JSU is now the first HBCU and first MS institution to receive this award. See what it is

Jackson State University became the first HBCU and the first institution in Mississippi to receive the prestigious Founders Award from the National Academy of Inventors.

The Academy announced award recipients on July 17 for multiple categories including the Founders Award, which honors institutions that contribute to NAI’s success and impact while demonstrating a commitment to innovation.

“This recognition further underscores our dedication to academic excellence, economic development, and societal progress. It is a significant milestone not just for JSU, but for all Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the state of Mississippi,” President Marcus L. Thompson said in a July 22 press release.

JSU became a charter member of the National Academy of Inventors in 2011. The academy inducted multiple professors starting in 2012 with Ernest Izevbigie, who invented Veronica "amygdalina," a Nigerian herbal shrub formula.

Izevbigie and JSU teamed up to found the company EduBotanics, marketing dietary supplements to mitigate the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. In 2017, Kamal Ali helped invent the Hardware in Loop Simulator for autopilots, earning Academy membership. And in 2019, Danuta Leszczynska was inducted for inventing a technology to eliminate infection in patients whose artificial implants have started chipping.

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JSU Professor Felix Okojie also served on the NAI Board of Directors  from 2013-2014.

“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,” said Almesha Campbell, assistant vice president of JSU’s Division of Research and Economic Development.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: JSU is now the first HBCU and first MS institution to receive this award. See what it is