Paul Egan has been named the 2025 Emerging Inventor of the Year

Paul Egan, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas Tech University, has been named the 2025 Emerging Inventor of the Year, recognizing his work in translating scientific research into real-world applications through patenting and entrepreneurship.

Egan leads the Medicine, Mechanics, and Manufacturing Design (M3D) Lab, which utilizes advanced 3D printing processes to develop medical innovations. His team’s research spans a wide range of applications, including bone tissue engineering, mechanically efficient prosthetics, and personalized nutrition.

Through the engineering design process, Egan focuses on creating technologies that improve human health. His research has led to the formation of several startups through the Texas Tech Innovation Hub, developing technologies in medical education, pharmaceutical compliance, and surgical devices. Each startup is based on patent-pending inventions filed with the university.

Egan continues to collaborate with his co-founders and Texas Tech to advance these medical technologies, which are poised to launch as products aimed at improving patients’ lives through enhanced healthcare devices and services.