Central Region

Alan F. List, M.D.

Chief Medical Officer
Precision BioSciences
(North Carolina)

17 U.S. Patents

Alan List, president and CEO of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute is internationally recognized for his dedication to understanding cancer biology and developing novel therapeutic strategies for treating hematologic malignancies such as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myelocytic leukemia (AML). His pioneering work led to the development of lenalidomide (Revlimid®), which received fast-track approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of patient with MDS and multiple myeloma. Revlimid® has transformed the natural history of MDS from a condition requiring aggressive treatment to one that can be managed in the outpatient setting with oral agents. Prior to coming to Moffitt in 2003, List was a professor of Medicine at the University of Arizona, Tucson, where he served as the director of the Leukemia and Blood and Marrow Transplant Program and the Division of Transitional/Clinical Research Program. He is a member of the Myelodysplastic Syndrome Foundation Board of Directors and the President-elect (2017-18) for the Society of Hematologic Oncology. List is also an active member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology; American Society of Hematology; American Association for Cancer Research; International Society for Experimental Hematology; J.P. McCarthy Foundation Medical Advisory Committee; and the Southwestern Oncology Group. He lectures nationally and internationally and has received several awards for his seminal contributions in the treatment of cancer. List is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and holds 17 U.S. patents.

Luther George Simjian

Founder
Reflectone Inc.

1905-1997

200+ U.S. Patents

Luther G. Simjian was a prolific inventor and pioneer in the concept of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs). He is also recognized for his many accomplishments including the development of the Optical Range Estimation Trainer used during WWII, which became the standard for simulation defense training, as well as his numerous inventions that have advanced technology throughout Florida theme parks. Simjian was born to Armenian parents in Turkey and in 1915, during the infamous Armenian Genocide, he was separated from his family. He arrived in the United States in 1921 and was later admitted into the Yale School of Medicine. Simjian accepted a work-study position in the medical school’s photography lab, quickly discovering that medicine was not his passion, he decided to pursue photography. During his tenure, he became the first director of the medical school’s photography department and soon invented a way to project microscopic images and photograph organisms underwater. Simjian moved to New York In 1934, where he invented the colorized X-ray machine and the self-posing camera. In 1939, he founded Reflectone Inc. to develop and manufacture his inventions. During World War II, Reflectone sold more than 2,000 Optical Range Estimation Trainers to the Department of Defense to aid in war efforts. In 1979, Simjian moved Reflectone from Connecticut to Tampa, Florida and it was purchased by CAE USA Inc. in 2001. The company remains in business today, making full-flight simulators for military aircraft, as well as providing training services. Over the years, Simjian never stopped inventing, designing a supersonic exploring device for the ultrasound procedures used in hospitals, a method for tenderizing meat, and a remotely controlled postage meter. In March of 2000, he received his last patent post mortem for creating a process to improve the resonance of wood used for musical instruments. Simjian passed away at the age of 92, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He is a named inventor on more than 200 U.S. patents.

Sara Blakely

Founder, SPANX®
Sara Blakely Foundation
Graduate, Florida State University

5 U.S. patents

Sara Blakely is a Tampa Bay native and Florida State University alumna who invented the renowned undergarment SPANX and built a billion dollar enterprise that has influenced fashion worldwide. With the extremely hot and humid weather in Florida, wearing traditional pantyhose everyday was not pleasant. In an attempt to continue to benefit from control top smoothness, Blakely set out to invent pantyhose without seamed toes that did not roll up on her thighs. After self-patenting her idea for this innovative shapewear, she spent her life’s savings of five thousand dollars to follow her dream of becoming an entrepreneur. After much persistence she found a garment manufacturer to mass produce her product and launched sales from her apartment in August 2000. By 2014, SPANX annual revenues reached $250 million. Blakely is committed to sharing her success by helping women pursue education and training in entrepreneurship. In 2006, she founded the SPANX by Sara Blakely Foundation, which has donated millions to charities around the world. Blakely is the first self-made, female billionaire to sign The Giving Pledge, donating at least half of her wealth to charity. Blakely holds 5 U.S. patents.

