Gary K. Starkweather

2023 Inductees

Gary Starkweather

Gary K. Starkweather

(Deceased)

53 U.S. Patents

Gary K. Starkweather is an American physicist who invented the world’s first laser printer and pioneered the invention of color management technology.

Mr. Starkweather got his start working for the Bausch & Lomb optical company. In 1964, he went to work for Xerox, and later he transferred to Xerox PARC in California, where he invented the first laser printer. As a result of his invention, in 1977, Xerox launched the 9700 laser printer, which would become one of Xerox’s best-selling products. Making billions of dollars for Xerox, Starkweather’s original laser printer was the most commercially profitable product to come out of the PARC facility.

During that time, he also became a consultant to the film industry, helping the digital effects team on the first Star Wars movie in 1977. He later received an Academy Award for his pioneering work on color film scanning with Lucasfilm and Pixar.

After more than 20 years at Xerox, Mr. Starkweather joined Apple Computer, where he spent about 10 years working on color imaging management, which led to the development of ColorSync technology. He then worked for Microsoft from 1997 until retiring in 2005. After retirement, he settled in Florida where he lectured at colleges such as the University of Central Florida and the University of South Florida, inspiring a new generation of innovators.

Mr. Starkweather received his B.S. in Physics from Michigan State University and his M.S. in Optics from the University of Rochester. He is a recipient of the David Richardson Medal. He was a Member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of Optica (formerly Optical Society of America), and he is a 2012 Inductee to the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Mr. Starkweather passed away in Orlando, Florida on December 26, 2019.

Krishna Singh

2023 Inductees

Krishna Singh

Krishna Singh, Ph.D.

Founder, President and CEO
Holtec International

185 U.S. Patents

Dr. Krishna Singh is the Founder, President and CEO of Holtec International, one of the world’s largest providers of custom-engineered equipment and systems in the civilian nuclear industry. As the only turnkey supplier in the nuclear and renewable energy sector, Holtec International supplies over 140 nuclear plants around the world with systems and equipment, based on Dr. Singh’s patents. Holtec is also widely considered to be the global leader in the management of used nuclear fuel.

Dr. Singh’s innovations provide the foundational structure for modern nuclear power energy, including: systems and equipment, safe storage, and transportation of spent fuel. His advances have allowed for operational nuclear power plants to run more efficiently and safely, which is critical given that approximately 20% of domestic electricity and 14% of global electricity rely on nuclear power. Dr. Singh is also the visionary behind several national and international codes and standards on pressure vessels and heat exchangers.

In recent years, Dr. Singh has been leading Holtec in the global race to develop a “walk away safe” small modular reactor to make nuclear energy a cost-competitive clean energy solution for a world struggling with rising carbon emissions. As a result, Holtec is a leader in this emerging field, and is also known for tackling challenges such as cloud-based information management of all company operations, development of cutting-edge manufacturing processes and machines, devising innovative technologies to decarbonize global economies, and applying Holtec’s innovative below-the-ground interim storage technology to solve America’s used nuclear fuel conundrum.

His most recent technology advance repurpose the retiring coal fired plants (instead of demolishing them) by converting them into energy storage and on-demand clean power delivery plants by using Holtec’s patented “green boiler technology.” He is also working to integrate the Green Boiler energy storage technology with an advanced solar collection system to help make solar energy a base-load power provider.

Dr. Singh has also dedicated his efforts to providing opportunities to underrepresented groups in engineering. In 2017, he sponsored a $312 million Technology Campus on the Delaware River in Camden, NJ to create much needed employment in one of America’s poorest cities. He also chairs the KPS Foundation, a charitable Singh family foundation whose signature contribution to the advancement of science is the completion of the “Krishna P. Singh Center for Nanotechnology” at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The KPS Foundation is also active in improving child literacy and public health in developing countries.

Dr. Singh received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Master of Science in Engineering Mechanics also from Penn, and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from BIT Sindri (Ranchi University), India. He received the Edison Foundation’s “Thomas Alva Edison Award” for his ecologically and environmentally impactful inventions. Rutgers University named him “South Jerseyan of the year – 2016” for his significant beneficial impact on the region. In 2015, he received the George Washington medal from the Engineer’s Club of Philadelphia. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the Pan American Academy of Engineering, and the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida. He is also an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He also oversees the nuclear engineering department at the University of California, Berkeley, and a senior fellow in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania and Michigan and a member of the American Nuclear Society.

Deepika Singh

2023 Inductees

Deepika Singh

Deepika Singh, D.Sc.

