MOMENTUM • VIRGINIA TECH MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
25
Chris Williams named senior member of the National Academy of Inventors
Chris Williams , L . S . Randolph Professor of Mechanical Engineering , has been named a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors ( NAI ).
NAI senior members are active faculty , scientists , and administrators from NAI Member Institutions whose innovationproducing technologies have brought , or aspire to bring , real impact on the welfare of society . They also have growing success in patents , licensing , and commercialization , while educating and mentoring the next generation of inventors .
The 2022 class of senior members represents 41 research universities and government and nonprofit research institutes . They are named inventors on over 1,093 issued U . S . patents . Williams is among 83 academic inventors named to the 2022 cohort . The senior member level is a step toward becoming a fellow , the group ’ s highest distinction , with 1,403 fellows worldwide .
NAI senior memberships are nominated by an existing NAI Senior Member , after which individuals undergo a rigorous selection process by the NAI Senior Member Advisory Committee . New senior members are elected annually on National Inventors ’ Day ( Feb . 11 ).
Williams has excelled in the field of additive manufacturing ( also called 3D printing ), establishing himself as a pioneer from the earliest days of the technology ’ s appearance on the Virginia Tech campus . He is the director of the Design , Research , and Education for Additive Manufacturing Systems ( DREAMS ) Lab , which maintains a steady stream of innovation and industry partnerships . He joined the faculty of the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2008 , was named a John R . Jones III Faculty Fellow in 2017 , and was named the L . S . Randolph Professor in 2020 . He holds four patents and has several under review .
He has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and served as primary investigator or co-primary investigator on more than $ 25 million of externally funded research .
The DREAMS Lab has grown rapidly since Williams arrived on campus , filling two large rooms in Goodwin Hall and adding the capacity for 3D printing materials such as copper , latex , and Kapton . Projects have been sponsored by the National Science Foundation , the Office of Naval Research , the Department of Energy , and industry partners , among others .