by Lauren Parker, Florida Inventors Hall of Fame
The is proud to announce its 2026 inductees: ten pioneering inventors whose groundbreaking
contributions span fields including telecommunications, cancer immunotherapy, patient
monitoring, orthopedic surgery, environmental engineering, artificial intelligence,
photonics, plasma science, semiconductor devices and minimally invasive medical technologies.
Their work has transformed modern life, advanced critical industries, improved patient
care, strengthened national resilience, and exemplified the power of innovation to
address society鈥檚 most pressing challenges.
鈥淭he 熊猫AV免费 is proud to serve as the home of the Florida Inventors
Hall of Fame,鈥 said 熊猫AV免费 President Moez Limayem. 鈥淭he 2026
inductees represent the very best in Florida-connected innovation. Their achievements
remind us that research, entrepreneurship and invention have the power to improve
lives, strengthen industries and shape the future.鈥
The 2026 Inductees are:
- Reza Abdolvand, whose pioneering thin-film piezoelectric MEMS resonators advanced high-performance
timing and sensing technologies for modern wireless systems, data infrastructure,
and next-generation electronic devices
- Ni-Bin Chang, whose green sorption media and sustainable water treatment technologies improve
water quality and enable scalable environmental solutions across infrastructure systems
- Mark A. Frankle, whose reverse shoulder arthroplasty innovations transformed surgical treatment and
established a modern global standard for shoulder replacement systems
- Patrick Hwu, whose chimeric receptor gene technologies helped enable CAR T-cell therapies and
advance targeted cancer immunotherapy for patients worldwide
- S. S. Iyengar, whose foundational contributions to sensor fusion and intelligent systems transformed
distributed computing and advanced applications in national defense, disaster modeling,
healthcare, and large-scale data processing
- Donald K. Jones, whose neurovascular and endoscopic medical device innovations enabled minimally
invasive procedures that improved treatment of stroke and gastrointestinal disorders
- Donald B. Keck, whose co-invention of low-loss optical fiber revolutionized global telecommunications
and laid the foundation for the modern Internet
- Maynard 鈥淢ike鈥 Ramsey III, whose automated blood pressure monitoring and vital signs technologies became a
global standard of care in patient monitoring
- Clara Rivero-Baleine, whose gradient refractive index optical materials and metamaterial coatings transformed
infrared sensing systems for defense and advanced photonics applications
- Subrata Roy, whose plasma-based technologies enabled breakthroughs in aerospace efficiency, sterilization, healthcare, food safety, water treatment, and space exploration.
鈥淚n this historic year marking America鈥檚 250th anniversary, we are reminded that American progress has always depended on the courage to imagine what does not yet exist,鈥 said Director John Squires of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. 鈥淭he inventors honored by the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame embody that spirit.鈥
The 2026 Inductees collectively hold more than 300 U.S. patents and represent a powerful
blend of academic excellence, entrepreneurial leadership, industry innovation, and
public impact. Since its founding in 2013, the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame has
inducted 97 inventors, who collectively hold more than 6,000 U.S. patents.
鈥淭heir discoveries strengthen our economy, improve lives, advance critical technologies,
and reflect the enduring power of intellectual property to transform ideas into impact,鈥
said Squires.
The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame is dedicated to honoring and preserving the legacy of Florida鈥檚 most prolific and impactful inventors. Through its annual induction ceremony, IGNITE education and outreach program, and Invention Convention Florida at the University of South Florida, the Hall of Fame seeks to inspire future generations of inventors and foster a culture of innovation across the state.
Nominations are open to all inventors, living or deceased, with a connection to the state of Florida. Inductees are selected through a rigorous review process conducted by a Selection Committee composed of distinguished leaders from academia, industry, and government.
The 2026 class will be formally inducted at the Annual Florida Inventors Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Gala on Friday, November 6, 2026, at the Tampa Marriott Water Street.
For more information about the 2026 Inductees, the Hall of Fame鈥檚 mission, or to attend the Induction Ceremony & Gala, please visit .
Introducing the 2026 Inductees to the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame
Reza Abovland, Ph.D.