Founder and CEO
R&D Investment Holdings, LLC

18 U.S. Patents

Dr. Deepika Singh the Founder and CEO of R&D Investment Holdings, LLC. A pioneer in chemical mechanical planarization or polishing (CMP), Dr. Singh developed and incorporated novel chemistries in the polishing of a class of super-hard semiconductors based on silicon carbide and gallium nitride.

In 2002, Dr. Singh founded Sinmat, a company she developed to commercialize Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) technologies for the semiconductor chip industry. These technologies are currently being used by leading global suppliers in some of the fastest-growing markets involving the manufacturing of smart watches, phones, advanced silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) electronics for electric vehicles (EVs), 5G communications infrastructure, and advanced defense electronics.

Ultra-hard materials, such as SiC, GaN, diamond & sapphire, exhibit very low polish rates due to their extreme hardness and chemical inertness. Polishing these materials is extremely difficult without creating defects that can affect chip performance. The CMP processes developed by Dr. Singh incorporate novel chemistries and particles, which enhance polishing rates by 100 times over traditional methods while improving the finish and eliminating sub-surface damage. For SiC, this CMP process has decreased polishing times from greater than 50 hours to about 1 hour, and manufacturing costs by over 90%. In addition to the advances of CMP technology, it also addresses global warming challenges by advancing renewable energy and solid-state lighting.

Dr. Singh was recognized in 2009 by then President Obama at a White House press conference. The President commended her and Sinmat for serving the nation by “helping develop microchips that power smarter energy systems from more efficient hybrid cars to more responsive, efficient lighting for homes and businesses.”

In 2020, Entegris Inc, a leading supplier of specialized materials and chemicals to the semiconductor industry, acquired Sinmat. Dr. Singh then went to found R&D Investment Holdings, where she is engaged in strategies to improve the educational outcomes of underrepresented minorities.

Dr. Singh earned her D.Sc. from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, her M.S. from the University of Florida, and her B.S. from North Carolina State University. She is the recipient of numerous additional awards, including four R&D100 awards—which are also known as the “Oscars of Invention—for developing the top 100 technology products, and the Manufacturing Business of the Year Award. In 2022, she was elected as a Member to the National Academy of Engineering.

Jonathan Rothberg

2023 Inductees

Jonathan Rothberg, Ph.D.

Founder, Chief Strategy Officer, 4Catalyzer Incorporated
Adjunct Professor of Genetics, Yale University

601 U.S. Patents

Dr. Jonathan Rothberg is the Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of 4Catalyzer Incorporated. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Genetics at Yale University. A serial entrepreneur with a number of highly successful biomedical research and development companies, Dr. Rothenberg is also the founder of 454 Life Sciences, which commercialized a new method for sequencing genomes, the first breakthrough technology since Sanger and Gilbert won the Nobel Prize in this area in 1980.

Best known for his “Next-Gen” DNA sequencing inventions, Dr. Rothberg sequenced the first individual human genome (The Watson Genome, Nature), and initiated the Neanderthal Genome Project with Svante Paabo. Under his leadership, 454 helped understand the mystery behind the disappearance of the honeybee; uncovered a new virus killing transplant patients; and elucidated the extent of human variation—work recognized by Science magazine as the breakthrough of the year for 2007. The New England Journal described Dr. Rothberg’s innovation as “The New Age of Molecular Diagnostics”, Science magazine called it one of the top 10 breakthroughs for 2008. Among his additional pioneering contributions in this field are cloning by limited dilution and massively parallel DNA sequencing, which are the basis of all subsequent high-speed sequencing methods.

Dr. Rothberg is also the Founder of Hyperfine, Inc., which is driven by a mission to make MRI accessible to every patient, regardless of income or resources. Anytime. Anywhere. With his leadership and vison, Hyperfine designed the Swoop™ Portable MR Imaging System to overcome patient transport and dedicated room requirements associated with fixed conventional MRI systems. Fierce Medtech recently recognized Hyperfine as a 2020 Fierce 15 company for its innovative and creative approach to developing solutions for healthcare providers and patients.

In addition to these groundbreaking and industry disrupting technologies, Dr. Rothberg invented semiconductor chip-based sequencing, and sequenced Gordon Moore (Moore’s law) as the first individual to be sequenced on a semiconductor chip (Nature). He is also the inventor of ultrasound-on-a-chip. He also founded the Butterfly Network, a program that is democratizing healthcare by making medical imaging accessible to everyone around the world.

