Professors join global cohort of inventors advancing real-world technologies
(JACKSON, Miss.) — Two Jackson State University professors have been named as 2026 Senior Members of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Shan Yang, Ph.D., and Yongfeng Zhao, Ph.D., are among 230 inductees chosen for this year’s class – the program’s largest cohort to date.
“We are proud of our colleagues who have earned this distinguished honor as NAI Senior Members. We’re cultivating an environment at Jackson State where thinkers and innovators are translating breakthrough research and ideas into inventions and technologies that directly benefit communities,” said Almesha Campbell, Ph.D., vice president for research and economic development at Jackson State.
NAI Senior Members represent faculty, scientists and administrators who have demonstrated success in patents, licensing and commercialization, and the societal impact of their work. Yang and Zhao join a list of other JSU faculty members who have been recognized by the academy. In 2024, JSU, a charter NAI member, received the academy’s Founder Award, becoming the first HBCU and Mississippi institution to receive the distinguished honor.
Yang, an associate professor, patented a tool designed to detect early-stage tooth decay. The implications could mean earlier interventions for dental care, an outcome that could be critical for Mississippi which ranked last in a recent report that compared states across key indicators of dental wellness.
“It is an incredible honor to be elected into the academy and bridge research with innovation to create solutions that have real-world impact, for example, enabling the early detection of dental caries to help patients avoid advanced treatments such as drilling and filling,” Yang said.
Zhao, an associate professor, holds a patent for a method that produces water-dispersible magnetic nanomaterials directly. The new process allows more precise biomedical imaging and other uses, such as allowing timed-release dosages of medications while easing side effects and minimizing damage to healthy cells.
“This technology can lead to better patient outcomes. It’s exciting to see ideas go beyond the lab and become technologies that can make a lasting difference,” Zhao said. “I’m grateful for a collaborative research community and strong support from my colleagues to pursue these ambitious ideas that address societal needs.”
Both Yang and Zhao are a part of the National Institute of Health’s REACH Program and the U.S. National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program that provide support to help commercialize researchers’ inventions. As NAI Senior Members, they will join the current 945 Senior Members who collectively hold more than 11,000 U.S. patents. A full list of the 2026 Class of Senior Members is available here.
This year’s inductees will be honored on June 3 during a ceremony at NAI’s annual conference in Los Angeles, California.
About Jackson State University
Jackson State University, founded in 1877, is a historically Black, doctoral university classified R2 by the Carnegie Classification for its substantial research activity and doctoral degree production. Jackson State’s nurturing academic environment challenges individuals to change lives through teaching, research and service. Officially designated as Mississippi’s Urban University, Jackson State continues to enhance the state, nation and world through comprehensive economic development, healthcare, technological and educational initiatives. The only public university in metropolitan Jackson, Jackson State is located near downtown and has four satellite locations throughout the area. For more information, visit www.jsums.edu.
About the National Academy of Inventors
The National Academy of Inventors is a member organization comprising U.S. and international universities, governmental and non-profit research institutes, with over 4,000 individual inventor members and Fellows spanning more than 250 institutions worldwide. It was founded to recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students, and translate the inventions of its members to benefit society.
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