One University of Kentucky scientist, renowned for his research on membranes for filtering and producing clean water has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).

Dibakar Bhattacharyya, Ph.D., known as “DB,” is the University of Kentucky Alumni Chair Professor of Chemical and Materials Engineering in the UK Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering and director of the UK Center of Membrane Sciences.

NAI Fellowship is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors and this year’s class is comprised of 170 exceptional individuals. The full list of 2024 Fellows can be found here.

“We are proud to recognize Dr. Dibakar Bhattacharyya as an NAI Fellow. Our office has had the honor of working with Dr. Bhattacharyya for over two decades, an inventor that embodies the talent and abilities of UK researchers. Dr. Bhattacharyya is extremely deserving of this award,” said Matthew Upton, director of Technology Commercialization at UK Innovate. “On behalf of Technology Commercialization, we thank the NAI for this recognition and for Dr. Bhattacharyya’s spirit of innovation and his drive to see his work make a positive impact in society.”

DB has served as an investigator in the University of Kentucky Superfund Research Center (UKSRC) for over 20 years. UKSRC, located in the Pigman College of Engineering, is funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). The NIEHS Superfund Research Program integrates multidisciplinary research, training and community engagement to improve overall health in communities impacted by environmental pollution.

DB’s legacy in UKSRC spurred countless industry connections to develop water and air treatment using membrane separation technologies to safeguard the environment and human health. He is a co-investigator and leads UK’s team for a project on membrane-based separations of gene therapy-related viral vector nanoparticles involving UK, University of Arkansas and Clemson University. The project was originally funded by the National Science Foundation’s EPSCoR Track-2 Program, now known as the Research Infrastructure Improvement-Focused EPSCoR Collaboration Program (RII-FEC).

His commitment to students and training the next generation of innovators is evident by his advising record of graduating 36 Ph.D. students and 57 master’s degree students, many of whom are included on patented inventions.

“I am truly honored by this recognition and am grateful to all my students in my many years here at UK. Their curiosity and passion have sparked so many ideas to research,” said DB. “I must also thank the incredible research community across campus that has both supported and enriched my journey. I am thankful to be part of such a remarkable community of discovery, innovation and learning. I am very fortunate that many graduate and undergraduate students, and faculty collaborator’s technical and experimental contributions made the technical innovations successful.”

DB has been an educator at UK for more than 50 years with a long list of accomplishments and awards. He received the prestigious Alan Michaels Award on Membrane Innovation from the North American Membrane Society in 2023. DB is also the first faculty member to be honored with a Great Teacher Award in three separate decades.

“DB’s contributions to the Pigman College of Engineering are innumerable. We are so proud to see his work recognized — not only for his contributions to this planet but to the many students who’ve come through our college. DB is a visionary and we are thrilled for him,” said Rudolph G. Buchheit, Ph.D., Rebecca Burchett Liebert Dean of the Pigman College of Engineering.

DB will be honored and presented his medal by a senior official of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) at the NAI 14th Annual Meeting on June 26, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia.

The 2024 cohort of Fellows represent 39 U.S. states, 12 countries, and 43% identify as underrepresented inventors. They hail from 135 research universities, governmental and non-profit research institutions worldwide and their work spans across various disciplines.

“This year’s Class of NAI Fellows represents a truly impressive caliber of inventors. Each of these individuals are tackling real-world issues and creating solutions that propel us into the future. Through their work, they are making significant contributions to science, creating lasting societal impact, and growing the economy,” said Paul Sanberg, president of the NAI.

Since its founding in 2012, the NAI Fellows program has grown to include 2,068 exceptional researchers and innovators, who hold over 68,000 U.S. patents and 20,000 licensed technologies. NAI Fellows are known for the societal and economic impact of their inventions, contributing to major advancements in science and consumer technologies.

DB joins five other UK faculty members who have been inducted as NAI Fellows since 2012: Yang-Tse Cheng, Ph.D., and Kunlei Liu, Ph.D., in the College of Engineering, and Joseph Chappell, Ph.D., Linda Dwoskin, Ph.D., and Chang-Guo Zhan, Ph.D., in the College of Pharmacy.

The complete list of NAI Fellows is available here.