Recognizing Innovation

Top minds choose Binghamton University, whether as faculty, staff or student. Those daring teams and individuals whose mission it is to excel in their innovative initiatives can do so with confidence due to Binghamton's focus on progress. 

The NAI Fellows Program highlights academic inventors who have demonstrated a spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society.

Featured below are four National Academy of Inventor Fellows who have made major strides in their respective fields. 


C.J  Zhong

NAI FELLOW 2019        19 PATENTS

Chuan-Jian “CJ” Zhong, professor of chemistry and of materials science and engineering, has been elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the highest professional distinction for academic inventors.

Zhong is a leading scientist in developing advanced nanomaterials, sensors and catalysts for energy, environment and healthcare sustainability.

Nominated by Vice President for Research Bahgat Sammakia, Zhong is one of 136 academics elected this year who collectively hold more than 3,500 issued U.S. patents. He holds 19 U.S. patents and two international patents.

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Jessica Fridrich '95

NAI FELLOW 2018         9 PATENTS

Distinguished Professor Jessica Fridrich, PhD ’95, of Binghamton University’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, was elected as a Fellow of The National Academy of Inventors based on her work in data embedding for security, covert communications, steganalysis and digital multimedia forensics.

One of Fridrich’s many patents is for an identification method that allows researchers to detect a camera’s unique fingerprint from the image itself. The technology was even featured in the 2009 film Beyond a Reasonable Doubt.

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Kanad Ghose

NAI FELLOW 2018        29 PATENTS

Computer science Professor Kanad Ghose has been named a 2016 Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).

During his career, Ghose has researched high-performance computing and computer architecture. His most recent patents are on power management and security. The work has resulted in several breakthrough designs in processor architecture, power-aware systems and high-performance computing infrastructures, setting the stage for better and faster computing power and function.

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Bahgat Sammakia

NAI FELLOW 2015        26 PATENTS

Bahgat Sammakia is a Distinguished SUNY Professor and vice president for research at Binghamton University. Sammakia has spent much of his research career working to improve thermal management strategies in electronic systems at multiple scales. He holds 24 patents and is also a fellow of IEEE and ASME.