Samuel Prien, a professor in the Department of Animal & Food Sciences, was named one of 66 academic inventors elected to the National Academy of Inventors' (NAI) inaugural class of Senior Members today (Feb. 11).

NAI Senior Members are active faculty, scientists and administrators from NAI member institutions with success in patents, licensing and commercialization. They have produced technologies that have brought, or aspire to bring, real impact on the welfare of society.

Prien, who also has a joint appointment at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center's School of Medicine, currently holds four U.S. patents, 20 international patents and three copyrights, with others pending. Many of these patents have been licensed and are progressing toward commercialization. His first U.S. patent was for a method of collecting and preserving semen, which was Texas Tech's first patent focused on reproductive science.

"I'm very honored and humbled by this recognition, but this award is not mine alone as I have had countless students assist me with my work," Prien said. "I came up with the crazy ideas, and they got to make it work."

Prien's inventions have advanced the practice of animal reproduction technology to the profound improvement of ranching and farming throughout the world, said Robert Duncan, Texas Tech President's Distinguished Chair in Physics, who nominated Prien.

"Texas Tech is a wonderfully inventive university, as evidenced by big national recognitions like this of our top faculty," Duncan said.

Senior Members also foster a spirit of innovation within their communities through enhancing an inventive atmosphere at their institutions while educating and mentoring the next generation of inventors.

This inaugural class of NAI Senior Members represents 37 U.S. research universities and government and nonprofit research institutes. They are named inventors on more than 1,100 issued U.S. patents. CASNR leaders noted that Mindy Brashears, professor of food microbiology and food safety in the Department of Animal & Food Sciences, was elected a NAI Fellow in 2016.

Senior Members undergo a two-step selection process, including internal NAI review and consideration by the Advisory Committee. The committee comprises elected NAI members and other professionals considered pioneers in their respective field.

CONTACT: William Brown, Dean, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or william.f.brown@ttu.edu

0218NM19 / Editor's Note: For full text version of Amanda Bowman's article from the Texas Tech University Office of Marketing and Communications, please click here