Vilupanur Ravi, professor of chemical and materials engineering, was recently elected a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. Selection as an academy fellow is the highest professional distinction for inventors and innovators from academic institutions.

Ravi holds 15 U.S. patents, several international patents, and several U.S. and international patent applications. His pioneering research has resulted in the creation of new materials and devices, and unique ways to test the corrosion resistance of materials.

That work has impacted the development of metal-based composites that have are lightweight, strong and resistant to wear with applications in the automotive industry; ceramic-based composites that don’t fracture easily and are resistant to high temperatures, with applications in aerospace; and lightweight, coated structures with applications in a broad range of industries including glass handling. He has also contributed to the development of thermoelectric devices that convert heat into electrical energy for space applications. He has developed methods to safely test metallic alloys at high temperatures.

At Cal Poly Pomona, Ravi is working with graduate and undergraduate students on projects to make advancements in solar thermal energy conversion; materials in fuel cells; methods to slow the corrosion of materials for nuclear applications; corrosion of additively manufactured metals and high entropy alloys’ and advanced alloys for medical implants. He is also leading projects for the development of advanced protective coatings for metals.

The National Academy of Inventors is a nonprofit membership organization with more than 4,000 individual members worldwide. With the election of the 2020 class, the NAI program now has 1,403 fellows across the globe, representing more than 250 universities and governmental and nonprofit research institutes. According to the academy, the fellows hold more than 42,700 issued U.S. patents, which have generated 13,000 licensed technologies, 2,300 companies, $2.2 trillion in revenue and more than 36 million jobs.

The 2020 fellows will be inducted June 8, as part of the 10th National Academy of Inventors conference in Tampa, Florida.