Richard A. Houghten, Ph.D.

Founder and CEO
Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies

91 U.S. patents

Richard A. Houghten is the founder and CEO of Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies (TPIMS), headquartered in Port St. Lucie, Florida. He has made a significant impact on the pharmaceutical industry through his research and patents related to his groundbreaking approaches that enable millions of compounds to be searched while requiring the actual screening of only 250-500 samples. These approaches have revolutionized drug discovery across the nation by identifying ligand receptor interactions, which are the cornerstone of drug discovery. Because of his work, vaccines and diagnostic devices were created and have greatly contributed to science and medicine world-wide. Houghten’s inventions and commercial success led to the creation of TPIMS, recognized internationally for its scientific contributions in a wide range of fields including chemistry, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, immunology, infectious disease, heart disease, and pain management. His dedication to both academia and industry has made him an effective ambassador for Florida and the nation around the world. Houghten has over 450 peer reviewed publication and holds 91 issued U.S. patents.

Sudipta Seal, Ph.D.

Trustee Chair
Chair, Materials Science and Engineering
Pegasus and University Distinguished Professor
University of Central Florida

55 U.S. patents

Sudipta Seal is Trustee Chair, Pegasus and University Distinguished Professor at the University of Central Florida (UCF), whose materials manufacturing expertise creating unique nano cerium oxide led to the discovery of its antioxidant properties and groundbreaking therapeutic applications in regenerative nano-medicine. Seal also developed multi-functional nanomaterial additives for aerospace nanoenergetics and his research in power plant fly ash waste has created unique chemistry of ash particles with nanostructures that can be used to clean up oil spills. Former director of the Nanoscience Technology Center (NTC) and Advanced Materials Processing Analysis (AMPAC), currently Seal is chair of the Materials Science and Engineering Department with an appointment at UCF College of Medicine. The academic units that Seal oversees are continuously creating new inventions and technology at UCF. Seal has published more than 400 journal papers, conference proceedings papers, book chapters, and three books on nanotechnology. His many accomplishments have impacted the wellbeing of society and created a productive ecosystem of economic development in central Florida. Seal is a fellow of the American Society of Materials, American Association of Advancement of Science, American Vacuum Society, Institute of Nanotechnology-UK, National Academy of Inventors, Electrochemical Society, and the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering and was recently elected to the World Academy of Ceramics. He holds 55 U.S. patents and his technology is licensed to multiple companies.

Issa Batarseh, Ph.D., PE

Director of the Energy System Integration Division
Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC)
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Central Florida

35 U.S. patents

Issa Batarseh is the Director of the Energy System Integration Division at the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) and professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Central Florida (UCF), in Orlando. Batarseh is being recognized for inventing and developing low cost, high efficiency micro-inverters for photovoltaic (PV) applications that led to the creation of the first compact single solar PV panel. The technology developed by Dr. Batarseh and his team at UCF have made significant contributions in smart solar energy conversion. As a passionate entrepreneur and innovator, Batarseh co-founded two successful solar-focused start-up companies: Petra Systems and Advanced Power Electronics Corp. (APECOR), both of which are now operating nationally and internationally. Petra Systems launched in 2007, by licensing Batarseh’s patents from UCF. Today, Petra design and manufacture the first smart-grid interactive solar power system for installation on utility distribution poles. And, the Florida-based APECOR is a leading designer of solar chargers for military applications. Batarseh is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, AAAS, and IEEE, and holds 31 U.S. patents.

Richard D. Gitlin, Sc.D.