Dr. Rothberg earned a B.S. in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and an M.S., M.Phil, and Ph.D. in biology from Yale University. In 2013, he received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation for pioneering inventions and commercialization of next-generation DNA sequencing technologies, making access to genomic information easier, faster, and more cost-effective for researchers around the world. He is the first person to be named a World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneer four separate times, is an Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year and received The Wall Street Journal’s First Gold Medal for Innovation. He received Nature Methods First Method of the Year Award, The Irvington Institute’s Corporate Leadership Award in Science, the Connecticut Medal of Technology, the DGKL Biochemical Analysis Prize, and an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Rothberg is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, and is a life trustee of Carnegie Mellon University.

Daniel Joseph

2023 Inductees

Daniel Joseph

Daniel Joseph

Principal Illusion Integrator
Walt Disney Imagineering

30 U.S. Patents

Daniel Joseph is a Principal Illusion Integrator at Walt Disney Imagineering, where he leads a team of designers and the “Illusioneering Lab.” A trained Industrial Designer, Mr. Joseph’s advances in special effects revolutionized modern design and implementation of special effects, transforming them into three-dimensional, immersive and interactive experiences.

As a leader in the industry, Mr. Joseph helps to conceive, design, and install a range of special effects and illusions for Disney theme parks around the world. Most notably, he was one of the key team members who brought to life the Hatbox Ghost for the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary. His pioneering innovations have also been incorporated into Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, Test Track, Magic Kingdom expansion, and both Trader Sam’s tiki bars, to name a few.

In addition to his breakthrough patents in interactive special effects including Infrared projection for camera blocking; volumetric projection device; personal temperature regulator; two-dimensional media combiner for creating three-dimensional displays; and an autostereoscopic display system and method, he has also consulted on product development for medical equipment to improve safety and usability. One of his design patents was featured in PC Magazine’s article called “The Best Inventions of 2011 – So Far.”

Mr. Joseph has also designed and created cutting-edge interactive museum exhibits and new wayfinding devices for a number of prestigious museums, including The Franklin Institute. He also designed special effects and illusions for Universal Studios attractions, and at historic facilities and sites such as the Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc.

A life-long inventor, Mr. Joseph started making special effects haunted houses in his basement as a young boy, charging 25 cents to his neighborhood friends and visitors—which he then donated to the local humane society. He has often said, “creating something that makes a person say, ‘how did they do that?’ is my daily goal.”

Mr. Joseph holds an undergraduate degree in Industrial Design from the University of the Arts. He was featured in all three books of the late Disney legend Marty Sklar: Dream it! Do it! My Half-Century Creating Disney’s Magic Kingdoms; One Little Spark! Mickey’s 10 Commandments and the Road to Imagineering; and Travels with Figment on the Road in Search of Disney Dreams. In 2006, he won first prize in Walt Disney Imagineering’s Imaginations Design Competition. Additionally, Mr. Joseph is an unwavering advocate for encouraging and mentoring future inventors, especially inspiring those with different abilities or who come from difficult circumstances, and he is a frequent speaker on this topic.

William Hauswirth

2023 Inductees

William Hauswirth

William Hauswirth, Ph.D.

Professor and Maida and Morris Rybaczki Eminent Scholar Chair in Ophthalmic Sciences
University of Florida College of Medicine

20 U.S. Patents

William W. Hauswirth, Ph.D., is a Professor and the Maida and Morris Rybaczki Eminent Scholar Chair in Ophthalmic Sciences at the University of Florida’s College of Medicine. He is also the co-founder of Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation (AGTC), which develops gene therapies that transform the lives of patients worldwide.

Dr. Hauswirth’s pioneering work in gene therapy over the past several decades has contributed to restoring vision to the functionally blind. Using the Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) vectors as platforms for delivering DNA to targeted cells, Dr. Hauswirth has been able to develop novel gene therapies for disorders affecting essentially all parts of the eye. Most significantly, his groundbreaking development of Luxturna® was the first gene-therapy drug to treat children and adults with inherited retinal disease. His patents have been licensed to more than a dozen companies. He has also created five other gene therapies to treat different forms of genetic blindness that are currently undergoing human clinical trials.

Dr. Hauswirth has an extensive history of sustained discoveries in the delivery and testing of potentially therapeutic genes for Dominant, Recessive and X-Linked Retinitis Pigmentosa; Leber Congenital Amaurosis; Achromatopsia; Blue Cone Monochromacy; Usher Disease; Macular Degeneration; Diabetic Retinopathy; Glaucoma and Optic Neuropathies in natural and transgenic animal models for each of these human diseases. Moreover, he has been and currently serves as the Principal Investigator on dozens of National Institutes of Health and private foundation grants supporting this work. He also collaborates with more than 70 other researchers around the world to design specific AAV vectors (roughly 100 per year) to assist with global transdisciplinary research efforts.

