Campus News
Forging new pathways in innovation
UC Santa Cruz has launched a chapter of the National Academy of Inventors, advancing its role as a national hub for impactful innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the real-world application of research.
John MacMillan, Vice Chancellor for Research and inaugural President of the UC Santa Cruz NAI Chapter. (Photo by Nick Gonzales/UC Santa Cruz
Key takeaways
- UC Santa Cruz has launched a chapter of the National Academy of Inventors, becoming only the second UC campus to do so, reinforcing the campus’s role as a national leader in innovation and research translation.
- The new NAI chapter will support faculty, students, and staff by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, providing mentorship and resources, and creating pathways for inventions to move from lab to market.
- This milestone builds on UC Santa Cruz’s growing innovation ecosystem, which includes nationally recognized inventors, robust patent activity, and a strong focus on research with societal and economic impact.
The University of California, Santa Cruz is stepping onto the national stage as a hub for creativity and discovery with the launch of a new chapter of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI)—becoming just the second University of California campus and the fourth institution in California to do so. This development marks a major milestone in the university’s growing innovation ecosystem and reaffirms its role as a catalyst for groundbreaking ideas that serve society.
“Innovation at UC Santa Cruz has always been about impact,” said John MacMillan, Vice Chancellor for Research and inaugural President of the UC Santa Cruz NAI Chapter. “From quantum sensing to sustainable agriculture, our faculty and students are developing technologies that change the world. The NAI chapter will amplify that work—supporting our inventors, inspiring our students, and deepening connections with industry and community partners.”
Founded in 2010, the National Academy of Inventors recognizes academic inventors who demonstrate a spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions. Establishing a local chapter will give UC Santa Cruz new tools to celebrate inventorship, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and elevate technologies born on campus.
Bridging research and real-world impact.
The new chapter will serve as a bridge between research and real-world application, offering mentorship, resources, and capacity-building opportunities for faculty, staff, and students interested in invention and entrepreneurship. Members will be able to attend NAI annual meetings, contribute to the organization’s journal Technology and Innovation, and collaborate with inventors around the globe.
“This is an exciting and timely development,” said Ryan Sharp, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Innovation & Business Engagement. “We are seeing growing interest among faculty in translating their research into patents, products, and companies—and our students are hungry to explore how their ideas can have societal and economic impact. The NAI chapter will be a vital part of that journey.”
Sharp emphasized the chapter’s commitment to building a robust culture of innovation across campus, announcing that a series of programs, resources, and events focused on educating, encouraging, inspiring, and recognizing campus inventors will be rolling out soon. Community members interested in getting involved are encouraged to reach out to the Innovation & Business Engagement Hub or the chapter’s leadership team.
The inaugural UC Santa Cruz NAI Chapter leaders include:
- President: John MacMillan, Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry and Vice Chancellor for Research
- Vice President: Emily Brodsky, Professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences
- Secretary: Scott Oliver, Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry
- Treasurer: Katia Obraczka, Professor of Computer Science & Engineering and Campus Director of CITRIS & the Banatao Institute
Recognizing excellence in inventorship.
UC Santa Cruz’s deep bench of innovators has already earned national recognition through the National Academy of Inventors. The university is home to five NAI Fellows—the highest distinction given to academic inventors—including Mark Akeson (Biomolecular Engineering), Scott Brandt (Computer Science & Engineering), Nobuhiko Kobayashi (Electrical & Computer Engineering), Holger Schmidt (Electrical & Computer Engineering), and Narinder Kapany (Regents Professor at UC Santa Cruz from 1977-1983).
Three additional faculty members have been named NAI Senior Members in recognition of their work to mentor future inventors while advancing their own groundbreaking research: Dave Deamer and Ed Green (Biomolecular Engineering), and John MacMillan (Chemistry & Biochemistry, Vice Chancellor for Research and inaugural President of the UC Santa Cruz NAI Chapter).
Advancing innovation with purpose.
The chapter’s launch builds on the university’s investments in research translation, entrepreneurship programming, and partnerships with innovative companies. UC Santa Cruz has fielded hundreds of invention disclosures and filed numerous new patent applications over the past decade, leading to advances ranging from novel battery materials to climate-resilient crop strains.
“UC Santa Cruz has a long legacy of challenging conventional boundaries and reimagining what’s possible,” MacMillan. “This chapter will bring together researchers and innovators from every corner of campus and help translate their vision into real solutions.”
The National Academy of Inventors includes more than 250 member institutions worldwide, representing over 1,000 fellows whose inventions have collectively generated over $190 billion in revenue and launched more than 9,000 companies.
With the launch of its NAI chapter, UC Santa Cruz continues to write a distinctive chapter in the story of academic innovation—one fueled by bold ideas, interdisciplinary thinking, and a commitment to building a better future for all.