Reza Abdolvand, PhD, is a Professor and the Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Central Florida (UCF), where he leads a globally recognized research and innovation program in microsystems and semiconductor technologies. Previously, Dr. Abdolvand held academic and research positions in electrical engineering, with expertise in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), signal processing, and integrated circuit design. Dr. Abdolvand is a pioneering engineer and inventor whose innovations in MEMS have advanced the performance and scalability of modern wireless and sensing technologies. He is best known for pioneering Thin-Film Piezoelectric-on-Substrate (TPoS) resonators, a term he coined, which introduced a new class of high-performance, CMOS-compatible timing and sensing devices. His TPoS architecture overcame critical limitations of traditional silicon and quartz-based resonators, enabling smaller, more efficient, and highly stable components essential for next-generation electronics. These innovations have achieved significant commercial adoption. Industry leaders, including Integrated Device Technology and Analog Devices, have incorporated TPoS-based designs into advanced oscillator products used in data centers, wireless communications, and mobile technologies. The resulting devices provide the precise timing and signal control required for high-speed networks, 5G infrastructure, and emerging Internet of Things applications. Dr. Abdolvand holds 15 issued U.S. patents, with additional applications pending, and has licensed his technologies to major corporations and startup ventures alike. A Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, he is recognized for translating fundamental research into scalable technologies that power today鈥檚 connected world.
NI-BIN CHANG, Ph.D.
Ni-Bin Chang, PhD, is a Professor of Environmental Systems Engineering and Director of the Stormwater Management Academy at the University of Central Florida, where he leads interdisciplinary research in sustainable infrastructure and environmental innovation. Previously, Dr. Chang served as Professor of Environmental Engineering at the Texas A&M University System and held leadership roles in both academia and government, including Program Director at the National Science Foundation. Dr. Chang is a globally recognized innovator in water treatment and environmental systems engineering. He is best known for inventing green sorption media (GSM), a scalable and sustainable filtration technology designed to remove nutrients, heavy metals, pathogens, and emerging contaminants from water systems. These patented media blends, developed from recycled and natural materials, have been widely commercialized and deployed at more than 300 sites across the United States, supporting stormwater management, wastewater treatment, and environmental restoration efforts. Holding 18 U.S. patents, Dr. Chang鈥檚 innovations represent a paradigm shift toward passive, low-impact water treatment solutions that improve water quality while reducing environmental and economic costs. His work has contributed to large-scale nutrient removal, reduction of harmful algal blooms, and measurable environmental benefits, including millions of pounds of pollutant removal and significant reductions in carbon emissions. A Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the International Society of Optics and Photonics, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, among others, Dr. Chang鈥檚 career reflects a sustained commitment to advancing sustainable engineering solutions that address critical global challenges in water, climate, and urban infrastructure.
MARK A. FRANKLE, M.D.
Mark A. Frankle, MD, is Chief of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery at Florida Orthopaedic Institute and a Clinical Professor at the 熊猫AV免费鈥檚 Morsani College of Medicine, where he has led both clinical practice and research in advancing surgical solutions for complex shoulder conditions since 1992. An internationally recognized orthopedic surgeon, inventor, and medical device innovator, Dr. Frankle is best known for revolutionizing the field of shoulder arthroplasty through the development of a transformative reverse shoulder prosthesis. Challenging the limitations of earlier designs, he introduced a lateralized center of rotation and optimized implant geometry, improving range of motion, durability, and patient outcomes. His innovations helped establish reverse shoulder arthroplasty as a standard of care, now accounting for more than 60% of all shoulder replacement procedures in the United States. Every modern reverse shoulder prosthetic system incorporates key elements of Dr. Frankle鈥檚 design, reflecting his global impact on orthopedic surgery. Holding 18 U.S. patents, Dr. Frankle鈥檚 technologies have been widely commercialized and adopted by major orthopedic implant manufacturers worldwide, contributing to a multi-billion-dollar medical device industry. His work has restored mobility and quality of life for hundreds of thousands of patients who previously had limited or no effective treatment options. Dr. Frankle is a two-time recipient of the prestigious Charles S. Neer Award, recognizing his groundbreaking innovations as well as the global impact of his clinical and basic science research. Additionally, Dr. Frankle has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and served as President of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons.
