Inventor of the Year
Since 1973, the Rochester Intellectual Property Law Association has each year recognized as “Distinguished Inventor of the Year” an individual or team of individuals from the local community for their contributions to the useful arts. Nominations for this award come from the RIPLA membership, in response to a call for nominations published annually in the Fall of the preceding year. The RIPLA Distinguished Inventor of the Year award winners represent a wide cross-section of fields of endeavor – from academia and independent entrepreneurial efforts to fortune 500 corporate research and development organizations. The award winners make up a virtual “who’s who” in innovation in the Rochester area.
Past Recipients of the RIPLA Distinguished Inventor of the Year Award:
2019 Tara Astigarraga and Dr. Michael Kurdziel | See 2019 Inventor of the Year Event Details
Master of Ceremonies: Zosan Soong, Senior Patent Counsel, Xerox
Keynote Speaker: Jude S. Sauer, M.D., President & CEO, LSI Solutions
2018 Bruce Smith, Ph.D. | See 2018 Inventor of the Year Event Details
Master of Ceremonies: Maureen McGuire, Co-anchor of News 8 at WROC-TV Channel 8
Keynote Speaker: Dr. David C. Munson, President, Rochester Institute of Technology
2017 Terry L. Wright | See 2017 Inventor of the Year Event Details
Master of Ceremonies: Mark Cuddy, Artistic Director of Geva Theatre Center
Keynote Speaker: Tom Battley, Executive Director of the Rochester Regional Photonics Cluster and New York Photonics
2016 Dr. Shelby Nelson, Dr. Lee Tutt and Dr. David A. Borkholder | See 2016 Inventor of the Year Details
Master of Ceremonies: Jennifer Johnson, News anchor for 13 WHAM ABC
Keynote Speaker: Richard Notargiacomo, Director, New Ventures and Commercialization at the Venture Creations Incubator, RIT
2015 Dr. Ruola Ning and Dr. Herman Stadfeld | See 2015 Inventor of the Year Details
Master of Ceremonies: Norma Holland, news anchor for 13 WHAM ABC and WUHF Fox Rochester
Keynote Speaker: Robert Duffy, president and CEO, Rochester Business Alliance, and former New York Lieutenant Governor and Rochester Mayor
2014 Dr. Donald S. Rimai
2013 Ervin Goldfain
2012 James E. McGarvey
2011 Dr. Grazyna Kmiecik-Lawrynowicz
2010 Dr. James D. Felske, Dr. James F. Garvey, Dr. John A. Lordi and Dr. Joseph C. Mollendorf
2009 Steven J. Sasson and Gareth A. Lloyd
2008 Paul Contestable, Philip Hosimer and Skip Warren
2007 Dr. Stephen Dertinger, Dorothea Torous, and Dr. Andrew Tometsko
2006 Dr. Robert Rose, Dr. William Bonnez and Dr. Richard Reichman
2005 Dr. John F. Hamilton Jr. and Mr. James E. Adams Jr.
2004 Mr. Fredrick J. Buja
2003 Dr. Jude Sauer
2002 Steven Van Slyke and Ching Tang
2001 Mr. Vernon E. Gleasman
2000 Dr. Joe E. Maskasky
1999 Dr. Robert C. U. Yu
1998 Mr. William C. Atkinson, Mr. Robert P. Cloutier, Mr. Michael L. Wash and Mr. Arthur A. Whitfield
1997 Dr. Santokh S. Badesha
1996 Dr. Derek D. Chapman and Dr. Steven Evans
1995 Dr. Damodar M. Pai, Dr. Milan Stolka and Mr. John F. Yanus
1994 Dr. Porter W. Anderson and Dr. Ronald J. Eby
1993 Dr. Duncan T. Moore
1992 Dr. Klaus Gueldenpfenning
1991 Dr. Robert E. Booms and Dr. James T. Kofron
1990 Dr. Robert J. Gruber
1989 Dr. Ronald J. Weetman
1988 Mr. Matthew J. Russel
1987 Mr. Joseph Mammino
1986 Mr. James D. Rees
1985 Mr. Donald D. Stoltman
1984 Mr. Donald Harvey
1983 Mr. Erwin J. Nunlist
1982 Dr. Arnold Weissberger
1981 Dr. Max M. Boudakian
1980 Mr. John H. Auer, Jr
1979 Dr. Andrew S. Kende
1978 Dr. W. Alan Burris
1977 Dr. Wesley T. Hanson, Jr
1976 Mr. Ernest Wildhaber
1975 Dr. Kenneth Hickman
1974 Mr. Robert W. Gundlach
1973 Dr. John V. Bouyoucos