Applications for Inventor of the Year 2024

Application Opens: October 14, 2024

The Inventor of the Year Award honors an outstanding inventor or team of inventors at University of Illinois at Chicago who have made a contribution to the development of intellectual property that significantly impacts their field and society. The award is given based on the criteria of creativity, novelty, and the commercial benefit to society.

Inventor of the Year Application

Submission Instructions Heading link

Nomination material should include a completed Nomination Award Application and a statement explaining why the nominee should be considered for the UIC Inventor of the Year Award. You may include, but are not limited to, a brief background of the inventor, a description of the invention, status of the intellectual property and licensing, and the impact and value the invention has made to the field and society. Please do not exceed 750 words.

OPTIONAL: No more than three (3) pages of other materials supporting the candidate’s achievements, such as professional and/or press articles.

Please submit the completed UIC Inventor of the Year Award Nomination using the online application.

Nomination Process & Criteria Heading link

The awards are open to any UIC faculty member who has engaged with the UIC OTM through the invention disclosure process. The nominee must be a primary inventor or creator of a UIC technology disclosure for which a significant research effort conducted at UIC contributed to the advancement of knowledge in the field.

Nominations may be submitted by anyone from the UIC community who is knowledgeable about a successful UIC Inventor. Self-nominations are also encouraged.

Selection Criteria Heading link

An internal University committee will serve in selecting the UIC Inventor of the Year. The Committee will be made up of tech managers and members from diverse disciplines, many of whom are distinguished university professors. The Committee will review all nominations and deliberate on whom has shown outstanding commitment in developing a groundbreaking invention.
The Committee will make their selection based on the status of the intellectual property and licensing in regards to the following criteria:

  • The nominee’s invention has the potential to significantly impact, or has already made impact and brought value, to their field and society;
  • The nominee’s contribution to, and influence on, the University and field;
  • The nominee’s performance, creativity, and commitment demonstrated throughout the invention and commercialization process;
  • The invention’s potential for further development and commercialization/adoption.

Key Dates Heading link

Application Deadline: Friday, December 13, 2024, 5:00 pm CST
Awards Ceremony: TBA

2023
  • Deepak Shukla, PhD, Inventor of the Year, College of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

2022
  • Michael Caffrey, PhD, Inventor of the Year, College of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
  • Igor Poprotny, PhD, Inventor of the Year, College of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

2021
  • Donald Waller, Inventor of the Year, Professor Emeritus, College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

2020
  • Ramaswamy Kalyanasundaram, Inventor of the Year, DVM, PhD Assistant Dean of Research Professor and Head, Biomedical Sciences University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford

2019
  • Bellur S. Prabhakar, Inventor of the Year, Msc, PhD, Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Ophthalmology, Interim Senior Associate Dean for Research, Associate Dean for Technological Innovation and Training

2018
  • Terry Vanden Hoek, Inventor of the Year, M.D., Professor and Head, Department of Emergency Medicine

2017
  • Sandeep Jain, Inventor of the Year, College of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

2016
  • Brian Kay, Inventor of the Year, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Gregory Thatcher, Innovator of the Year, College of Pharmacy

2014
  • Constantine Megaridis, Inventor of the Year, College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
  • Mark Rasenick, Innovator of the Year, College of Medicine, Department of Physiology and Biophysics

2013
  • Sudip Mazumder, Inventor of the Year, College of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Alan Feinerman, Innovator of the Year, College of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

2012
  • Mahnaz Shahidi, Inventor of the year, College of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
  • Craig Niederberger, Innovator of the Year, College of Medicine, Department of Urology

2011
  • Alan Feinerman, Inventor of the Year, College of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

2010
  • David Carley, Inventor of the Year, College of Nursing, Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and Allergy, Department of Pharmacology
  • Miodrag Radulovacki, Inventor of the Year, College of Medicine, Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and Allergy, Department of Pharmacology

2009
  • Hayat Onyuksel, Inventor of the Year, College of Pharmacy, Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences

2002
  • Fady Charbel, Inventor of the Year, College of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery

2001
  • Faydor Litvin, Inventor of the Year, College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

2000
  • Igor Roninson, Inventor of the Year, College of Medicine, Department of Molecular Genetics
  • Charles Rhodes, Inventor of the Year, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Department of Physics
  • John Pezzuto, Inventor of the Year, College of Pharmacy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy
  • Norman Farnsworth, Inventor of the Year, College of Pharmacy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy
  • Thomas DeFanti, Inventor of the Year, College of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Daniel Sandin, Inventor of the Year, College of Architecture & the Arts, School of Arts and Design
  • Ananda Chakrabarty, Inventor of the Year, College of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
  • David Boyce, Inventor of the Year, College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Materials Engineering

1991
  • Donald Chambers, Inventor of the Year, College of Medicine, Department of Physiology and Biophysics

1986
  • Abe Widra, Inventor of the Year, College of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology

1985
  • John Tsibris, Inventor of the Year, College of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • William Spellacy, Inventor of the Year, College of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology