2019 inductees

Michael Bass, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus
College of Optics and Photonics/CREOL/FPCE
University of Central Florida

35 U.S. Patents

Michael Bass is Professor Emeritus at CREOL, the College of Optics and Photonics at the University of Central Florida (UCF) where he served UCF as Vice President for Research from 1988 to 1992. Bass’ significant inventions in the area of optics and spectroscopy have optimized the use of lasers and optical systems, aiding in the treatment of major diseases and improving the design of the world’s fiber optic communication system. He has been active in optics research since his thesis studies, developing technologies that deliver laser light to treat internal bleeding and tumors as well as rare earth ion spectroscopy that tracks nanoparticles, aiding in the treatment of disease. Through collaboration with colleagues at CREOL he also invented the “beam control prism,” a method to extract light from high power lasers while optimizing cooling, which was licensed and commercialized by Florida based, Rini Technologies; and he designed methods for amplifying space-multiplexed optical systems that promise to be a major part of future communications networks. Prior to coming to Florida, Bass served as director of the Center for Laser Studies and department chair at the University of Southern California (USC). Earlier in his career he was a Senior Research Scientist at the Raytheon Company Research Division. Bass is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), The Optical Society (OSA), Laser Institute of America (LIA), and American Association of the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Life Fellow of the Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). In 2014 he received the R. W. Wood Prize of the Optical Society of America. Bass holds 34 U.S. patents.

Joanna S. Fowler, Ph.D.

Senior Chemist Emeritus
Former Director, PET Program
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Graduate, University of South Florida

8 U.S. Patents

Joanna Fowler a native Floridian, University of South Florida (USF) alumna, and 2008 National Medal of Science laureate whose transformative research enabled the use of molecular imaging to more accurately identify and treat illnesses ranging from drug addiction to cancer. In 1976, she and her colleagues synthesized 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), the most commonly used positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer today. A world leader in PET chemistry, Fowler has been a major contributor to brain research using PET throughout her career. Fowler is a senior chemist emeritus and former director of the PET program at Brookhaven National Laboratory as well as an adjunct professor at SUNY at Stony Brook and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and a Special Volunteer at the National Institutes of Health. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and recipient of the NAS Award in Chemical Sciences for her innovative research in the chemical sciences that contributed to the better understanding of the natural sciences and benefited humanity. Fowler is also a member of the American Chemical Society, Society of Nuclear Medicine, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, and Academy of Molecular Imaging. In 2011, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science from USF. Fowler holds 8 U.S. patents.

Hedy Lamarr

Inventor and Actress

1914-2000

1 U.S. Patent

Hedy Lamarr, born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler, was a Hollywood film star, and more importantly, a natural inventor. In 1981, she retired to Miami Beach, Florida and later spent her final years in central Florida. At the age of 28, Lamarr designed and patented a radio controlled, frequency hopping system called the Secret Communication System that was intended to keep U.S. Naval torpedoes from being detected by German naval fleets. Lamarr donated the patent to the U.S. Naval war effort, and although the Navy didn’t employ it during WWII, it proved to be invaluable during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Over the course of the next six decades, Lamarr’s groundbreaking invention went on to serve as the foundation for a multitude of communication technologies, including fax machines, top-secret military and diplomatic communications, GPS, internet, Wi-Fi, satellite communication systems, and wireless communication, spawning significant advances in cyber security. Despite having never been formally educated in math or science, Lamarr paved the way for advancements in communication technologies that will continue to be used worldwide for years to come. In 1997, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) was the first to publicly acknowledge Lamarr for her invention by presenting her with the EFF Pioneer Award. She later went on to be the first woman to receive the BULBIE Gnass Spirit of Achievement Bronze Award, and in 2014 she was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Alan F. List, M.D.

Chief Medical Officer
Precision BioSciences
(North Carolina)

17 U.S. Patents

Alan List, president and CEO of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute is internationally recognized for his dedication to understanding cancer biology and developing novel therapeutic strategies for treating hematologic malignancies such as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myelocytic leukemia (AML). His pioneering work led to the development of lenalidomide (Revlimid®), which received fast-track approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of patient with MDS and multiple myeloma. Revlimid® has transformed the natural history of MDS from a condition requiring aggressive treatment to one that can be managed in the outpatient setting with oral agents. Prior to coming to Moffitt in 2003, List was a professor of Medicine at the University of Arizona, Tucson, where he served as the director of the Leukemia and Blood and Marrow Transplant Program and the Division of Transitional/Clinical Research Program. He is a member of the Myelodysplastic Syndrome Foundation Board of Directors and the President-elect (2017-18) for the Society of Hematologic Oncology. List is also an active member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology; American Society of Hematology; American Association for Cancer Research; International Society for Experimental Hematology; J.P. McCarthy Foundation Medical Advisory Committee; and the Southwestern Oncology Group. He lectures nationally and internationally and has received several awards for his seminal contributions in the treatment of cancer. List is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and holds 17 U.S. patents.

Luther George Simjian

Founder
Reflectone Inc.

1905-1997

200+ U.S. Patents

Luther G. Simjian was a prolific inventor and pioneer in the concept of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs). He is also recognized for his many accomplishments including the development of the Optical Range Estimation Trainer used during WWII, which became the standard for simulation defense training, as well as his numerous inventions that have advanced technology throughout Florida theme parks. Simjian was born to Armenian parents in Turkey and in 1915, during the infamous Armenian Genocide, he was separated from his family. He arrived in the United States in 1921 and was later admitted into the Yale School of Medicine. Simjian accepted a work-study position in the medical school’s photography lab, quickly discovering that medicine was not his passion, he decided to pursue photography. During his tenure, he became the first director of the medical school’s photography department and soon invented a way to project microscopic images and photograph organisms underwater. Simjian moved to New York In 1934, where he invented the colorized X-ray machine and the self-posing camera. In 1939, he founded Reflectone Inc. to develop and manufacture his inventions. During World War II, Reflectone sold more than 2,000 Optical Range Estimation Trainers to the Department of Defense to aid in war efforts. In 1979, Simjian moved Reflectone from Connecticut to Tampa, Florida and it was purchased by CAE USA Inc. in 2001. The company remains in business today, making full-flight simulators for military aircraft, as well as providing training services. Over the years, Simjian never stopped inventing, designing a supersonic exploring device for the ultrasound procedures used in hospitals, a method for tenderizing meat, and a remotely controlled postage meter. In March of 2000, he received his last patent post mortem for creating a process to improve the resonance of wood used for musical instruments. Simjian passed away at the age of 92, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He is a named inventor on more than 200 U.S. patents.