image: Worcester Polytechnic Institute President Grace J. Wang
Credit: Credit: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, MA—December 10, 2024— The National Academy of Inventors (NAI), an esteemed organization dedicated to recognizing and honoring academic innovation, has named Worcester Polytechnic Institute President Grace J. Wang, as an NAI Fellow. This distinction, the highest professional honor awarded exclusively to academic inventors, highlights President Wang’s exceptional contributions to pioneering research and innovation.
An accomplished materials scientist and esteemed leader in higher education, government, and industry, Wang holds seven U.S. patents. Her inventions have focused on materials, design, and manufacturing process improvements for magnetic recording media, such as hard disk drives. The patents stemmed from her work as a scientist and engineer at IBM/Hitachi Global Storage Technologies on the research and development of thin-film magnetic recording media and carbon overcoat for data storage. Wang played an integral role in the R&D of perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) for computer hard disk drives. Working closely with her colleagues, they introduced the PMR technology into the marketplace, achieving a significant industry milestone.
Wang is one of 170 people named to this year’s class of NAI Fellows. Since its founding in 2012, the NAI Fellows program has grown to include more than 2,000 researchers and innovators who hold more than 68,000 U.S. patents.
“I am honored to receive this prestigious recognition from the National Academy of Inventors. Throughout my career, in industry and higher education, it has been a privilege to focus on creating and supporting the research and development of innovative technologies that can have a meaningful impact for society,” said Wang. “I’m humbled to be named an NAI Fellow and join an amazing list of renowned professionals who have dedicated their work in universities and government and non-profit research institutes to pushing boundaries and advancing solutions.”
Wang’s career has reflected a commitment to research and innovation. Prior to coming to WPI, she spearheaded efforts at The Ohio State University to support research, creativity, and entrepreneurship by faculty, staff, and students. Previously, Wang led the research enterprise at the State University of New York System and built large-scale partnerships to grow impact-driven research and innovation. Before that, at the National Science Foundation, she managed a funding portfolio of over $900 million dedicated to investing in emerging engineering research, supporting engineering education, and fostering development and technology commercialization.
In 2022, Wang was appointed by the White House to serve on the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee. She is a council member of the Government-University-Industry- Philanthropy Research Roundtable at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. She is a member of the Board of Governors for the New York Academy of Sciences and serves on the Board of Massachusetts High Technology Council and the Board of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).Wang is also a member of Massachusetts’ Artificial Intelligence Strategic Task Force.
“This year's Class of NAI Fellows represents a truly impressive caliber of inventors. Each of these individuals is tackling real-world issues and creating solutions that propel us into the future. Through their work, they are making significant contributions to science, creating lasting societal impact, and growing the economy,” said Dr. Paul Sanberg, FNAI, President of the NAI. “NAI Fellows as a whole are a driving force of innovation, generating crucial advancements across scientific disciplines and creating tangible impacts as they move their technologies from lab to marketplace.”
Wang and the rest of the 2024 class of NAI Fellows will be honored and presented medals at the NAI Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia on June 26, 2025.
About WPI
WPI, a global leader in project-based learning, is a distinctive, top-tier STEM research university founded in 1865 on the principle that students learn most effectively by applying the theory learned in the classroom to the practice of solving real-world problems. Recognized by the National Academy of Engineering with the 2016 Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education, WPI’s pioneering project-based curriculum engages undergraduates in solving important scientific, technological, and societal problems throughout their education and at more than 50 project centers around the world. WPI offers more than 70 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs across 18 academic departments in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts. Its faculty and students pursue groundbreaking research to meet ongoing challenges in health and biotechnology; robotics and the internet of things; advanced materials and manufacturing; cyber, data, and security systems; learning science; and more. www.wpi.edu
About the National Academy of Inventors
The National Academy of Inventors is a member organization comprising U.S. and international universities, and governmental and non-profit research institutes, with over 4,000 individual inventor members and Fellows spanning more than 250 institutions. It was founded in 2010 to recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students, and translate the inventions of its members to benefit society. Inaugurated by the USPTO, the Academy and the USPTO have enjoyed a collaborative partnership. Most recently this has been reflected in their joint mission to expand access to underrepresented individuals and institutions participating in the invention and innovation ecosystem. www.academyofinventors.org.
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Jon Cain
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Worcester Polytechnic Institute
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