R&D Council of NJ to Honor Innovators at Annual Edison Patent Awards

Princeton Professor and Nobel Prize Winner David W.C. MacMillan, Health Commissioner Judith M. Persichilli, and Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz to Receive Individual Honors during November 3rd Ceremony

On Oct 18, 2022

The Research & Development Council of New Jersey (R&D Council) announced today the honorees and winners of the 2022 Edison Patent Awards, the state’s highest recognition for inventors and innovators. These 14 winning patents created by 54 inventors and the three individual award winners will be honored during the 43rd annual Edison Patent Award Ceremony and Reception on Nov. 3, 2022 at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City.

The R&D Council will honor Princeton Chemist and Nobel Prize Winner David W.C. MacMillan, Ph.D. with its highest honor: the Science and Technology Medal; New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith M. Persichilli will receive the Chairman’s Award; New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz will be honored with the Educator of the Year Award.

2022 Edison Patent Award winners include BASF, Celularity, Inc., Colgate-Palmolive, Ethicon, Inc. – a Johnson & Johnson Company, Kulite Semiconductor Products, Inc., Merck, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Rowan University, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Siemens Healthineers, Siemens Technology, and Stryker. The recognized patents range from consumer plastic packaging that can be recycled to an unmanned vehicle that can seamlessly move from underwater into the air.

Winners were selected by a team of R&D Council researchers who evaluated patents for the significance of the problem, utility/socio-economic value, novelty, and commercial impact. All winning patents must have at least part of the technical/scientific work completed in New Jersey. A complete list of winners, patent names, and numbers can be found below.

“The Edison Patent Awards is once again uplifting the inventors and companies that make New Jersey a global innovation leader,” said Dr. Kevin Campos, Chairman of the R&D Council Board of Directors and Vice President, Head of Process Research & Development at Merck. “Thomas Edison’s legacy lives on through the 57 honorees who are driving innovation and changing the world right here in the Garden State.”

David W.C. MacMillan, Ph.D. will receive the Science & Technology Medal for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis – a new type of catalyst that is greener than traditional metal catalyst. This innovation has transformed organic chemistry, leading the world to a new means of constructing drugs and materials. Dr. MacMillan, the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Chemistry at Princeton University received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2021 for this work. The Science & Technology Medal is awarded annually by the R&D Council to New Jersey innovators who have achieved outstanding and unparalleled advancements in the fields of science and technology and have extraordinary performance in bringing innovation from the laboratory to the marketplace.

New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judith M. Persichilli, R.N., B.S.N., M.A. will be honored with Chairman’s Award at the Edison Patent Awards. Commissioner Persichilli will be honored for her tireless efforts leading the state’s public health emergency response during the COVID-19 pandemic, culminating in the distribution and administration of more than 14 million­­–and counting–doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the state. The Chairman’s Award honors New Jerseyans for their outstanding effort and leadership in uniting industry, academia, and the state in pursuit of enhancing and emphasizing a research-based economy in New Jersey.

The Educator of the Year Award will be awarded to New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz (District 29). Prior to becoming Majority Leader in 2022, Senator Ruiz served as the Chair of the Senate Education Committee for 12 years where she fought for equity in education spaces. Senator Ruiz has been the leading force to in increasing access to early childhood education with the expansion of state-funded Pre-K in New Jersey. She has championed apprenticeship programs to support career pathways in high-growth industries and sponsored legislation to increase teacher diversity. The Educator of the Year Award recognizes a leader in New Jersey for their achievements in the advancement of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education in New Jersey.

The 43rd annual Edison Patent Awards Ceremony and Reception will take place in person on Thursday, November 3, 2022 at the Liberty Science Center. During this ceremony each award winner will have a special tribute film premiered in their honor.

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