Five UNC Charlotte Faculty Teams Honored at the 2026 Invention of the Year Awards
Written by: Division of Research
Vibrant. Celebratory. Impactful. That was the atmosphere at the 2nd Annual Invention of the Year Awards at the UNC Charlotte Dubois Center. That’s where five dynamic faculty and student research and innovation teams were honored for inventions ranging from a breakthrough approach to fighting cancer cells, to enhancing our defense systems with a revolutionary way to send data in extreme environments.
“The ideas and technologies emerging from UNC Charlotte are not just advancing science; they are strengthening our economy, supporting national security, and improving lives,” shared Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber.
The Chancellor was joined by faculty and staff, plus regional and national leaders from government and industry, including John Squires, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt; and keynote speaker Brigadier General (retired) John Teichert.
Together they celebrated UNC Charlotte faculty and the university’s growing role as a national engine of innovation, commercialization, and technological impact.
Breakthrough Invention Honorees
Energy and Power Systems: Redox self-healing polymers that repair themselves at room temperature, enabling more resilient electronics and energy systems. Invention: Redox Active Self-Healing Polymers – Christopher Bejger, Sushil Bhatta, Fuead Hasan, and Jonathan Gillen
Information and Data Science: An AI-powered drone platform that supports real-time disaster response and operational decision-making, with applications in emergency management and defense. Invention:Real-Time Drone-Based Catastrophe Management and Adaptive Resource Deployment System Elizabeth Johnson and Kaleb Wainright
Life Sciences and Health: A bi-specific antibody therapy that enhances the immune system’s ability to target cancer cells, advancing precision medicine. Invention: Bi-specific Antibody Therapy – Pinku Mukherjee and Timothy Erick
Physical and Material Sciences: A portable optical inspection system for detecting microscopic defects, supporting high-reliability manufacturing in sectors such as aerospace and semiconductors. Invention: Portable Optical Inspection Device Capable Of Detecting Microscopic Surface Defects – Kosta Falaggis and Sevda Mamaghani
The Excellence Award was presented to Soumitra Roy Joy for Signal Transmission by Engineered Wire Composed of Isolated Metallic Islands, a breakthrough in signal transmission using engineered metallic island structures with applications in wearable electronics, resilient communications, and next-generation defense systems operating in extreme environments.
Innovation Across Disciplines—and Sectors
This year’s program considered 41 patented technologies, up from 27 in the inaugural year, spanning life sciences, engineering, computing, energy, and materials science. That diversity reflects a broader truth: many of today’s most important breakthroughs occur at the intersection of fields.
By bringing together innovations across domains, the event fosters new connections that link ideas, technologies, and applications in unexpected ways. These interactions can spark collaborations that accelerate development and expand the reach of emerging technologies.
For Charlotte and North Carolina, this breadth is a strategic advantage. The region’s innovation ecosystem, anchored by universities, research institutions, startups, and global companies, is strengthened when diverse capabilities are connected and aligned.
Leadership, Partnership, and Purpose
The event also highlighted the importance of leadership and collaboration in advancing innovation.The gala further marked the launch of UNC Charlotte’s chapter of the National Academy of Inventors, signaling the university’s rising national profile and commitment to supporting its inventor community.
Celebrating the Moment When Ideas Become Impact
The Invention of the Year Awards was created to highlight a pivotal yet often unseen stage in the innovation process: when research evolves into a protected invention with real-world potential.
UNC Charlotte has rapidly increased patent activity and startup formation in recent years, ranking among national leaders in innovation productivity per research dollar. Its discoveries are advancing fields ranging from healthcare and energy resilience to defense technologies, dual-use systems, and advanced manufacturing capabilities essential to supply chain security.
The event itself reflects a broader strategic vision led in part by Laura Peter, Executive Director of IP and Technology Transfer with the Division of Research, Office of Research Commercialization and Partnerships (ORCP). Her career across government, industry, and academia, including service at the USPTO, has emphasized the importance of intellectual property and partnerships in translating invention into economic and societal value.
Recognition That Opens Doors
Beyond celebration, the awards play a strategic role in accelerating innovation.
Recognition provides visibility not only for the technologies themselves, but also for the researchers and students behind them, helping connect them with industry leaders, investors, and potential collaborators. That visibility can serve as a catalyst for commercialization, enabling licensing opportunities, startup formation, and new research funding.
Equally important, the awards reinforce a culture of innovation within the university, signaling to faculty and students that their efforts to move ideas toward impact are both valued and supported.
From Invention to the Future
At its core, the Invention of the Year Awards tell a larger story about how innovation happens and why it matters.
Every major advance begins with a question, a new approach, or a willingness to challenge existing assumptions. Universities play a unique role in fostering that kind of thinking, bringing together talent, curiosity, and the freedom to explore bold ideas.
But discovery alone is not enough. As Peter has emphasized, “when inventions are protected through strong intellectual property and supported by partnerships across industry, investment, and government, they can become the technologies that drive economic growth, strengthen national security, and improve lives.”
That is the moment this event was designed to celebrate: when an idea becomes an invention, and when that invention begins its path toward real-world impact.
By recognizing faculty inventors, connecting them with the broader innovation community, and inspiring the next generation of researchers and students, UNC Charlotte is helping shape a future defined not just by ideas, but by the ability to turn those ideas into meaningful change.
At UNC Charlotte, that future is already taking shape—one invention at a time.
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