Han Named 2023 NAI Fellow for Semiconductors and Nanotechnology Innovations

The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has elected Jung Han, the William A. Norton Professor in Technological Innovation and Chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering, as a 2023 NAI Fellow.

The NAI Fellows Program was established to highlight academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society. Election to NAI Fellow status is the highest professional distinction accorded solely to academic inventors.

Han is a pioneer in the epitaxial science of III-nitride semiconductors and in the synthesis of III-nitride nanostructured and nanoporous mediums for optoelectronic devices. Many of his discoveries have made major impacts on epitaxy-based manufacturing, light emitting diodes, semiconductor lasers, and micro displays. In addition to 400+ scientific publications throughout his career, Professor Han has more than 50 U.S. and international patents, with more than 70% being licensed. His inventions have been licensed to companies such as Seoul Viosys, Epistar, and Mitsubishi Chemicals. He is the co-founder of three Yale-based spin-off startup companies, Saphlux, Ganvix, and InPhred.

Along with his NAI Fellow status, Han is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the Optical Society of America, the Institute of Physics, and the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering. Selected awards include the R&D 100 Award from the Department of Commerce, the MRS Blue Ribbon Paper Award, and the Electronic and Photonic Division Award from the Electrochemical Society.

“This new class, in conjunction with our existing Fellows, are creating innovations that are driving crucial advancements across a variety of disciplines and are stimulating the global and national economy in immeasurable ways as they move these technologies from lab to marketplace,” said Dr. Paul R. Sanberg, FNAI, President of the NAI.

Since its inception in 2012, the NAI Fellows program has grown to include 1,898 exceptional researchers and innovators, who hold over 63,000 U.S. patents and 13,000 licensed technologies. NAI Fellows are known for the societal and economic impact of their inventions, contributing to major advancements in science and consumer technologies. Their innovations have generated over $3 trillion in revenue and generated 1 million jobs. 

Han and the 2023 Fellows will be honored and presented their medals by a senior official of the United States Patent and Trademark Office at the NAI 13th Annual Meeting next June in Raleigh, North Carolina.