this cycle’s nomination period, USC has jumped to #59 on the 2025 Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents List by NAI, up from 85th in 2024. Of this accomplishment, USC Stevens’ Executive Director Erin Overstreet said: “This ranking reflects a broader strategy to increase the overall value of USC’s patent portfolio. Throughout 2025, we intentionally focused on our active patent prosecution portfolio and implemented a strategy to secure issued claims that provide clarity, durability, and commercial relevance across the portfolio. Issued patents are often critical for attracting investors, enabling startup formation, and supporting industry partnerships. This progress is the result of close collaboration with our inventors and patent counsel, and a shared focus on building a strong, investable patent estate that translates USC research into real-world solutions.”
The 2026 class of Senior Members who worked with OORI includes the best USC has to offer:
- Alan Epstein: Professor of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC
- Craig Knoblock: Research Professor of Computer Science, USC Viterbi School of Engineering
- David Barhart: Research Professor of Astronautics, USC Viterbi School of Engineering
- Doris Sung: Associate Professor of Architecture, USC School of Architecture
- Surya Prakash: Professor of Chemistry, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
- Heinz Josef Lenz: Professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC
- Mahta Moghaddam: Professor of Electrical and Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering
- Samuel Gustman: Chief Technology Officer and Senior Director of Collections, USC Shoah Foundation, Associate Dean of Technology, USC Libraries
- Robert Aniszfeld: Licensing and Commercialization Professional, USC Stevens Center for Innovation
- Jesse Tong-pin Yen: Associate Professor, Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering
- Bodour Salhia: Professor of Cancer Biology, Keck School of Medicine of USC
- Paula Cannon: Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine of USC
OORI plays a pivotal role in amplifying faculty success across USC’s innovation ecosystem, operating as the university’s point of contact for research proposals, identifying funding opportunities, conducting major university-wide programs, and forming research units. OORI offices like RIS and USC Stevens work together to identify strategic opportunities, streamline nomination materials, and highlight faculty achievements in patents, licensing, and commercialization. RIS worked with the 12 faculty members on their applications from the earliest stages, ensuring NAI had the best look at their accomplishments.
This structured support has contributed to an impressive track record of nominations and successful elections, placing USC among the most dynamic NAI Senior Member cohorts of 2026. OORI’s efforts have included detailed nomination guidance, external benchmarking, and coordination across schools to ensure that each candidate’s contributions are accurately represented and well-positioned for recognition. OORI’s 100% success rate this year is a notable achievement. Given the applicants’ impressive track records and RIS’s hard work, USC will be strongly represented on this year’s list of new NAI Senior Members.
The newly elected NAI Senior Members will be formally recognized at the National Academy of Inventors’ annual conference this year. Hosted by USC, it will be the 15th event of its kind – additional information can be found here.