PATRICK HWU, M.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer of Moffitt Cancer Center and Professor of Oncologic Sciences at the 熊猫AV免费鈥檚 Morsani College of Medicine, Dr. Patrick Hwu is an internationally recognized physician-scientist and pioneering innovator in cancer immunotherapy. He is best known for foundational work in developing chimeric receptor genes that led to modern CAR T-cell therapies. His invention enables immune cells to be genetically engineered to recognize and attack cancer cells with high specificity, transforming treatment for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and other cancers. His research helped establish the field of adoptive cell therapy and continues to advance engineered T-cell and natural killer cell technologies, with the goal of expanding lifesaving immunotherapies into solid tumor applications. Dr. Hwu holds more than 10 U.S. patents and has authored more than 300 scientific publications. Under his leadership, Moffitt Cancer Center has expanded access to cancer care and innovation across Florida, reinforcing its role as a national leader in cancer research and treatment. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
S. S. IYENGAR, Ph.D.
S. S. Iyengar, PhD, is a Distinguished University Professor, Ryder Professor, and Director of the US Army-funded Center of Excellence in Digital Forensics at Florida International University. He is also Founding Director of the Discovery Lab and a Distinguished Chaired Professor at the National Forensics Sciences University in India. Previously, Dr. Iyengar served as Chairman of the Department of Computer Science at Louisiana State University and has held visiting and chaired professorships at leading institutions worldwide, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Indian Institute of Science. Dr. Iyengar is a pioneering figure in distributed sensor networks, artificial intelligence, and information fusion. He is best known as co-inventor of the Brooks鈥揑yengar Algorithm, a breakthrough in fault-tolerant sensor fusion that transformed how complex data systems process unreliable information. This innovation has been embedded in defense systems, telecommunications infrastructure, and computing platforms used by millions worldwide. His inventions have also advanced healthcare and public safety. His patented context-based algorithm for medical image analysis has improved clinical outcomes in hair restoration, while his leadership in developing the Florida Public Hurricane Loss Model has helped state officials predict storm impacts and estimate damages, strengthening Florida鈥檚 disaster resilience. Dr. Iyengar holds more than 9 U.S. patents and has authored over 600 publications and 30+ books. A Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the Association for Computing Machinery, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and the National Academy of Inventors, his work has impacted billions of users and shaped the evolution of modern computing.
DONALD K. JONES
Donald K. Jones is the Chief Executive Officer of Empirilon Technology LLC, where he provides intellectual property strategy, product development, and engineering consulting to companies across the medical device industry. A registered patent agent, he has built a career at the intersection of innovation, engineering, and commercialization. Previously, Mr. Jones served as Director of Intellectual Property at Apollo Endosurgery, Inc., where he led the development and expansion of the company鈥檚 global patent portfolio in bariatric and gastrointestinal medical devices. He also held leadership roles at Cordis Neurovascular, a Johnson & Johnson company, where he advanced research and development of implantable devices for the treatment of hemorrhagic stroke and other neurovascular conditions. Mr. Jones is a prolific inventor whose work has significantly advanced minimally invasive medical procedures. His innovations include neurovascular embolization devices, vascular reconstruction systems, and endoscopic suturing technologies that have become widely adopted in clinical practice. Notably, his contributions to the EnterpriseTM Vascular Reconstruction Device enabled physicians to treat complex brain aneurysms that were previously inoperable, while his work on endoscopic suturing systems has transformed gastrointestinal procedures by reducing the need for open surgery and improving patient recovery outcomes. Holding more than 100 U.S. patents, Mr. Jones has played a central role in translating medical device innovation from concept to commercialization, improving patient care worldwide through safer, more effective, and less invasive treatment options.
DONALD B. KECK, Ph.D.
Donald B. Keck, PhD, is a Professor at the 熊猫AV免费鈥檚 Institute for Advanced Discovery & Innovation and a pioneering physicist whose work revolutionized global communications and laid the foundation for the modern Internet. Previously, Dr. Keck served as Vice President and Research Director at Corning Incorporated, where he led transformative advances in optical communications before retiring in 2002. As a member of Corning鈥檚 Optical Waveguide Project team, Dr. Keck co-invented low-loss optical fiber in 1970, a groundbreaking innovation that transformed fiber optics from a scientific curiosity into a practical, scalable technology for long-distance communication. By dramatically reducing signal loss in glass fibers, he solved a fundamental materials challenge that had long limited the feasibility of optical transmission. His innovations enabled optical fiber to replace copper wire as the primary medium for telecommunications, increasing data transmission capacity by orders of magnitude and making high-speed, long-distance communication possible. Today, optical fiber networks form the backbone of global connectivity, carrying more than 99% of international data traffic and enabling the Internet, cloud computing, and modern digital infrastructure. Dr. Keck holds nearly 40 U.S. patents and has authored over 150 scientific publications, reflecting a career of sustained innovation and technical leadership. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, a Member of the National Academy of Engineering, and an Inductee of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, among numerous other honors. Moreover in 2000, Dr. Keck was awarded the prestigious National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Clinton for his pioneering role in inventing and developing low-loss optical fiber.
