On the evening of April 28, UNM Rainforest Innovations (UNMRI) hosted its annual Innovation Awards at the Lobo Rainforest. Celebrating the achievements of University of New Mexico (UNM) faculty, staff, and students who have received issued U.S. patents, trademarks, or copyrights over the past year, this year’s ceremony awarded 48 inventor honorees for their discoveries.
This past year there were 44 U.S. patents issued between March 1, 2025, and February 28, 2026. Of those patents, 32 were from UNM Central Campus, nine patents were from UNM Health Sciences, and three patents were a collaboration between the two.
Our event also recognized an exceptional UNM inventor chosen as the 2026 Rainforest Innovation Fellow, Jean-Claude Diels, PhD, and recognized a 2025 Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), Eric Prossnitz, PhD.
Our keynotes speaker was Barbara Rodríguez, PhD, Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at UNM. Additional speakers at the event included Lisa Kuuttila, CEO & Chief Economic Development Officer at UNM Rainforest Innovations; Sandra (Begay) Keeto, Chair of the UNM Rainforest Innovations Board of Directors; Garnett S. Stokes, PhD, President of The University of New Mexico; Mike Richards, MD, Executive Vice President for Research at UNM Health Sciences Center; Ellen R. Fisher, PhD, Vice President for Research at UNM Main Campus; and lastly, the 2026 Rainforest Innovation Fellow, Jean-Claude Diels, PhD.
Inventor Honorees
The following UNM faculty, staff, and students represent departments and research/clinical inventors from across main campus and health sciences campuses that reflect a strong level of collaboration. They run the gamut from first-time inventors to serial-inventors with multiple issued patents over the years.
Sarah Adams, MD
Alexander Albrecht, PhD
Justin T. Baca, MD, PhD
Ganesh Balakrishnan, PhD
Cristian G. Bologa, PhD
Virginie Bondu
Steven B. Bradfute, PhD
Jeffrey Brinker, PhD
Steven R.J. Brueck, PhD
Tione Buranda, PhD
Tito Busani, PhD
Nick Carroll, PhD
Tybur Q. Casuse-Driovínto, PhD
Francesca Cavallo, PhD
José M. Cerrato, PhD
Minghui Chen, PhD
Christos Christodoulou, PhD
Vojo P. Deretic, PhD
Jean-Claude Diels, PhD
Jeremy S. Edwards, PhD
Daniel Feezell, PhD
Fernando Garzon, PhD
Ricardo González-Pinzón, PhD
Sang M. Han, PhD
Sang Eon Han, PhD
Laurie G. Hudson, PhD
Nathan Jackson, PhD
Gabriel P. López, PhD
Matthew Lakin, PhD
Shuang (Sean) Luan, PhD
Jason T. McConville, PhD
Aaron Neumann, PhD
Alexander Neumann, PhD
Tudor Oprea, MD, PhD
Marek A. Osiński, PhD
Jim Plusquellic, PhD
Divya Prakash, PhD
Eric R. Prossnitz, PhD
Emma J. Renteria, PhD
Rita Serda, PhD
Andrew P. Shreve, PhD
Larry A. Sklar, PhD
Darko Stefanovic, PhD
Robert M. Taylor, PhD
Angela Wandinger-Ness, PhD
Shuya Wei, PhD
Karin Westlund High, PhD
Payman Zarkesh-Ha, PhD
Rainforest Innovation Fellow
The UNM Rainforest Innovations Board of Directors was honored to present the 2026 Rainforest Innovation Fellow Award to Jean-Claude Diels, PhD, a Professor in the UNM Departments of Physics & Astronomy and Electrical & Computer Engineering, and General Chair of the Optical Science & Engineering Program.
This award was created in 2010 to honor annually a UNM inventor whose body of technologies has generated significant commercialization activities. Based on achievements in new technologies disclosed, patents received, license and option agreements entered into, new companies started, and income generated from these technologies, the UNM Rainforest Innovation Fellow Selection Committee evaluates and selects an Innovation Fellow.
Dr. Diels’ research specializes in the high-speed world of ultrashort laser pulse phenomena, pioneering the development of lasers as high-precision sensors for measuring rotation, acceleration, and magnetic fields. His impact is perhaps best illustrated by his designation as a ScholarGPS Highly Ranked Scholar, a distinction that places him in the top 0.05% of scholars worldwide. His research into “laser-induced lightning” has been featured on the Discovery and History Channels, and his book, “Lasers: The Power and Precision of Light,” earned the 2013 CHOICE Award for Outstanding Academic Title. From his early days experimenting with CO2 lasers during military service to his modern collaborations spanning from Switzerland to Mexico, Dr. Diels has remained at the forefront of his field. It is our distinct honor to recognize his lifetime of research excellence and his lasting contributions to the University of New Mexico.
Learn more about Dr. Diels’ research here: https://innovations.unm.edu/2026/04/23/jean-claude-diels-2026-rainforest-innovation-fellow/
2025 National Academy of Inventors Fellow
Election to NAI Fellow status is a high professional distinction accorded to academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society. The UNM Rainforest Innovations Board of Directors nominated Eric R. Prossnitz for this honor, and he was recognized at the Innovation Awards event with a commemorative plaque.
Dr. Prossnitz is a Distinguished Professor of Internal Medicine and Chief of the Division of Molecular Medicine at the UNM Health Sciences Center, where he also holds the Maralyn S. Budke Endowed Chair of Cancer Chemical Biology and Therapeutics.
Learn more here: https://innovations.unm.edu/2025/12/11/unm-inventor-eric-prossnitz-named-2025-national-academy-of-inventors-fellow/
Sponsors
Thank you to the ten sponsors of this event, who made it possible for UNMRI to award financial stipends to the inventor honorees. They include:
Congratulations again to our inventor honorees, Rainforest Innovation Fellow, and NAI Fellow!
Read more about this year’s honorees in the Innovation Awards program: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/b4lz50aems00e78yzuhe2/2026-Innovation-Awards-Program-digital-version.pdf?rlkey=d87s33fd1jpxamz8kf4emafkk&st=lluhk5vz&dl=0