Leader in Edge AI Named National Academy of Inventors Fellow

Junshan Zhang, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of California, Davis, has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, or NAI, the organization announced on December 10, 2024. The NAI Fellowship is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors.

Zhang is a leader in edge artificial intelligence who develops data-driven technology innovations for various Artificial Intelligence of Things applications, including connected and automated vehicles, 5G networks and beyond and the smart grid.

"Becoming an NAI Fellow is an incredible honor for me," he said. "It's a testament to my lab's research on bridging theory and practice and our team's collective efforts that aim to deliver societal impact through research and creativity."

Zhang joins 169 other esteemed inventors in the cohort of 2024 NAI Fellows, which represents 39 U.S. states and 12 countries. Of the cohort, 43% identify as underrepresented inventors.

From winners of the Nobel Prize, U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation and National Medal of Science, this year's group of fellows consists of individuals who are both exceptional researchers and incredible inventors who collectively hold over 5,000 issued U.S. patents and whose innovations are making significant tangible societal and economic impacts today and will well into the future.

"Each of these individuals are tackling real-world issues and creating solutions that propel us into the future," said Paul Sanberg, president of the NAI. "NAI Fellows as a whole are a driving force of innovation, generating crucial advancements across scientific disciplines and creating tangible impacts as they move their technologies from lab to marketplace."

The 2024 Class of Fellows will be honored and presented with their medals by a senior official of the United States Patent and Trademark Office at the NAI 14th Annual Meeting on June 26, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia.