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2016 STC.UNM Innovation Awards Dinner Will Honor University of New Mexico Inventors and Innovation Fellow

Program coverAlbuquerque, NM – March 15, 2016. STC.UNM will host its thirteenth annual Innovation Awards Dinner on Wednesday, March 23, 2016, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the University of New Mexico Student Union Building (SUB) Ballrooms, to honor 63 faculty, staff and students who have received issued patents and trademarks and registered copyrights within the past year. The 2016 STC.UNM Innovation Fellow Award will also be presented to Dr. Gabriel P. López, UNM Vice President for Research and Professor in the Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, who will be recognized for his achievements as an outstanding UNM inventor. Also recognized will be Distinguished Professors Dr. Steven Brueck and Dr. Jeffrey Brinker who were recently elected as Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors.

The keynote speaker for the event will be Eddie Wang Rodriguez, J.D., who is a member of Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo PC, a San Diego law firm serving clients of all sizes and at all stages of growth. The firm represents Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, emerging growth and established companies, government agencies, and nonprofits. Mr. Rodriguez is the managing member of Mintz Levin’s San Diego office. His practice is focused on a full range of corporate and securities matters, including corporate formation, mergers and acquisitions, venture financing, technology licensing, and general business counseling for both public and private companies. He has extensive experience with counseling public and private companies in the life sciences, healthcare services, telecommunications, software, hardware, ecommerce, and information technology industries in a broad range of transactional matters. Mintz Levin was ranked among the best law firms in 2016 by U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firms, receiving first-tier national and regional rankings in 38 of its practices.

The following 63 UNM faculty, staff and students received issued patents within the past year (April 1, 2015-February 29, 2016), representing the largest number of UNM inventors to be recognized since the inception of the Innovation Awards event in 2004. The university inventors run the gamut from first-time inventors to experienced inventors and include UNM professors, research professors, distinguished and Regents’ professors, emeritus professors, staff members, and graduate, doctoral and postdoctoral students. The inventors represent departments and clinical/research centers across main, branch and HSC campuses that reflect a strong level of collaboration. Several inventors are being honored for multiple issued patents.

INVENTOR HONOREES

NATALIE L. ADOLPHI, PH.D.
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Viscosity Measuring Method
U.S. Patent No. 9,074,976 issued July 7, 2015

PLAMEN B. ATANASSOV, PH.D.
Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Imidazole-Derived Materials
U.S. Patent No. 9,180,443 issued November 10, 2015
Paper-Based Fuel Cell
U.S. Patent No. 9,257,709 issued February 9, 2016
Monodispersed Particles Fabricated by Microfluidic Device
U.S. Patent No. 9,260,311 issued February 16, 2016

C. JEFFREY BRINKER, PH.D.
Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Superhydrophobic Aerogel That Does Not Require Per-Fluoro Compounds or Contain Any Fluorine
U.S. Patent No. 9,040,435 issued May 26, 2015
Enzymatically-Active High-Flux Selectively Gas-Permeable Membranes
U.S. Patent No. 9,242,210 issued January 26, 2016
Durable Polymer-Aerogel Based Superhydrophobic Coatings: A Composite Material
U.S. Patent No. 9,249,333, issued February 2, 2016

STEVEN R. J. BRUECK, PH.D.
Departments of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Gate-All-Around Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Transistors With Gate Oxides
U.S. Patent No. 9,076,813 issued July 7, 2015
Methods of Making Heteroepitaxial Layer on a Seed Area
U.S. Patent No. 9,142,400 issued September 22, 2015
Method and Apparatus for Fabrication of Large Area 3D Photonic Crystals With Embedded Waveguides
U.S. Patent No. 9,152,040 issued October 6, 2015.
Cubic-Phase, Nitrogen-Based Compound Semiconductor Films
U.S. Patent No. 9,153,431 issued October 6, 2015
Fabrication of Enclosed Nanochannels Using Silica Nanoparticles
U.S. Patent No. 9,156,004 issued October 13, 2015
Structural Illumination and Evanescent Coupling for the Extension of Imaging Interferometric Microscopy
U.S. Patent No. 9,239,455 issued January 19, 2016
Gate-All-Around Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Transistors With Gate Oxides
U.S. Patent No. 9,257,535 issued February 9, 2016

HOWARD C. BRYANT, PH.D.
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Viscosity Measuring Method
U.S. Patent No. 9,074,976 issued July 7, 2015

KIMBERLY S. BUTLER, PH.D.
Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Viscosity Measuring Method
U.S. Patent No. 9,074,976 issued July 7, 2015

JOSEPH L. CECCHI, PH.D.
Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Enzymatically-Active High-Flux Selectively Gas-Permeable Membranes
U.S. Patent No. 9,242,210 issued January 26, 2016

SEONG WON CHOI, PH.D.
Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Method for Diagnosing Francisella Tularensis Infection
U.S. Patent No. 9,074,237 issued July 7, 2015

THOMAS S. CORBITT, PH.D.
Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Conjugated Polyelectrolyte Capsules: Light-Activated Antimicrobials
U.S. Patent No. 9,005,540 issued April 14, 2015
Thiophene-Based Oligomers As Light-Activated Biocides
U.S. Patent No. 9,125,415 issued September 8, 2015

LORRAINE M. DECK, PH.D.
Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology
Therapeutic Curcumin Derivatives
U.S. Patent No. 9,187,397 issued November 17, 2015

DARREN R. DUNPHY, PH.D.
Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Hydrolytically-Stable Hydrophilic Coatings for PEMFC Bipolar Plate
U.S. Patent No 9,054,349 issued June 9, 2015
Hydrolytically-Stable Hydrophilic Coatings for PEMFC Bipolar Plate
U.S. Patent No. 9,123,921 issued September 1, 2015

BRUCE S. EDWARDS, PH.D.
Department of Pathology
Multi-Sample Particle Analyzer System and Method for High-Throughput Screening
U.S. Patent No. 9,012,235 issued April 21, 2015
Selective Efflux Inhibitors and Related Pharmaceutical Compositions and Methods of Treatment
U.S. Patent No. 9,056,111 issued June 16, 2015
Flow Cytometry for High-Throughput Screening
U.S. Patent No. 9,267,892 issued February 23, 2016

JEREMY S. EDWARDS, PH.D.
Departments of Chemistry & Chemical Biology
Department of Chemical & Nuclear Engineering
Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Polony Sequencing Methods
U.S. Patent No. 9,243,290 issued January 26, 2016

DANIEL F. FEEZELL, PH.D.
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Gate-All-Around Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Transistors With Gate Oxides
U.S. Patent No. 9,076,813 issued July 7, 2015
Methods of Making Heteroepitaxial Layer on a Seed Area
U.S. Patent No. 9,142,400 issued September 22, 2015
Gate-All-Around Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Transistors With Gate Oxides
U.S. Patent No. 9,257,535 issued February 9, 2016

YAQIN FU, PH.D.
Center for Micro-Engineering Materials
Enzymatically-Active High-Flux Selectively Gas-Permeable Membranes
Patent No. 9,242,210 issued January 26, 2016

STEVEN W. GRAVES, PH.D.
Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Multinode Acoustic Focusing for Parallel Flow Cytometry Analysis Applications
Patent No. 9,074,977 issued July 7, 2015

SANG EON HAN, PH.D.
Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Suppressing Optical Loss in Nanostructured Metals by Increasing Self-Inductance and Electron Path Length
Patent No. 9,246,031 issued January 26, 2016

SANG M. HAN, PH.D.
Departments of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Low-Defect Density Lattice-Mismatched Semiconductor Devices and Methods of Fabricating Same
Patent No. 9,269,569, issued February 23, 2016
Semiconductor Device and Method of Making the Device
Patent No. 9,269,724, issued February 23, 2016

MARK K. HAYNES, PH.D.
Center for Molecular Discovery
Efficacy in Treating Bacterial Infection
Patent No. 9,259,415, issued February 16, 2016

ELIZABETH L. HEDBERG-DIRK, PH.D.
Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Polymer Scaffold Degradation Control via Chemical Control
Patent No. 9,228,042 issued January 5, 2016

GREG L. HEILEMAN, PH.D.
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
System and Methods for Usage Management in Multi-Level Security Networks
Patent No. 9,270,701 issued February 23, 2016

STEPHEN D. HERSEE, PH.D.
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Phase-Coupled Arrays of Nanowire Laser Devices and Method of Controlling Arrays of Such Devices
Patent No. 9,106,056 issued August 11, 2015
Methods of Making Heteroepitaxial Layer on a Seed Area
Patent No. 9,142,400 issued September 22, 2015

LAURIE G. HUDSON, PH.D.
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Modulators of GTPases and Their Use
Patent No. 9,125,899 issued September 8, 2015

LUCY A. HUNSAKER
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Therapeutic Curcumin Derivatives
Patent No. 9,187,397 issued November 17, 2015

RAVINDER K. JAIN, PH.D.
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Department of Physics & Astronomy
High-Efficiency, Light-Absorbing and Light-Emitting Nanostructures
Patent No. 9,267,889, issued February 23, 2016

YING-BING JIANG, PH.D.
Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Enzymatically-Active High-Flux Selectively Gas-Permeable Membranes
Patent No. 9,242,210 issued January 26, 2016