MAYNARD 鈥淢IKE鈥 RAMSEY III, M.D., Ph.D.
Maynard (Mike) Ramsey III, MD, PhD, is the Chairman and the Chief Technology Officer of Cardio Command, Inc., and Founder and CEO of Ramsey Medical, Inc., where he continues to develop advanced medical monitoring devices. Previously, Dr. Ramsey co-founded Applied Medical Research, Inc. in 1969, where he developed both invasive and non-invasive blood pressure monitoring technologies, including the groundbreaking Device for Indirect Noninvasive Automatic Mean Arterial Pressure鈥he DINAMAP. Following the acquisition of the company by Johnson & Johnson, he served as Vice President of Research and Development and later Science and Technology at Critikon, where he led the expansion of patient monitoring systems and built a large-scale research and development organization. Dr. Ramsey is a pioneering physician-engineer and inventor whose innovations in vital signs monitoring have become foundational to modern medical care worldwide. He is best known for inventing the first medical monitor that used a microprocessor, a breakthrough that enabled continuous, accurate measurement of blood pressure and transformed clinical practice. Today, this technology remains the global standard of care, with millions of devices in use across hospitals, physician offices, and home health settings. In addition to blood pressure monitoring, Dr. Ramsey鈥檚 work expanded into intra-arterial oximetry, cerebral function monitoring, and integrated bedside data management systems. Most recently he invented and developed 鈥淨uickCuff鈥, a new type of blood pressure cuff that is applied to the subject without the need for traditional wrapping and Velcro securement.
CLARA RIVERO-BALEINE, Ph.D.
Clara Rivero-Baleine, PhD, is a Lockheed Martin Fellow at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, where she leads advanced research in optical materials, infrared systems and next-generation sensor technologies. Over her two-decade long career, she has become a technical leader in the development of high-performance materials for national defense applications. Previously, Dr. Rivero-Baleine held multiple technical and leadership roles at Lockheed Martin, including Engineering and Technology Materials Engineering Manager and Group Technical Staff Member, where she guided research, development and transition of advanced optical technologies into operational systems. Dr. Rivero-Baleine is a pioneering innovator in infrared-optical materials, gradient-refractive-index (GRIN) optics, and metamaterial-based coatings. She is best known for developing advanced GRIN optical materials that embed a continuous refractive index gradient within glass-ceramic structures, enabling a single, optical element to replace multiple conventional lenses. These innovations can reduce system size and complexity by up to 30% while improving performance in next-generation infrared sensing systems. Her work also includes breakthrough anti-reflective 鈥渕eta-coatings鈥 that achieve broadband transmission across wide fields of view, significantly enhancing sensor capabilities in aerospace and defense environments. These novel technologies strengthen national defense capabilities and advance the field of photonics. Dr. Rivero-Baleine holds 24 U.S. patents and has received numerous honors, including Lockheed Martin鈥檚 NOVA Award for Technical Innovation and the Advanced Materials Laureate Award from the International Association of Advanced Materials. Her work continues to shape the future of optical systems and advanced materials engineering.
SUBRATA ROY, Ph.D.
Subrata Roy, PhD, is a Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida, the founding Director of the Applied Physics Research Group, and Founder and President of SurfPlasma, Inc., a Florida-based company translating plasma science into real-world technologies. Previously, Dr. Roy held academic and industry roles including faculty appointments at Kettering University and engineering positions in industry, where he developed foundational expertise in computational physics and fluid dynamics. Dr. Roy is a pioneering engineer and inventor whose innovations in plasma science have transformed applications across aerospace, healthcare, environmental systems, and space exploration. He is best known for developing a new class of plasma actuators that actively control airflow, significantly reducing aerodynamic drag, improving fuel efficiency, and enhancing performance in aircraft and turbine systems. His work has been validated globally and adopted in next-generation aerospace research and design. At the same time, he pioneered compact, portable plasma reactors that provide chemical-free sterilization, with applications spanning healthcare, food safety, water treatment, and NASA space return missions. These technologies have demonstrated significant potential to reduce healthcare-associated infections, extend food shelf life, and improve environmental safety. Dr. Roy holds more than 35 issued U.S. patents, with over 50 applications filed, and has generated more than 30 licensing agreements through the University of Florida. A Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and the American Society for Mechanical Engineers in addition to multiple international engineering societies, his work exemplifies the translation of fundamental science into scalable technologies addressing global challenges.