Five University of Texas at Arlington faculty members have been named Senior Members of the National Academy of Inventors, recognizing their outstanding achievements in innovation.
The inductees are Brian H. Dennis, Nicholas Gans and Liping Ting from the College of Engineering, and Frederick M. MacDonnell and Charles Phillip Shelor from the College of Science.
National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Senior Members are active faculty, scientists and administrators who have demonstrated success in patents, licensing and commercialization—and whose innovations have made a tangible impact on society.
“This prestigious recognition highlights UTA’s role as a premier destination for elite scholars who transform bold ideas into real-world solutions,” said Kate Miller, UTA’s vice president for research and innovation. “These outstanding faculty members represent the strength of our innovation ecosystem, where academic breakthroughs are empowered to move beyond the lab to the global marketplace.”
The 2026 class of Senior Members will be honored during the Senior Member Induction Ceremony at NAI’s 15th Annual Conference, June 1-4 in Los Angeles.
Meet UTA’s newest NAI Senior Members:
Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering
Dr. Dennis was recognized for his research on alternative energy and chemical synthesis that has led to patented technologies and industry partnerships.
His work focuses on designing chemical reactors and processes that convert alternative feedstocks—such as natural gas, biomass and carbon dioxide—into fuels and other valuable products. He said the honor reflects the collaborative efforts of the students, colleagues and industry partners he works with and highlights the importance of translating academic research into real-world solutions.
Through both his research and teaching, he encourages students to move beyond theoretical modeling and pursue hands-on innovation that can bring new technologies from the lab into practical use.
“This designation means a lot because it hints that what we’re building might have a life outside the University and shows students that their ideas can become something tangible,” he said.
Associate Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, College of Engineering
Principal Research Scientist and head of the Automation and Intelligent Systems (AIS) Division, UTARI
For Dr. Gans, being named a Senior Member reflects years of research focused on practical applications.
At UTARI, he leads the AIS Division in advancing next-generation autonomous and intelligent systems, with research spanning robotics, nonlinear and adaptive control, computer vision and machine learning.
He has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed conference and journal publications and holds four patents in these areas, with applications in safe cooperative robotics, vision-based estimation and control algorithms, and distributed control of multiple autonomous vehicles.
His contributions have been recognized with several honors, including the Kazuo Tanie Award at the 2025 IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication, the ACM Transactions on Embedded Computing Systems Best Paper Award (2019), and finalist recognition for Best Paper at the IEEE Conference on Automation Science and Engineering (2021).
Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Science
Dr. MacDonnell has earned several patents for developing catalysts—materials that speed up chemical reactions—and for creating new catalytic processes used to produce fuels.
His work includes methods for converting natural gas or coal into liquid hydrocarbons, as well as for producing synthesis gas or hydrogen.
“Many of these same processes could be used to convert green hydrogen and carbon dioxide into liquid transportation fuels such as diesel or methanol, which could help create carbon-neutral fuels that do not add extra carbon dioxide to the atmosphere,” MacDonnell said.
MacDonnell also holds patents on metal-based anticancer drugs and on catalytic processes used to make everyday chemicals, including aluminum chlorohydrate, which helps purify water in municipal water systems.
Assistant Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Science
Dr. Shelor, a UTA alumnus, has developed several technologies that improve the precision and reliability of chemical testing and separation methods.
His work includes creating buffers that evaporate in a controlled way, designing a long-lasting electrochemical detector, and improving techniques for measuring very weak acids.
Shelor’s advances improve quality control for biopharmaceuticals, enhance environmental and biological analysis, and make chemical analysis methods more compatible with mass spectrometry.
The Jostens Professor of Bioengineering, School of Engineering
Dr. Tang said the recognition reflects years of work focused on turning complex scientific ideas into tangible solutions, much of which has resulted in patented technologies designed to address pressing health challenges.
“My work at UTA has centered on transforming complex science into technologies that can leave the lab and solve real medical problems,” he said.
His research focuses on translational medicine, developing tools and devices clinicians can use in practice. Current projects include technologies to treat shoulder injuries, systems that detect infections and monitor patient responses to treatment in real time, and engineered laboratory models designed to improve the safety and performance of intraocular implants.
Among the innovations he is most proud of is a device known as a “cancer trap,” designed to intercept metastatic cancer cells as they circulate through the body. His team has also developed a nanoparticle-based treatment for osteoarthritis that encourages the body’s own stem cells to repair damaged joints.
For Tang, the honor also reflects the work of his students.
“While my name may be on the certificate, this recognition belongs to my students,” he said. “Seeing their dedication to research lead to this level of national recognition is incredibly rewarding.”
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of Dallas-Fort Worth. With a student body of over 42,700, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation’s top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 280,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.