College celebrates researchers chalking up patents
Engineering and Tech Launch Arizona honor faculty whose work is generating life-saving and life-changing technology – from safer mining operations to better cardiac monitoring.
Craig M. Berge Dean of the College of Engineering David W. Hahn captures the spirit of the luncheon, saying. ‘It’s not just the numbers. It’s the impact – the students we mentor, the innovations we create and the companies that grow from these patents. This room is the epicenter of that.’
Almost 20% of University of Arizona patents – a critical step on the path to commercialization – originate in the College of Engineering. Recognizing 14 inventors whose progress in 2025 is moving toward transforming discovery into advancement, the college and Tech Launch Arizona hosted the fifth annual Patent Medallion Luncheon at the Arizona Sands Club on March 18.
“Patents sit at the center of what we do,” said Doug Hockstad, associate vice president of Tech Launch Arizona, the unit of the Office for Research & Partnerships. “They represent both the value of the discovery and the starting point for bringing it to market.”
Record-breaking year
Many of those honored are fellows with the National Academy of Inventors, which in 2025 ranked the U of A at 31 globally and 23 nationally among the academy’s top 100 patent-producing universities, a significant leap from 51 and 34 in 2024.
Patents were not the only numbers on the rise. At $57.5 million in expenditures, the college marked a 28% year-over-year increase in fiscal year 2026.
“These resources allow us to support students, develop ideas and turn research into something tangible,” said Mark Van Dyke, associate dean for research and professor of biomedical engineering. “The outcomes are careers launched, companies formed and technologies that make a difference.”
Diminishing mine tailings dust
All the patents were far reaching and many showed potential for multiple applications.
For example, Minkyu Kim, associate professor of biomedical engineering and materials science and engineering, accepted two medallions, one of which involves technology to improve dust control in construction zones, along traffic routes, in manufacturing, and, importantly, at mining sites.
To prevent hazardous mine tailings dust from dispersing into surrounding communities, traditional methods of control use massive amounts of water, contain chemical suppressants that can cause surface contamination, and are apt to fall short in their effectiveness controlling fine silica known to contribute to lung disease.
“Water is commonly used to suppress dust,” Kim said. “But in arid regions like Arizona, it evaporates quickly, making the effect short-lived.”
Each day, a large mine generating 200,000 tons of tailings from mineral extraction can consume hundreds of thousands, even millions, of gallons of water.
Adding a liquid polymer to water, Kim has developed an alternative that stays active for weeks before requiring reapplication.
“The simple concept uses biocompatible materials to keep the surface lightly wet and particles bound, without becoming muddy or brittle,” he explained.
Cardiac, sleep monitoring with AI
Two electrical and computer engineering faculty members – Janet Roveda, Litton Industries John M. Leonis Distinguished Professor as well as a professor in biomedical engineering, and Ao Li, assistant research professor – received medallions for their single-lead electrocardiogram system that uses deep-learning artificial intelligence instead of complex clinical equipment to detect brief disruptions in brain activity, which signal cardiovascular conditions and sleep disorders.
The technology can be integrated into existing patient monitors and wearable devices. It has the potential to expand access to sleep and cardiac diagnostics, particularly in home settings. While there are some at-home sleep testing systems on the market, they are limited in detecting arousal events critical to diagnosing conditions like sleep apnea.
“Sleep arousals are closely tied to sleep quality and can also play a role in identifying breathing-related sleep events,” Li explained. “AI enables our system to learn subtle patterns directly from ECG data and model relationships over time, making this approach both powerful and scalable.”
Patent Medallion recipients run the gamut
Below is a full list of faculty members who received medallions for their 2025 patents.
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Peiwen Li – High Temperature Fuel Cell System; Electrochemical Hydrogen Compressor
Jekan Thanga – Satellite System with Orbital Debris Avoidance
Leonard Vance – Satellite System with Orbital Debris Avoidance
Biomedical Engineering
Ali Bilgin – MRI Streak Artifact Suppression System
Minkyu Kim – Dust Control Using a Liquid Polymer; Antimicrobial Biopolymer Compositions
Marvin Slepian – Dual Lumen Cannula System; Pulsatile Ventricular Assist Device
Urs Utzinger – Falloposcope for Ovarian Cancer Detection
Civil Engineering
Hamid Saadatmanesh – Carbon Fiber Bone Repair System
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Ali Akoglu – HiLITE Power Optimization for Embedded SoCs
Ao Li – Neural-Network Based Electrocardiography Monitor
Janet Roveda – Neural-Network Based Electrocardiography Monitor; Haptic and Auditory Feedback Device
Materials Science and Engineering
Douglas Loy – Bridged Polysilsesquioxane-Based Sunscreens
Systems and Industrial Engineering
Roberto Furfaro and Brian Gaudet – Line of Sight Bias for Missile Guidance