Jackson State University Makes History As First HBCU To Receive Prestigious Award For Promoting Innovation And Invention

July 26, 2024
JSU received the National Academy of Inventor’s Founder’s Award for promoting innovation and invention.
Jackson State University is the first HBCU to receive recognition from the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). 
The NAI is a nonprofit that promotes academic inventors. Established at the University of South Florida in 2010, the NAI has inducted 757 Fellows since 2012. To qualify as a Fellow, one must be named an inventor on at least one U.S. patent.
Upon earning the Founder’s Award from NAI, JSU became the first Mississippi school to receive the honor. It is presented to institutions that contribute to the organization’s “success by enhancing its reach, promoting access, diversity and a commitment to innovation and invention.” After becoming an NAI charter member in February 2011, JSU has inducted several faculty members as fellows. 
The first, Ernest Izevbigie, was inducted in 2012 after earning two patents and research that ultimately led to the formation of EdoBotanics, a company launched by JSU that sells dietary supplements to help boost immune systems and helps cancer patients manage chemotherapy and radiation side effects. Other inductees include 2017 fellow Kamal Ali, a computer engineering and electrical professor, and Danuta Leszczynska, who was inducted for a 2018 medical patent for technology that eliminates inflammation and infection in patients when their artificial implants begin to chip and become brittle.
“This recognition further underscores our dedication to academic excellence, economic development, and societal progress,” said JSU President Marcus Thompson. “It is a significant milestone not just for JSU, but for all Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the state of Mississippi.”
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With more than 4,600 members and 260 institutions, NAI continues to celebrate individuals and schools like JSU who are committed to using technology to improve the world. Almesha Campbell, JSU’s Division of Research and Economic Development assistant vice president, accepted the Founder’s Award on behalf of the school. She has been an honorary member since 2022, h. However, she has worked with NAI since 2011.
“JSU’s membership in the National Academy of Inventors has been pivotal in fostering innovation and research translation among JSU faculty, empowering them to transform ideas into solutions for societal impact,” she said.
Founded in October 1877, JSU is one of the largest HBCUs in the nation and the fourth-largest university in the state of Mississippi regarding student enrollment. In addition to being a Thurgood Marshall College Fund, member JSU is also classified among “R2: Doctoral Universities- High research activity.” 
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