Rebecca Richards-Kortum included in the National Inventors Hall of Fame 2019 Class of Inductees
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| Rebecca Richard-Kortum |
The National Inventors Hall of Fame announced their 2019 Class of Inductees 9 January. The class of 19 groundbreaking inventors will be honored and celebrated at the 47th Annual Induction Ceremony 2 May in Washington DC. This year’s class includes SPIE Fellow Rebecca Richard-Kortum the Malcolm Gillis University Professor at Rice University, a professor of bioengineering, and the director of the Rice 360º Institute for Global Health.
The National Inventors Hall of Fame honors inventors and invention, celebrating the rich, innovative history of the United States, and seeks to advance the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. Inductees hold a United States patent that has contributed significantly to the nation’s welfare and the advancement of science and useful arts. Richards-Kortum will be inducted for developing low-cost, high-performance medical technologies for poor communities where standard medical equipment is not an option. The devices include the Pumani CPAP system for newborns with breathing problems; BiliSpec, a tool that measures bilirubin to detect jaundice; and DoseRight, for accurate dosing of children’s liquid medication.
Richards-Kortum is a much-honored bioengineer and global health pioneer, recently named a US science envoy, and most notably winning a coveted "genius grant" from the MacArthur Foundation in 2016. She is a fellow of many research organizations including SPIE, who awarded her the rank of Fellow in 2017. She was recognized for achievements in biophotonics and global health as well as her countless contributions to the Society, including publishing dozens of articles and proceedings, and serving as session and conference chair at events.
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