WSU fetes 63 of its world class inventors

Washington State University will celebrate its world class inventors –— researchers whose cutting-edge discoveries have led to the creation of 887 protected patents — during a Friday, Sept. 17, address and reception.

Open to the public, the celebration will include an address by Arden L. Bement Jr., National Science Foundation acting director. It will be held at 2:10 p.m. in the new addition to the Murrow Communications Center, Room 21. The title of his address is “Science Connects: How Discovery Drives Our Global Future.” 

A program and reception honoring some 63 inventors will be held at 3:30 p.m. in the Smith Center for Undergraduate Education, Room 518. WSU President V. Lane Rawlins and Provost Robert C. Bates will preside.

Bement brings a “wealth of experience that will help the WSU community understand the goals and priorities of the National Science Foundation,” said James N. Petersen, WSU vice provost for research.

“NSF-funded projects provide support for undergraduate and graduate students working with our world-class faculty in the face-to-face environment offered by a research laboratory. Moreover, with his rich experience in the National Institute of Science and Technology and the NSF, Dr. Bement will be able to underscore how fundamental research conducted at an institution like WSU can lead to inventions which, in turn, enhance economic development, jobs and global stability.

“As Washington’s land-grant research university, the creation of knowledge which leads to economic development in the state is a critical aspect of WSU’s mission,” he said. “Today, these technologies are often protected through patents, enabling them to be commercially implemented.”

“We are extremely proud of our faculty who are creating new knowledge, and we are using this event to recognize those whose inventions have been protected.” Bates said. “Such technologies have the potential to significantly benefit the people of the state and nation. For this reason, WSU is helping revitalize the WSU Research Foundation.” The foundation facilitates the efficient transfer of technology, proprietary information and materials from the WSU campus to the private sector.

The first-of-its-kind celebration is expected to be a periodic event. The university’s Office of Intellectual Property Administration and Office of Research organized it in collaboration with WSU University Relations.

Bement earned a master’s degree in 1959 in metallurgical engineering from the University of Idaho and is a UI Alumni Association Hall of Fame member.

A member of the National Academy of Engineering, Bement became NSF acting director in February. He joined NSF from the directorship of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, after serving as a Purdue University administrator and faculty member.

Bement’s 39-year career in industry, government and higher education included serving as a research metallurgist and reactor engineer with General Electric at Hanford in Richland. His positions have included serving as manager of the Fuels and Materials Department and the Metallurgy Research Department for Battelle Northwest Laboratories in Richland. He has consulted for the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.

Inventors to be honored include: Rodney Croteau, Mark Wildung, Laurence Davin, Norman Lewis, David Kramer, John Browse, James Wallis, Bernd Lange, Jeffrey Jones, Linda Thomashow, Shannon Delaney, David Weller, Joseph Harding, John Wright, Terry McElwain, Travis McGuire, Katherine O’Rourke, Jerry Reeves, Kevin Bertrand, Patrick Moore, Lawrence Schrader, Jennifer Watts, Steve Bentjen, Katrina Mealey, Francis Pierce, Todd Elliott, Hannu Pappu, Keri Druffel, Kimberlee Kidwell, Stephen Jones, Timothy Baszler, Steven Parish, Lloyd Smith, Bernard VanWie, Amit Bandyopadhyay, Alberta Brassfield, Charles Burke, Clarence A. Ryan Jr., Cornelius F. Ivory, Donald Matteson, Edward M. Davis, Frederick Schuetze, George J. Baley, Gregory Pearce, Carter Clary, Guy Palmer, Hong Li, Kerry Ringer, Noah Tracy, Steven Leib, Teresa Harkins, Timothy Crawford, William C. Davis, William P. Cheevers, Douglas Jasmer, John Crock, Shari Lupien, Frank Karp, Dimitri Mavrodi, Patricia Mason, Donald Knowles, Trevan Landin, Hon-Wah Man and Zheng Huang.

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