February 25, 2026
National Academy of Inventors honor recognizes outstanding innovators whose work has real impact on the welfare of society and economic progress.
Associate Professor Praveen Rao has been named a National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Senior Member.
The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has announced the 2026 class of Senior Members, composed of 230 emerging inventors from NAI’s Member Institutions. This year’s class of NAI Senior Members is the largest to date, hailing from 82 NAI Member Institutions across the globe and collectively holding over 2,000 U.S. patents.
Rao is an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and has a courtesy appointment in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering. His research interests are in the areas of scalable AI, big data systems, data science, health informatics and cybersecurity. Specifically, he focuses on developing scalable algorithms and software systems to handle data-intensive and AI workloads as well as applying AI techniques for health care and cybersecurity.
“Being selected as an NAI Senior Member is deeply meaningful to me,” Rao said. “Innovation begins when you identify a good problem. I’m fortunate to have worked with dedicated colleagues on research in my career that can drive technological progress and positively impact society. I am especially excited about the work I led at the Air Force Research Laboratory that resulted in two awarded U.S. patents.”
Rao will be formally honored during the Senior Member Induction Ceremony at NAI’s 15th Annual Conference, June 1-4 in Los Angeles.
The Senior Member recognition program was launched in 2018 to recognize active faculty, scientists and administrators at NAI Member Institutions who have successfully produced, patented and commercialized technologies that have brought, or aspire to bring real impact on the welfare of society and economic progress.
“This year’s Senior Member Class is a truly impressive cohort. These innovators come from a variety of fields and disciplines, translating their technologies into tangible impact,” said Paul R. Sanberg, FNAI, President of NAI. “I commend them on their incredible pursuits, and I’m honored to welcome them to the Academy.”