UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has named 230 academic inventors to the 2026 class of NAI senior members. Among these are two Penn State researchers: Abhronil Sengupta, associate professor in electrical engineering and computer science, and Joshua Benjestorf, faculty researcher and principal investigator at the Penn State’s Applied Research Lab (ARL).
This year’s class of NAI senior members is the largest to date, hailing from 82 NAI member institutions across the globe and collectively holding over 2,000 U.S. patents. A full list of the 2026 class of senior members is available here.
“This year’s Senior Member Class is a truly impressive cohort. These innovators come from a variety of fields and disciplines, translating their technologies into tangible impact,” said Paul R. Sanberg, president of NAI, in the academy’s statement. “I commend them on their incredible pursuits and I’m honored to welcome them to the Academy.”
Sengupta, an associate professor in electrical engineering and computer science at Penn State’s College of Engineering, also holds a courtesy appointment in the University’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering. His research focuses on bridging nanoelectronics, neuroscience and machine learning, with particular emphasis on neuromorphic computing across sensors, devices, circuits, systems and algorithms.
He earned his doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from Purdue University in 2018 and completed his undergraduate education in electronics and telecommunication engineering at Jadavpur University in 2013. His early research experiences include a German Academic Exchange Service Fellowship at the University of Hamburg, graduate research internships at Intel Labs and Meta Reality Labs.
His work has produced more than 100 refereed publications and multiple U.S. patents. His contributions to neuroAI — an emerging, interdisciplinary field at the intersection of neuroscience and artificial intelligence — and unconventional computing have earned wide recognition, including the U.S. National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2023, Army Research Office Early Career Award in 2024, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Electron Devices Society Early Career Award in 2023, the IEEE CEDA Ernest Kuh Early Career Award in 2025 and Penn State’s Monkowski Career Development Professorship from 2022 to 2025.
Benjestorf holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Penn State and is currently working toward his doctoral degree in electrical engineering at Penn State. He is serving as a faculty researcher and principal investigator at ARL, where he leads wireless power transfer initiatives. His research interests include electromagnetics, microwave engineering, wireless power transfer (WPT), as well as the application of WPT for small-form devices. He said he also cares passionately about environmental science, conservation and sustainable technologies.
Prior to his role at ARL, Benjestorf had an extensive career in industry including positions at Intel Corporation, Japanese Solderless Terminal and TE Connectivity LTD. He also co-founded the startup company Non-Metallic Connectors, Inc., where he served as CEO for many years. His key commercial achievements in research include pioneering a new connector concept called the non-metallic connector (NMC) and the commercialization NMC solutions for new contactless connectors, electrical wall outlets and lighting application — technologies that demonstrate 60% greater energy efficiency relative to standard solutions. These advancements have resulted in multiple peer-reviewed papers and U.S. patents. In 2024, Benjestorf was honored with the Central PA Business Journal Forty Under 40 Award for his entrepreneurial achievements.
For more than 20 years, he has been heavily involved in professional societies such as the IEEE. He serves on the technical program committee for the International Conference for Consumer Electronics, is a peer reviewer for the IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics and also serves on the editorial board with the Journal of Electromagnetic Waves and Applications. He is currently the chair of the IEEE Region 2 Susquehanna Section and is also the chair of the IEEE Region 2 Mid-Appalachian (Central) Area. He is a senior member of IEEE and a professional member of the IEEE honor society IEEE-Eta Kapa Nu. He is also a full member of Sigma Xi, the Institute of Engineering Technology, the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
The senior member recognition program was launched in 2018 to recognize active faculty, scientists and administrators at NAI member institutions who have successfully produced, patented and commercialized technologies that have brought, or aspire to bring, real impact on the welfare of society and economic progress. Today, there are 945 senior members holding over 11,000 U.S. patents.
“It has been incredible to watch this program grow year over year, and see these inventors get the recognition they truly deserve,” said NAI board member Sethuraman Panchanathan, who helped launch the program. “It highlights the dedication of our Member Institutions to celebrating their inventive faculty and fostering innovation on their campuses and within the broader innovation ecosystem.”
The 2026 class of senior members will be honored in June during the Senior Member Induction Ceremony at NAI’s 15th Annual Conference in Los Angeles.