“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
A review of famous quotes from one of the world’s most prolific inventors, Thomas Edison, seems to indicate it’s not all about “a-ha” moments when it comes to innovation. Inventing is as much a test of endurance as it is a knack for the novel.
In honor of National Inventors’ Day, we want to honor all of the faculty inventors across UConn’s campuses who have persisted in the face of setbacks, failed experiments, and hard work to contribute to the culture of innovation and invention that help the University thrive. After all, according to Thomas Edison, “if we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.”
Top UConn Inventors
The list below represents faculty from all schools and colleges who have submitted the most invention disclosures that led to an issued US patent during their tenure at UConn.
James Bell, Professor Emeritus, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Mark Brand, Professor, Horticulture
Robert Gao, Pratt & Whitney Chair Professor, Mechanical Engineering
A. Jon Goldberg, Professor, School of Dental Medicine
Faquir Jain, Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Bahram Javidi, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Eric Jordan, Professor Emeritus, Mechanical Engineering
Bruce Liang, Dean,School of Medicine
Matthew Mashikian, Professor Emeritus, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Fotios Papadimitrakopoulos, Professor, Chemistry
Richard Parnas, Professor, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Daniel Scola, Professor Emeritus, Institute of Materials Science
Gregory Sotzing, Professor, Chemistry
Pramod Srivastava, Professor, Immunology
Steven Suib, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, Institute of Materials Science
Geoff Taylor, Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Dennis Wright, Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Mei Wei, Professor, Materials Science & Engineering
The UConn Chapter of the National Academy of Inventors will host a special event this evening at the Mark Twain House in Hartford. Eric S. Hintz, PhD, historian with the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation at the Smithsonian Institution, will discuss the research underlying Places of Invention, an exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History that showcases the spirit of innovation in Hartford, CT and several other communities. To register and for more information.
