UC professor Ephraim Gutmark elected to National Academy of Inventors
NAI fellowship represents the highest professional distinction awarded exclusively to inventors, recognizing their groundbreaking innovations and societal contributions.
This achievement reflects the hard work and creativity of my students and collaborators, whose support and contributions have been integral to my work.
Ephraim Gutmark, PhD Distinguished professor of aerospace engineering
Gutmark’s election reflects his remarkable career spanning academia, industry and government and his pioneering work in advanced technologies. He is the inventor or co-inventor of 71 domestic and international patents, holds seven active patent applications and has launched three startups. The patents cover disciplines including propulsion systems, acoustics, power generation, aerodynamics, combustion and medical devices.
“Dr. Gutmark’s election to the National Academy of Inventors recognizes his unparalleled contributions to aerospace engineering and advanced technologies,” said Geoffrey Pinski, UC’s assistant vice president for Technology Transfer. “With 32 U.S. patents and the founding of three companies, his groundbreaking innovations have transformed industries ranging from energy efficiency and propulsion systems to biomedical applications.”
The 2024 NAI class fellows demonstrates the academy’s commitment to fostering innovation without boundaries. This year’s cohort hails from 39 states and 12 countries, with 43% of honorees identifying as underrepresented inventors. These inventors hold over 5,000 issued U.S. patents, generating lasting societal and economic impacts worldwide.
Ephraim Gutmark and a student inside UC’s Gas Dynamics and Propulsion Laboratory. Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
This year’s class “represents a truly impressive caliber of inventors,” said Paul Sanberg, president of the National Academy of Inventors. “Each of these individuals are 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.”
Since its inception in 2012, the NAI fellows program has recognized 2,068 distinguished researchers and innovators who collectively hold over 68,000 U.S. patents and 20,000 licensed technologies. These inventions have generated over $3.2 trillion in economic impact and created over 1.2 million jobs.
At UC’s Gas Dynamics and Propulsion Laboratory, Gutmark’s research spans a diverse range of topics, including:
- Jet noise reduction and duct acoustics
- Biomedical fluid dynamics and aeroacoustics
- Advanced propulsion systems
- Performance enhancement and turbine integration of pulse/rotating detonation engines (PDE/RDE)
- Afterburner research
- Combustion control for low-emission systems
- Fuel injectors for scramjet propulsion
- Heat transfer and aerodynamics of turbine blades
- Turbocharger advancements
- Flight control using fluidic actuators
- Flow-structure interactions
- Innovative hydrodynamics for oil exploration
“This honor not only recognizes Dr. Gutmark’s remarkable achievements but also underscores the lasting societal and economic significance of his work and the institution's commitment to fostering innovation and real-world impact,” Pinski said.
Gutmark will be honored during the NAI’s 14th annual conference on June 26, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia, where he will be presented with a medal by a senior official of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The conference, which is themed “Forward Together: Innovating With Purpose,” will celebrate the profound contributions of this new class of innovators.
Featured image at top: Ephraim Gutmark inside UC’s Gas Dynamics and Propulsion Laboratory. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
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