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September 16, 2026
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Download official Extensions PDFReturn to issue contextHON. KATHY CASTOR
of florida
in the house of representatives
Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, as our Nation commemorates the 250th anniversary of its founding, I rise today to honor the ten inventors selected as the 2026 Inductees to the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame. The 2026 Inductees are inventors who were nominated by their peers nationwide and evaluated through the rigorous review of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame Selection Committee. They are being recognized for innovations that significantly impact the quality of life, economic development, and welfare of their communities, the residents of Florida and the United States.
University of South Florida and formally recognized by the Florida Senate through Senate Joint Resolution 1756, adopted on April 30, 2014. As our Nation marks 250 years of independence, the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame carries that spirit of ingenuity forward by catalyzing the cycle of discovery and innovation across the state of Florida by recognizing pioneering inventors, empowering future problem-solvers and changemakers, and propelling the American legacy of innovation through transformative experiences and meaningful storytelling.
Florida inventors, living or deceased, who are or have been residents of Florida. Nominees must be named inventors on a patent issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and their inventions must have made a significant impact on society through commercialization, utilization, or the innovations they inspired.
of Inductees whose inventions have helped shape the American story. Their achievements underscore the critical role that innovation has played in driving progress for two and a half centuries, strengthening our economy and enhancing our Nation's global competitiveness. The 2026 Inductees collectively hold more than 300 United States patents, representing industry, academia, technology and medical/health institutions. Since its founding, the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame has inducted 96 inventors, who collectively hold over 6,000 United States patents.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my neighbors in Tampa Bay and the residents of Florida, I am proud to honor the 2026 Inductees to the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame for this outstanding achievement. As the United States marks 250 years since its founding, innovation remains at the heart of the American story, and Florida continues to help write its next chapter. I applaud these accomplished inventors, and the institutions and communities that support them, for their tireless pursuit of discoveries that improve lives and expand what is possible. It is because of the vision and perseverance of inventors like these that future generations will be encouraged to reach beyond their limits and extend the boundaries of innovation.
I include in the Record the following list of 2026 Inductees:
Reza Abdolvand: Professor and Chair of the Department of
Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of
Central Florida, who is recognized for significant
contributions to MEMS-based timing and sensing technologies
that power high-speed communications, 5G networks, and
connected devices, enabling the infrastructure of the modern
digital world.
Clara Rivero Baleine: Lockheed Martin Fellow at Lockheed
Martin Missiles and Fire Control, who is recognized for
breakthrough developments to gradient refractive index
optical materials and metamaterial coatings that transformed
infrared sensing systems, enabling compact, high-performance
technologies across defense and advanced photonics
applications.
Ni-Bin Chang: Professor of Environmental Systems
Engineering, and Director of the Stormwater Management
Academy at the University of Central Florida, who is
recognized for the groundbreaking development of green
sorption media, and advancing sustainable water treatment
technologies that remove contaminants, improve water quality,
and enable scalable environmental solutions across
infrastructure systems.
Mark A. Frankie: Chief of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery at
Florida Orthopaedic Institute, and Clinical Professor at the
University of South Florida's Morsani College of Medicine,
who is recognized for revolutionizing shoulder joint
arthroplasty through reverse prosthesis design, restoring
function for hundreds of thousands of patients and
transforming orthopedic surgery worldwide.
Patrick Hwu: President and Chief Executive Officer of
Moffitt Cancer Center, and Professor of Oncologic Sciences at
the University of South Florida's Morsani College of
Medicine, who is recognized for pioneering chimeric receptor
gene technologies that enabled CAR T-cell therapies,
transforming cancer treatment and advancing targeted
immunotherapy for patients worldwide.
S.S. Iyengar: Distinguished University Professor, Ryder
Professor, and Director of the United States Army-funded
Center of Excellence in Digital Forensics at Florida
International University, who is recognized for foundational
contributions to sensor fusion and intelligent systems that
power modern computing, advancing critical applications in
national defense, disaster modeling, and healthcare
technologies.
Donald K. Jones: Chief Executive Officer of Empirilon
Technology, LLC, who is recognized for pioneering innovations
in neurovascular and endoscopic medical devices, enabling
minimally invasive procedures that improved patient outcomes
and transformed treatment of stroke and gastrointestinal
disorders worldwide.
Donald B. Keck: Professor at the University of South
Florida's Institute for Advanced Discovery & Innovation, and
former Vice President and Research Director at Corning
Incorporated, who is recognized for the landmark invention of
low-loss optical fiber technologies that revolutionized
global communications, replaced copper transmission systems,
and enabled the high-speed data networks that power today's
interconnected digital world.
Maynard “Mike” Ramsey, III: Chief Executive Officer and
Chief Technology Officer of Cardio Command, Inc., and Founder
of Ramsey Medical, Inc., who is recognized for foundational
advances in patient monitoring technologies that transformed
modern medicine, enabling continuous automatic measurement of
noninvasive blood pressure, improving outcomes in hospitals,
clinics, and home care.
Subrata Roy: Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the
University of Florida, and Founding Director of the Applied
Physics Research Group, and Founder and President of
SurfPlasma, Inc., who is recognized for pioneering
innovations in plasma-based technologies enabling
breakthroughs in aerospace efficiency, sterilization, and
environmental systems) transforming applications in
healthcare, food safety, water treatment, and space
exploration.