Dr. Hauswirth has been recognized in numerous publications for his scientific breakthroughs. He was cited in Science Magazine’s “A Decade of Breakthroughs”; he was featured in Time Magazine’s Third Most Important Discovery of 2009; and that same year he was named Florida Scientist of the Year by Florida Trend Magazine. In 2016, Dr. Hauswirth received a Papal Invitation to the Vatican Conference on Regenerative Medicine. He is a Fellow of ARVO-Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, and the recipient of numerous awards, including the Alcon Award for Vision Research, the Foundation Fighting Blindness Trustees Award, and the John Kayser International award for Retinal Research, as well as several Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Dr. Hauswirth holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. from Oregon State University. He completed post-doctoral work at Johns Hopkins University.

Ophir Frieder

2023 Inductees

Ophir Frieder, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, & Biomathematics; and Department of Computer Science
Georgetown University

118 U.S. Patents

Dr. Ophir Frieder is a Professor at Georgetown University Medical Center’s Department of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics & Biomathematics and the Department of Computer Science. He also serves as Center Director for the university’s S2ERC & Cyber SMART Center—a multi-university/discipline/industry cooperative research center. He is also the Lead Science and Technology Advisor for Aurora Forge, and Chief Scientific Officer of Invaryant, Inc. Previously, Dr. Frieder was on the faculty at George Mason University, served as Harris Professor of Computer Science & Computer Engineering at Florida Institute of Technology, and was IITRI Professor of Computer Science and Director of the Information Retrieval Laboratory at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He was a staff consultant for Harris Corporation in Melbourne, Florida for more than 10 years.

Dr. Frieder’s inventions in scalable information processing systems have transformed health informatics. He is especially recognized for developing behavioral health monitoring systems used to prevent self-harm; as well as predictive medical and well-being treatment methods optimizing effective treatments while minimizing adverse effects. His advances have been incorporated into national programs that have enabled services such as the recently announced National Suicide Prevention Hotline.

In the area of communications, Dr. Frieder developed mood/sentiment detection approaches for online marketing and social media interaction. In the area of in-home electronics, his inventions include interactive picture frames.

A leader in his field, Dr. Frieder has secured $20+ million in grants and contracts, and served as an expert witness in landmark intellectual property cases, including the MercExchange, L.L.C, v. eBay Inc. that eventually led to the Supreme Court of the United States ruling against the automatic issuance of injunctions in the case of found infringement.

Dr. Frieder is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Association for Computing Machinery, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, IEEE, and the National Academy of Inventors; and is a Member of Academia Europaea, and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts; and an Inaugural Member of the ACM SIGIR Academy. He holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Michigan. He also was awarded the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) Research in Information Science Award for medical informatics and the IEEE Edward J. McCluskey Technical Achievement Award for scalable information systems.

Jason Eichenholz

2023 Inductees

Jason Eichenholz

Jason Eichenholz, Ph.D.

Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Luminar Technologies
Courtesy Faculty Member, CREOL – College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida

82 U.S. Patents

Jason Eichenholz, Ph.D. is a trailblazing innovator in laser and optics-enabled technologies, especially in lidar (light detection and ranging) applications advancing the self-driving vehicle industry, as well as fundamental product development for early cancer detection and environmental studies to military explosives detection.

Dr. Eichenholz is currently the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Luminar Technologies, a sensing technology company that will become the core platform to enable safe fully autonomous vehicles. As CTO, he is responsible for research and development of new products, product roadmap, and bringing Luminar’s technology to market.

A serial entrepreneur, Dr. Eichenholz founded several other companies, and led the research and development on hundreds of millions of dollars in revolutionary products. His patents have been licensed and/or productized into a variety of applications including battlefield explosives detection, early cancer detection, and environmental studies from the depths of the oceans to the top of Mt. Everest and even on the Moon and Mars.

Before joining Luminar, Eichenholz was the CEO and founder of Open Photonics, an open innovation company dedicated to the commercialization of optics and photonics technologies as well as an executive at some of the largest optics and photonics companies in the world. He has also served as the Principal Investigator for Air Force and DARPA funded research and development programs.

