Distinguished Professor Santokh Badesha appointed as President’s Fellow

Santokh Badesha, Distinguished Professor in the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been appointed as a President’s Fellow in recognition of his numerous and continued professional accomplishments in idea generation, management and protection of intellectual property.

Badesha is internationally recognized for his pioneering contributions to digital technologies that helped usher in the era of on-demand printing. He holds a portfolio of 277 issued patents — along with more patents pending — for innovations that have transformed modern printing, driven billions of dollars in revenue, and sustained thousands of jobs across the United States and around the globe.

“As a prolific inventor, Santokh has amassed extensive knowledge that can benefit our innovation ecosystem seeded by Purdue researchers and advanced by Purdue Innovates,” said Purdue President Mung Chiang. “I am eager to see the positive impact he can make on our faculty colleagues and the university’s already stellar history of fostering innovation.”

As a President’s Fellow, Badesha will leverage his expertise to support Purdue Innovates’ mission of translating Purdue discoveries into real-world impact.

He will collaborate with Brooke Beier, senior vice president of Purdue Innovates, and Dan DeLaurentis, Purdue’s executive vice president for research, to explore new possibilities for strengthening the university’s commercialization strategy — enhancing licensing outcomes, expanding the market impact of Purdue innovations, and driving new revenue streams.

Prior to joining Purdue, Badesha was the manager of open innovation at Xerox. His patented technologies span the full spectrum of Xerox printing system families — from high-end color and black-and-white printers to advanced solid-ink and aqueous inkjet presses — and paved the way for his induction into the Xerox Innovation Group Hall of Fame.

“Santokh Badesha brings decades of industry experience translating advanced technologies into successful commercial applications,” said Chad Pittman, president and CEO of the Purdue Research Foundation. “His background in corporate innovation and intellectual property development will directly support Purdue Innovates’ mission to strengthen licensing outcomes and expand the marketplace impact of Purdue research.”

Badesha’s distinguished record has been recognized through his election into the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Inventors and the Indian National Science Academy.

His work has garnered numerous additional honors, including the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s Mountbatten Medal, the American Ceramic Society’s Rishi Raj Medal for Innovation and Commercialization, a Clarkson University honorary doctorate, and Rochester Intellectual Property Law Association’s Distinguished Inventor of the Year Award.