Prof. Elsa Garmire

The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) announced the election of 170 distinguished innovators as Fellows of the NAI for 2014. Among them were Elsa Garmire, Dartmouth's Sydney E. Junkins 1887 Professor of Engineering, and Axel Scherer, Caltech's Bernard A. Neches Professor of Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics and Physics and Distinguished Visiting Professor at Dartmouth since 2009.

"We are delighted to recognize the 2014 NAI Fellows and their unparalleled commitment to excellence in academic invention," said NAI President Dr. Paul R. Sanberg. "Their many discoveries have made a truly significant impact on society and we are proud to honor them for these contributions."

Prof. Axel Scherer

Including the newly elected Fellows, the number of NAI Fellows now totals 414 outstanding academic inventors and innovators, representing more than 150 prestigious research universities and governmental and non-profit research institutions. Collectively, the 414 NAI Fellows hold nearly 14,000 U.S. patents.

Election to NAI Fellow status is a high professional distinction accorded to academic inventors who have demonstrated a highly prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society.

Professor Garmire was recognized for her work in optics, opto-electronics, and lasers. She is a Fellow of IEEE, the Optical Society of America, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the American Physical Society, and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Professor Scherer holds over 100 U.S. patents and was recognized for his work on the design and microfabrication of a broad range of optical, magnetic, and fluidic devices leading to the establishment of seven companies in these areas.

Garmire and Scherer join Dartmouth engineering professors Eric Fossum and Tillman Gerngross as Fellows of NAI.

The NAI Fellows will be inducted on Mar. 20, 2015, as part of the 4th Annual Conference of the National Academy of Inventors at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Deputy Commissioner for Patent Operations Andrew Faile will provide the keynote address for the induction ceremony. Fellows will be presented with a special trophy, newly designed medal, and rosette pin in honor of their outstanding accomplishments.