HADYA M. KHAWAJA, M.S.
Clinical and Translational Science Center
Selective Efflux Inhibitors and Related Pharmaceutical Compositions and Methods of Treatment
Patent No. 9,056,111 issued June 16, 2015

MIKE KLOPFER, M.S.
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
High-Efficiency, Light-Absorbing and Light-Emitting Nanostructures
Patent No. 9,267,889 issued February 23, 2016

YULIYA V. KUZNETSOVA, PH.D.
Center for High Technology Materials
Fabrication of Enclosed Nanochannels Using Silica Nanoparticles
Patent No. 9,156,004 issued October 13, 2015
Structural Illumination and Evanescent Coupling for the Extension of Imaging Interferometric Microscopy
Patent No. 9,239,455 issued January 19, 2016

CHRISTOPHER C. LAMB, PH.D.
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
System and Methods for Usage Management in Multi-Level Security Networks
Patent No. 9,270,701 issued February 23, 2016

RICHARD S. LARSON, M.D., PH.D.
Clinical and Translational Science Center
Selective Efflux Inhibitors and Related Pharmaceutical Compositions and Methods of Treatment
Patent No. 9,056,111 issued June 16, 2015

SEUNG-CHANG LEE, PH.D.
Center for High Technology Materials
Gate-All-Around Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Transistors With Gate Oxides
Patent No. 9,076,813 issued July 7, 2015
Methods of Making Heteroepitaxial Layer on a Seed Area
Patent No. 9,142,400 issued September 22, 2015
Cubic-Phase, Nitrogen-Based Compound Semiconductor Films
Patent No. 9,153,431 issued October 6, 2015
Gate-All-Around Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Transistors With Gate Oxides
Patent No. 9,257,535 issued February 9, 2016

GABRIEL P. LÓPEZ, PH.D.
Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Multinode Acoustic Focusing for Parallel Flow Cytometry Analysis Applications
Patent No. 9,074,977 issued July 7, 2015
Stable Elastomeric Negative Acoustic Contrast Particles and Their Use in Acoustic Radiation Fields
Patent No. 9,101,664 issued August 11, 2015

ERIN D. MILLIGAN, PH.D.
Department of Neurosciences
Compact Biosensor of Matrix Metalloproteinase with Cadmium-Free Quantum Dots
Patent No. 9,155,497 issued October 13, 2015

VASUDEVAN A. V. NAMPOOTHIRI, PH.D.
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Gas-Filled Hollow Fiber Laser
Patent No. 9,106,055 issued August 11, 2015

ALEXANDER NEUMANN, PH.D.
Center for High Technology Materials
Fabrication of Enclosed Nanochannels Using Silica Nanoparticles
Patent No. 9,156,004 issued October 13, 2015
Structural Illumination and Evanescent Coupling for the Extension of Imaging Interferometric Microscopy
Patent No. 9,239,455 issued January 19, 2016

TUDOR I. OPREA, M.D., PH.D.
Department of Internal Medicine
Modulators of GTPases and Their Use
Patent No. 9,125,899 issued September 8, 2015

ROBERT A. ORLANDO, PH.D.
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Therapeutic Curcumin Derivatives
Patent No. 9,187,397 issued November 17, 2015

MAREK A. OSIN´SKI, PH.D.
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Department of Computer Science
Light-Emitting Device Having Photon-Lifetime Modulation
Patent No. 9,054,492 issued June 9, 2015
Thermal Neutron Detectors Based on Gadolinium-Containing Nanoscintillators
Patent No. 9,116,246 issued August 25, 2015
Compact Biosensor of Matrix Metalloproteinase With Cadmium-Free Quantum Dots
Patent No. 9,155,497 issued October 13, 2015
Active Nanoparticles and Method of Using
Patent No. 9,186,317 issued November 17, 2015

MARIOS S. PATTICHIS, PH.D.
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
System and Methods for Dynamic Management of Hardware Resources
Patent No. 9,111,059 issued August 18, 2015

SUROJIT PAUL, PH.D.
Department of Neurology and Neurosciences
STEP-Derived Peptide for Brain Injury Treatment
Patent No. 9,068,172 issued June 30, 2015

DIMITER N. PETSEV, PH.D.
Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Monodispersed Particles Fabricated by Microfluidic Device
Patent No. 9,260,311, issued February 16, 2016

JOHN B. PLUMLEY, PH.D.
Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology
Thermal Neutron Detectors Based on Gadolinium-Containing Nanoscintillators
Patent No. 9,116,246 issued August 25, 2015
Compact Biosensor of Matrix Metalloproteinase With Cadmium Free Quantum Dots
Patent No. 9,155,497 issued October 13, 2015

