Israel Kleinberg, DDS, PhD, DSc, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of Oral Biology and Pathology, and Stanislaus S. Wong, PhD, Distinguished Professor, Department of Chemistry, have been selected as fellows by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) — the highest professional distinction accorded solely to academic inventors.
The NAI Fellows Program highlights academic inventors who have demonstrated a spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society, as stated in NAI’s announcement.
Dr. Kleinberg retired in January 2019 after 45 years of service, leaving a stellar legacy as one of Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine’s founding faculty members and chairs. He established the Department of Oral Biology and Pathology, which thrived under his leadership, and was also Director of the Division of Translational Oral Biology in the School of Dental Medicine.
Through innovative translational research and pioneering partnerships across the field of oral biology, Dr. Kleinberg developed and helped bring to market multiple products with the potential for the enhancement of human health and wellbeing. Of note, his inventions include Smartmouth™ Mouthwash and BasicBites® soft chews, both dentifrice products purchased by Colgate®, and the Ortek Electronic Caries Detector, an FDA-approved device for the early detection of caries.
Dr. Wong has founded new approaches for the synthesis of metal oxide nanomaterials, novel strategies for adding chemical functionalities to carbon nanotubes, and innovative environmentally friendly solvents and processes. With $8 million in research funding, he has produced over 170 publications with 20,000 citations and 20 patents. Across his career he has fostered collaboration with Brookhaven National Laboratory.
“Professor Stan Wong’s work is characterized by impressive productivity and creativity,” said Nicole S. Sampson, Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Distinguished Professor of Chemistry. “His inventions in the functionalization of carbon nanotubes, the synthesis of new multi-metallic metal oxide nanostructures, and the preparation of metal nanowires have enabled delivery of tailored ‘nano’ materials useful in energy storage, solar energy harvesting, catalysis, magnetism, and medical diagnostics and to further the development of innovative carbon nanotube enhanced products in industries such as aerospace, automotive, industrial, marine, and sports. Warm congratulations to Stan on his well-deserved recognition.”
A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Royal Society of Chemistry, Dr. Wong has received the American Chemical Society Inorganic Award, a Sloan Fellowship, the Buck-Whitney Award, and a National Science Foundation CAREER Award. In 2018 SUNY granted him the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities and in 2019, he was named a SUNY Distinguished Professor.
To date, NAI fellows hold more than 41,500 issued U.S. patents, which have generated over 11,000 licensed technologies and companies, and created more than 36 million jobs. In addition, over $1.6 trillion in revenue has been generated based on NAI fellow discoveries.
The NAI Fellows Induction Ceremony will be held on April 10, 2020, in Phoenix, AZ.
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