PowerAmerica CTO Victor Veliadis Named NAI Fellow

Veliadis, who is the Executive Director of PowerAmerica Institute, and a professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State University, has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).

Victor Veliadis, executive director and CTO of PowerAmerica, has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), the organization announced Tuesday, Dec. 10.

NAI Fellowship is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors. This year’s class included 170 exceptional innovators.

“This year’s class of NAI Fellows represents a truly impressive caliber of inventors. Each of these individuals are tackling real-world issues and creating solutions that propel us into the future. Through their work, they are making significant contributions to science, creating lasting societal impact, and growing the economy,” NAI President Paul Sanberg said in a news release. “NAI Fellows as a whole are a driving force of innovation, generating crucial advancements across scientific disciplines and creating tangible impacts as they move their technologies from lab to marketplace.”

The 2024 class of NAI Fellows hail from 39 different states, 12 countries, and 135 research universities or governmental and non-profit research institutions worldwide. These incredible inventors collectively hold over 5,000 issued U.S. patents — and their innovations continue to bring tangible societal benefits and will for many years to come.

Veliadis, who’s also a professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State University, has 27 issued U.S. patents and has published more than 150 peer-reviewed papers. His patent portfolio has been licensed for use in both commercial and military applications — to power long-range weather or aircraft radar systems, for example.

Before joining PowerAmerica, Veliadis spent 21 years in the semiconductor industry, where his work included the design, fabrication, and testing of silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) devices for commercial and military applications, as well as the financial and operations management of a commercial semiconductor fabrication plant.

During his time in industry, Veliadis pioneered several breakthroughs that spurred the commercialization of SiC-powered devices. In 2007, for instance, Veliadis designed and fabricated the world’s largest SiC transistor. Thanks to innovations like those, SiC is gradually replacing its predecessor silicon in power electronic devices. Moreover, this acceleration in the adoption of SiC devices has created jobs, helped onshore chip manufacturing and create a more resilient and secure supply chain, and made significant contributions to national security and global energy savings and sustainability.

Veliadis is an IEEE Fellow and Distinguished lecturer, a Manufacturing USA Modern Maker, and an Associate Editor of the IEEE Open journal on Power Electronics. He holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from John Hopkins University.

About PowerAmerica

PowerAmerica is a member-driven consortium of industry, academia, and national labs — managed by North Carolina State University and headquartered on its Centennial Campus — accelerating the commercialization of energy-efficient silicon carbide and gallium nitride power semiconductor chips and electronics. Founded in 2015 by the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the Manufacturing USA initiative, PowerAmerica’s membership includes forward-thinking entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 companies, and small businesses, as well as industry associations, federal partners, and leading colleges, universities, and research institutes.

About the National Academy of Inventors

The National Academy of Inventors is a member organization comprising U.S. and international universities, and governmental and non-profit research institutes, with over 4,000 individual inventor members and Fellows spanning more than 250 institutions. It was founded in 2010 to recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students, and translate the inventions of its members to benefit society. Inaugurated by the USPTO, the Academy and the USPTO have enjoyed a collaborative partnership. Most recently this has been reflected in their joint mission to expand access to underrepresented individuals and institutions participating in the invention and innovation ecosystem.

Original article from PowerAmerica Institute