On Oct. 3, Technology Ventures, part of the Division of Economic Development, hosted the annual Innovator Awards Banquet to honor the U of A researchers who were issued patents in 2023.

Inventors and guests were welcomed by U of A Chancellor Charles Robinson and Technology Ventures' assistant director of IP and licensing Willie Haley. The program featured a keynote address by Tracy Poole of FortySix Venture Capital.

Both Mike Malone, vice chancellor for economic development, and Margaret McCabe, vice chancellor for research and innovation, spoke on the importance and impact of research commercialization at the U of A. David Hinton, executive director of Technology Ventures, joined Malone and McCabe to present the patent award plaques.

See the full list of awarded patents and inventors.

This year's banquet also honored the 22 faculty members who were inducted into the U of A Chapter of the National Academy of Inventors. The National Academy of Inventors was founded to recognize and encourage inventors with U.S. patents, enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students and create wider public understanding of how its members' inventions benefit society.

Now that the U of A chapter has been relaunched, each year, innovators on campus who meet a threshold based on innovation, commercialization and entrepreneurship criteria will be inducted to this local chapter.

Undergraduate Grayson Sanders of Hill Records, the U of A's student-run record label, provided music for the event.

Research commercialization at land-grant universities like the U of A plays a crucial role in translating academic research into practical applications, fostering economic development and contributing to the university's mission to serve the public and address societal needs. It also helps attract, retain and grow talent and companies in Arkansas.

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About Technology Ventures: The University of Arkansas Technology Ventures, part of the Division of Economic Development, manages, protects and commercializes the intellectual property and research tool portfolio of the University of Arkansas. Technology Ventures serves the university's faculty, staff and students as well as external inventors and entrepreneurs to disseminate technology, innovations, products, creative works and knowledge to the public market to positively impact society. In this way, Technology Ventures also serves the public as it is our responsibility to enable public utilization of products derived from university research.