JAMES F. PLUSQUELLIC, PH.D.
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
System and Methods for Generating Unclonable Security Keys in Integrated Circuits
Patent No. 9,030,226 issued May 12, 2015

STEFAN POSSE, PH.D.
Department of Neurology
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
System and Methods for Improved Real-Time Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Patent No 9,116,219 issued August 25, 2015

SUSAN L. REMPE, PH.D.
Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Department of Biology
Enzymatically-Active High-Flux Selectively Gas-Permeable Membranes
Patent No. 9,242,210 issued January 26, 2016

JEREC W. RICCI, B.S.
School of Medicine
Selective Efflux Inhibitors and Related Pharmaceutical Compositions and Methods of Treatment
Patent No. 9,056,111 issued June 16, 2015

ANTONIO C. RIVERA, PH.D.
UNM Valencia County Branch
Thermal Neutron Detectors Based on Gadolinium-Containing Nanoscintillators
Patent No. 9,116,246 issued August 25, 2015

WOLFGANG G. RUDOLPH, PH.D.
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Gas-Filled Hollow Fiber Laser
Patent No. 9,106,055 issued August 11, 2015

ALEXEY SEROV, PH.D.
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Imidazole-Derived Materials
Patent No. 9,180,443 issued November 10, 2015

SCOTT SIBBETT, PH.D.
Department of Chemical & Nuclear Engineering
Paper-Based Fuel Cell
Patent No. 9,257,709 issued February 9, 2016

LAUREL O. SILLERUD, PH.D.
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Magnecytometer for the Detection of One or More Analytes
Patent No. 9,110,067 issued August 18, 2015
Physical Removal of Biological Agents Detected by a Magnecytometer
Patent No. 9,110,068 issued August 18, 2015
Biological Detector and Method
Patent No. 9,194,921 issued November 24, 2015

LARRY A. SKLAR, PH.D.
Department of Pathology
Multi-Sample Particle Analyzer System and Method for High Throughput Screening
Patent No. 9,012,235 issued April 21, 2015
Methods for Reducing Superoxide Anions in Eukaryotic Organisms
Patent No. 9,034,857 issued May 19, 2015
Selective Efflux Inhibitors and Related Pharmaceutical Compositions and Methods of Treatment
Patent No. 9,056,111 issued June 16, 2015
Modulators of GTPases and Their Use
Patent No. 9,125,899 issued September 8, 2015
Efficacy in Treating Bacterial Infection
Patent No. 9,259,415 issued February 16, 2016
Flow Cytometry for High Throughput Screening
Patent No. 9,267,892 issued February 23, 2016

GENNADY A. SMOLYAKOV, PH.D.
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Light-Emitting Device Having Photon-Lifetime Modulation
Patent No. 9,054,492 issued June 9, 2015
Thermal Neutron Detectors Based on Gadolinium-Containing Nanoscintillators
Patent No. 9,116,246 issued August 25, 2015

ZURAB SURVILADZE, PH.D.
Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Modulators of GTPases and Their Use
Patent No. 9,125,899 issued September 8, 2015

GRAHAM S. TIMMINS, PH.D.
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Method for Diagnosing Francisella Tularensis Infection
Patent No. 9,074,237 issued July 7, 2015

ALAN E. TOMKINSON, PH.D.
Department of Internal Medicine
Compounds That Inhibit Human DNA Ligases and Methods of Treating Cancer
Patent No. 9,073,896 issued July 7, 2015
Targeting Abnormal DNA Repair in Therapy-Resistant Breast and Pancreatic Cancers
Patent No. 9,132,120 issued September 15, 2015

OLEG URSU, PH.D.
Department of Internal Medicine
Methods for Reducing Superoxide Anions in Eukaryotic Organisms
Patent No. 9,034,857 issued May 19, 2015

DAVID L. VANDER JAGT, PH.D.
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Therapeutic Curcumin Derivatives
Patent No. 9,187,397 issued November 17, 2015

ANNA WALLER, PH.D.
Center for Molecular Discovery
Methods for Reducing Superoxide Anions in Eukaryotic Organisms
Patent No. 9,034,857 issued May 19, 2015

ANGELA WANDINGER-NESS, PH.D.
Department of Pathology
Modulators of GTPases and Their Use
Patent No. 9,125,899 issued September 8, 2015

DAVID G. WHITTEN, PH.D.
Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Conjugated Polyelectrolyte Capsules: Light-Activated Antimicrobials
Patent No. 9,005,540 issued April 14, 2015
Thiophene-Based Oligomers As Light-Activated Biocides
Patent No. 9,125,415 issued September 8, 2015

TERRY H. WU, PH.D.
Department of Internal Medicine
Method for Diagnosing Francisella Tularensis Infection
Patent No. 9,074,237 issued July 7, 2015