Kansas State University

K-State researchers honored at 2023 Inventors and Breeders Ceremony

Submitted by K-State Innovation Partners

From left: David Rosowsky, Christopher Culbertson, Teresa Douthit, Amy Betz, Stacey Hutchinson, Mithila Jugulam, Bikram Gill, Raj Khosla and Chris Brandt at the 2023 Inventors and Breeders Ceremony.

Vice President for Research David V. Rosowsky and K-State Innovation Partners hosted a reception on April 24 to recognize and honor K-State inventors and breeders who were issued U.S. patents and plant variety protection certificates in 2022. Those in attendance received their patent or plant variety protection certificate plaques.

The inventors and breeders recognized at this event join a distinguished group of K-State researchers who have worked with K-State Innovation Partners — which facilitates and manages technology transfer for the university — to protect their intellectual property.

"It is a privilege and honor to work with world-class researchers at K-State," said Chris Brandt, chief tech innovation officer with K-State Innovation Partners. "We're grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the hard work and dedication of these inventors and breeders."

In 2022, U.S. patents were issued to the following K-State inventors*:

• Mithila Junglam, agronomy.
• R. Scott Beyer, animal science and industry.
• Teresa Douthit, animal science and industry.
• Thomas Phillips, entomology.
• Yonghi Li, grain science and industry.
• Bernd Friebe, plant pathology.
• Bikram Gill, plant pathology.
• Dal-Hoe Koo, plant pathology.
• William Bockus, plant pathology.
• Gerald Reeck, biochemistry and molecular biophysics.
• John Tomich, biochemistry and molecular biophysics.
• Christopher Culbertson, chemistry.
• Stephan Bossmann, emeritus, chemistry.
• Thomas Platt, biology.
• Ryan Hansen, chemical engineering.
• Punit Prakash, electrical and computer engineering.
• Amy Betz, mechanical and nuclear engineering.
• Melanie Derby, mechanical and nuclear engineering.

2022 U.S. plant variety protection certificates were awarded to the following K-State breeders*:

• Andrew Auld, Agricultural Research Center — Hays.
• Clayton Seaman, Agricultural Research Center — Hays.
• Guorong Zhang, Agricultural Research Center — Hays.
• Jeffrery Ackerman, Agricultural Research Center — Hays.
• Kenneth Rohleder, Agricultural Research Center — Hays.
• Terry Martin, Agricultural Research Center — Hays.
• Allan Fritz, agronomy.
• Angela Matthews, agronomy.
• Kimberly Suther, agronomy.
• Shaun Winnie, agronomy.
• Erick DeWolf, plant pathology.
• Jessica Rupp, plant pathology.

*Inventors and breeders no longer with the university are not listed.

A full list of patent and plant variety protection certificates awarded since 2009 is available on the awards page of the research website. K-State technologies that are currently available for licensing can be found on the AUTM innovation marketplace website.

To learn more about the commercialization process, contact K-State Innovation Partners at tech.transfer@k-state.edu or 785-532-5720.