2/26/2026 Jeni Bushman
Two faculty members from The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have been named Senior Members by the National Academy of Inventors. Hyunjoon Kong, the Robert W. Schaefer Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Xing Wang, associate professor of bionengineering, were named Thursday to the 2026 class, which includes 231 emerging inventors from NAI’s Member Institutions.
Written by Jeni Bushman
Two faculty members from The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have been named Senior Members by the National Academy of Inventors.
Hyunjoon Kong, the Robert W. Schaefer Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Xing Wang, associate professor of bionengineering, were named Thursday to the 2026 class, which includes 231 emerging inventors from NAI’s Member Institutions.
Wang is recognized for his work in pioneering and patenting the concept of pattern recognition-enabled multivalent molecular interactions, and for developing designer DNA nanostructure-enabled “plug-and-play” platform technologies including the DNA Star, DNA Net, DNA NanoGripper, and Spatially Patterned Hybrid Aptamers. These technologies have implications for advanced disease diagnostics and targeted precision therapeutics and hold significant promise for improving healthcare outcomes in humans and animals. Wang’s nomination is supported by a strong track record of intellectual property generation and technology translation in nucleic acid engineering and DNA nanotechnology.
Kong’s research develops active hybrid material systems—including self-propelling and stimulus-responsive colloids and hydrogel systems—used for biofilm infection and fouling control, in vitro tissue model assembly, and cell therapies of vascular and brain diseases. He has licensed some of these technologies. Kong also holds several patents, including a 3D printed gel patch for guiding vascular regeneration, a patch for targeted delivery of oncogenic cargo to a specified tissue, and a process for producing polymer-stabilized antioxidant crystals.
The Senior Member recognition program was created in 2018 to recognize active faculty, scientists and administrators who have successfully produced, patented and commercialized technologies intended to impact the welfare of society and economic progress. According to NAI, they are “rising stars who foster a spirit of innovation within their communities and institutions while educating and mentoring the next generation of inventors.”
“I am humbled and honored to be selected as an NAI Senior Member,” Wang said. “This recognition reflects the collective efforts of my dedicated and motivated students and postdocs, as well as my excellent collaborators, whose contributions make translational innovation possible. It also reinforces my continuous commitment to training the next generation of inventors, generating academic innovation and translating fundamental discoveries into technologies and practical solutions that benefit society.”
This year’s cohort joins an existing network of 715 Senior Members, who collectively hold over 11,000 U.S. patents and represent more than 100 NAI Member Institutions worldwide. To be considered, potential candidates must be in professional practice or research in their current field for at least five years; affiliated with an active NAI Member Institution; and demonstrate a high degree of innovation by holding at least one issued U.S. patent.
The 2026 class of Senior Members is the largest in NAI history, representing 82 NAI Member Institutions around the world. They will be honored during the Senior Member Induction Ceremony at NAI’s 15th annual conference, taking place June 1-4 in Los Angeles.
Illinois Grainger Engineering Affiliations
Xing Wang is an Illinois Grainger Engineering associate professor in the Department of Bioengineering. He is also affiliated with the Holonyak Micro and Nanotechnology Lab, the Department of Chemistry, the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, and the Cancer Center at Illinois.
Hyunjoon Kong is a Robert W. Schafer Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He is also affiliated with the Department of Bioengineering and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology.