VCUarts Qatar Professor Inducted Into the Prestigious National Academy of Inventors

Dr. Khaled Saoud, Professor of Physics, Liberal Arts & Sciences, VCUarts Qatar, has been inducted into the prestigious National Academy of Inventors (NAI), in the US. 

Dr. Saoud was one of the 22 Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) researchers, spanning a range of disciplines, to be inducted into the organization’s university chapter. 

The NAI was founded in 2010 to recognize inventors who hold U.S. patents and enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation. The NAI includes more than 4,600 worldwide members.

“It speaks volumes of what the institution is doing to have so many people inducted into [NAI] membership,” Dr. P. Srirama Rao, VCU’s Vice President for Research and Innovation, said during the ceremony held on April 25. “Over the last few years, VCU has proven to be a research powerhouse. The unstoppable knowledge creation and the transformative innovation being carried out here is felt locally, nationally, and globally.”

Dr. Saoud’s research has led to three patents, with another three under process, across various specializations including the application of nanomaterials in reducing toxic gases, combating vitamin D deficiency, and creating a new process to develop a resin for visible light 3D printing. 

An alumnus of VCU, Richmond, Dr. Saoud graduated with a Ph.D. in Chemical Physics from the Richmond campus in 2005 and has been a faculty member at VCUarts Qatar since 2008. 

Sharing his thoughts on the honor of being inducted into the NIA, Dr. Saoud said, “As a child, I was always curious. I loved to invent toys that my friends enjoyed playing with. Hence, decades later, to be inducted into the National Academy of Inventors is a professional distinction and honor.  

“As a faculty, researcher, and inventor who worked for over two decades on material science and nanotechnology, I am particularly proud of the work that I have done in addressing environmental and health concerns. 

“An alumnus of the renowned Richmond campus and now as a faculty at VCUarts Qatar, I always considered the link between the two campuses.

“I want to thank VCUarts Qatar’s community for their endless support and encouragement to make this happen. This honor will continue to add to my passion for inspiring my students and the next generation of scientists in Qatar.”

Images courtesy – TechTransfer and Ventures, VCU, Richmond.