State of Florida 21st Century World Class Scholar
Distinguished University Professor
Agere Systems Endowed Chair, Department of Electrical Engineering
University of South Florida

75 U.S. patents

Richard D. Gitlin is a State of Florida 21st Century World Class Scholar, Distinguished University Professor, and the Agere Systems endowed Chair in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of South Florida, in Tampa. Gitlin is being recognized for his innovative research and development in digital communications, broadband networking, and wireless systems that transformed communication technology. He has more than 40 years of leadership in the communications and networking industry. At Bell Labs/Lucent Technologies Gitlin performed and led pioneering research and development for 32 years. After retiring from Lucent as Senior VP of Communications and Networking, he was a visiting professor at Columbia University, and Chief Technology Officer of Hammerhead Systems, a venture funded networking company in Silicon Valley. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the IEEE, a Bell Laboratories Fellow, a Charter Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, and a co-recipient of the 2005 Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award and the S.O. Rice prize. Gitlin has co-authored a text and holds 65 patents.

Mary Helen McCay, Ph.D.

Director, National Center for Hydrogen Research
Florida Institute of Technology

14 U.S. patents

T. Dwayne McCay, Ph.D.

Former President and CEO
Florida Institute of Technology

15 U.S. patents

T. Dwayne and Mary Helen McCay, the first scientist couple nominated to the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame, hold 15 joint U.S. patents in the area of metallurgical engineering, specific to laser-induced surface improvement (LISI) that has greatly contributed to increased patient safety and improved medical outcomes in facilities nationwide. Dwayne McCay is the former president and CEO of the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) in Melbourne. Prior to coming to FIT in 2003, he held leadership positions at the University of Tennessee Space Institute, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, and Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory. Mary Helen McCay is a native Floridian, FSU and UF alumnus, former NASA Payload Specialist Astronaut, and director of the National Center for Hydrogen Research at FIT. Both highly regarded academics, the McCays’ life-long commitment to education, the ideals of invention, and the advancement of science has greatly impacted the aerospace industry and advanced STEM education in central Florida.

William S. Dalton, Ph.D., M.D.,

Founder and CEO of M2Gen®

10 U.S. patents

William Dalton, former president and CEO of Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, is the founder and current CEO of M2Gen®, a subsidiary of Moffitt, recognized for his revolutionizing developments in cancer treatment. His research in molecular mechanisms of drug resistance led to the creation of Total Cancer Care™: personalized protocols for the treatment of cancer and information/decision tools used by clinicians worldwide. To date, Total Cancer Care™ has impacted the lives of over 120,000 patients and includes one of the largest bio-repositories and data warehouses in the U.S., dedicated to the improvement of personalized medicine.

Dalton holds 10 U.S. patents and is regarded as a health policy expert on the study and development of the most effective approaches to cancer research and serves at the state level in an advisory role to the Governor, the Chief Justice, and Legislature, to promote the economic growth of Florida and improve the quality of life of the citizens of Florida.

D. Yogi Goswami, Ph.D.

Distinguished University Professor in Chemical Engineering
Director of the Clean Energy Research Center
University of South Florida

40 U.S. patents

Yogi Goswami is a Distinguished University Professor in chemical engineering, and director of the Clean Energy Research Center, at the University of South Florida, known for his pioneering contributions and technology development related to solar energy and indoor air quality. Goswami’s contributions in combined power/cooling cycles have impacted global research in a new class of thermodynamic cycles. He has invented nano-scale antenna technologies to convert sunlight to power and thermal energy storage technologies. He also founded Molekule (formerly Transformair, Inc.), which is commercializing his technology to destroy indoor air pollutants including viruses, bacteria, mold, airborne fumes and allergens, which is helping allergy and asthma sufferers worldwide. The Molekule air purifier has been named one of Time Magazine’s 25 Best Inventions of 2017 for its ability to not just trap harmful pollutants but eliminate them.

Goswami holds 19 U.S. patents and has served as an advisor and given testimonies on energy policy and the transition to renewable energy to the U.S. Congress and various Governments around the world. He has published 19 books and is the Editor-in-Chief of Solar Energy journal.