December 12, 2017

Purdue's Garimella elected fellow of National Academy of Inventors

Garimella NIA fellow Suresh Garimella, Purdue University's executive vice president for research and partnerships, has been named to the 2017 class of Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors. Garimella holds 12 patents and oversees Purdue's $600 million research enterprise. (Purdue University photo.) Download image

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Suresh Garimella, Purdue University's executive vice president for research and partnerships and the R. Eugene and Susie E. Goodson Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering, has been elected a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.

Fellows of the NAI are inventors on U.S. patents who have been nominated by their peers for outstanding contributions in patents and licensing, noteworthy discovery, significant effect on society, and support and enhancement of innovation.

According to the NAI, “Election to NAI Fellow status is the highest professional accolade bestowed solely to academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and welfare of society.”

Garimella says he is honored to be recognized by this prestigious organization of his peers.

“Contributing to society through inventions that lead to patents is extremely gratifying, and I've been fortunate enough to work with creative students, collaborators and sponsors who have made this work possible,” Garimella said. “And beyond my own research contributions, I have also been placed in a role in which I can assist others across Purdue in achieving this goal.  This, too, has been a source of great satisfaction.

"I am honored to join the ranks of the more than 900 NAI fellows across the nation."

Garimella oversees Purdue’s $660 million research enterprise, including Discovery Park, an interdisciplinary complex for grand-challenge research. He also is responsible for Purdue’s international programs and its global and corporate partnership endeavors.

Under his leadership, the university has experienced consecutive record years in research funding, reaching $418.3 million in fiscal year 2017.  He led the establishment of significant new strategic partnerships with Infosys, Microsoft, Rolls-Royce, Eli Lilly and Co., and others.  On campus, he steered a new life sciences initiative that includes two new life sciences institutes on integrative neuroscience and on inflammation, immunology and infectious disease, and is co-leading a broad effort in data sciences.

In 2017, Purdue ranked 12th in the world among universities granted utility patents, according to a report released in July by the National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association.

Through the commercialization and incubation efforts of the Purdue Research Foundation, these discoveries and inventions were transformed into 165 start-up companies since 2013.

Garimella also continues to direct the National Science Foundation Cooling Technologies Research Center, which he established in 1999.

The co-author of more than 500 publications and 12 patents, Garimella also is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and has received numerous awards for education and research. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, an M.S. degree from The Ohio State University, and a bachelor’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. 

Writer: Steve Tally, 765-494-9809, steve@purdue.edu, @sciencewriter

Source: Suresh Garimella, 765-494-6209, sureshg@purdue.edu 

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