His products and various companies have been featured in the New York Times, Forbes, Fortune, IEEE Spectrum, Tech Crunch, Engadget, Axios, Venture Beat, and Wired. He is a Fellow of SPIE—the International Society for Optics and Photonics, and a Fellow of Optica (formerly the Optical Society of America). An alumnus of the University of Central Florida’s College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL)—where he earned both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Optical Science and Engineering, Dr. Eichenholz enjoys giving back to UCF by mentoring students and lecturing on campus as a courtesy faculty member at CREOL. He currently serves on the UCF College of Engineering and Computer Science Dean’s advisory board and the CREOL undergraduate advisory board. He earned his B.S. in Physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

David Flinchbaugh

2023 Inductees

David Flinchbaugh

David E. Flinchbaugh, Ph.D., P.E., C.Mfg.E., C.E.M.

CEO of Technology Applications International, and CTO of Medventions Technologies

12 U.S. Patents

Dr. David Flinchbaugh is the CEO of Technology Applications International, CTO Advanced Medical Innovations and founder and former CEO of UroSolutions, Inc. Dr. Flinchbaugh is a trained nuclear physicist, health physicist and prolific inventor across a number of scientific sectors. 

His most significant patents include seven which describe the UroCycler—a non-invasive, fully FDA Certified prosthetic urinary sphincter and bladder management system which restores normal recycling to the human urinary tract and which has been clinically proven to reduce by 90.9% fatal catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) by 90.9%, a significant decrease considering CAUTIs kill an estimated 90,000 people each year.

His extraordinary developments also include the invention of the ROSA (remotely operated service arm) for deployment in nuclear power facilities. This high-tech robotic system is deployed for the maintenance, decontamination, and refueling of nuclear reactor electric power generation facilities, and can perform all operations required to keep the facility operating, without exposing the human workers to the extremely hazardous radiation environments. His successful work has been used in nearly all of the nuclear power systems around the world, including the recovery of the Japanese Fukushima system in the wake of the 2011 tsunami.

Dr. Flinchbaugh has also been a leader in the innovation ecosystem in Florida and across the nation. He founded four Florida companies as well as the Inventors Council of Central Florida—the second oldest inventors council in the nation. He also served as a Director of the National Council of Inventor Organizations.

Dedicated to helping his community, Dr. Flinchbaugh works almost daily with quadriplegics, wounded and disabled returning war combat veterans, and he has provided numerous innovations to help cancer and HIV victims. He enjoys working with young people and has created and taught courses in STEM for K-12 as well as college students.

Dr. Flinchbaugh holds two B.S. degrees from Union College; two Master’s degrees, and a doctorate in quantum physics from the University of Connecticut.  He went on to complete post-doctoral work at Harvard. He is a Life Fellow of IEEE; and a Fellow of the Laser Institute of America, Optica (formerly the Optical Society of America), and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.  He also received the Medical Excellence Award, the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation Award, and the DaVinci Award.

James L. Cairns

2023 Inductees

James Cairns

James L. Cairns, Ph.D.

CEO, Abyssal Systems, Inc.

62 U.S. Patents

James L. Cairns is CEO of Abyssal Systems, Inc., and the Founder and Executive Director of the Cairns Foundation. Dr. Cairns’ pioneering underwater electrical, fiber-optic connector technologies have revolutionized subsea surveillance, anti-submarine warfare, and ocean energy production.

Dr. Cairns’ electrical/electronic and fiber-optic connector technology allowed circuits for the first time to be mated and de-mated reliably within the extremely harsh environment of the deep ocean. The need for deep-ocean electrical connectors goes back to the World War II development of SONAR for antisubmarine warfare. Prior to the mid 1950’s, the “dry mate” connectors existing then had to be assembled and disassembled in a dry environment before and after each submersion. In Dr. Cairns’ seminal 1968 patent, the electric sockets were housed in sealed fluid-filled chambers where the pressures are balanced to the exterior environment by a movable portion of the chamber wall. His principle of oil-filled and pressure-balanced construction has become the universal standard for subsea connectors.

His innovations have revolutionized anti-submarine warfare and subsea surveillance by providing sophisticated subsea systems for homeland security and military surveillance; expanded the global area available for conventional deepwater oil and gas production in addition to facilitating the emerging and burgeoning industry of sustainable offshore windmill farms; and made possible real-time oceanographic observatories by providing internet access on the seafloor thereby enabling tsunami, volcanic and earthquake early warning systems for coastal communities around the world.

Dr. Cairns also co-founded two Florida technology companies which he later sold to Lockheed Corporation and Teledyne Technology Corporation, respectively. He holds 62 U.S. patents and received the Marine Technology Society’s Compass-Rolex Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award and Lockheed Martin Award for Excellence in Marine Science and Engineering. In 2017, he was inducted into the Offshore Energy Center Hall of Fame for Pioneering Technology. He earned his Ph.D. at the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California-San Diego, on a full Navy Fellowship.