Rahul Shrivastav, vice president of instruction and outstanding researcher in the field of assistive communication technology and speech sciences, he was elected a member of the National Academy of Inventors. He is the ninth faculty member at the University of Georgia elected NAI Fellow, all of whom have been elected in the past seven years.
Holding nine patents in the United States, Shrivastav was a co-founder of Audigence, Inc., which provided technological solutions to assess the performance of hearing aids and secured more than $ 3.5 million through private investments and grants before its technology was licensed to the world’s leading manufacturer of cochlear implants in 2012. He created the company while serving as director of the University of Florida’s Voice Perception and Acoustics Laboratory, before continuing his research at Michigan State University as professor and chairman of the department of communication sciences and disorders.
It is humiliating to be in the company of some of the best known innovators, inventors and leading scientists, people who have done work that is having a real and significant impact in the field today. ”- Rahul Shrivastav
The NAI Fellow election is the highest professional distinction awarded exclusively to academic inventors. The Fellows program highlights academic inventors who have demonstrated a spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating exceptional inventions that have had a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the well-being of society. To date, NAI Fellows hold more than 38,000 US patents issued, which according to NAI have generated more than 13,000 licensed technologies and created 2,300 companies and more than 19.5 million jobs. According to the NAI, $ 2.2 trillion in revenue was generated based on the findings of the NAI Fellow.
“It is humiliating to be in the company of some of the best known innovators, inventors and leading scientists, people who have done work that is having a real and significant impact in the field today,” said Shrivastav. “It is a great honor to be recognized as part of that community.”
Since arriving at UGA, Shrivastav has had fewer opportunities to spend time in laboratories, but has maintained active projects with colleagues at the University of South Florida, the Medical University of South Carolina and the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. He also collaborates with risk partners in Europe and Canada.
The science of speech patterns
Shrivastav is part of an active NIH SBIR Phase II grant that supports the development of a technology that would allow users to “adapt” to a new hearing aid, and he is involved in another project that seeks to use automated speech pattern analysis – collected, for example, through voice-activated devices like Amazon Echo or Google Home – to diagnose the early onset of Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders.
“In addition to fulfilling his responsibilities as vice president of instruction, Dr. Shrivastav continues to develop research and innovation that improves lives and brings distinction to the University of Georgia,” said S. Jack Hu, senior vice president for academic affairs and dean of the UGA.
As vice president of instruction, Shrivastav was part of the task force that recommended the creation of the UGA Innovation District. The Office of Instruction now plays a critical role in engaging students with this initiative across the university to increase the UGA’s innovation ecosystem. “Strengthening connections with industry and having a direct impact on society at large,” said Shrivastav, “is an imperative not only for UGA, but for all research universities.
“Virtually all of the important and impactful discoveries or advances in science and innovation are now taking place outside traditional academic disciplines,” he said. “My research is a mix of basic science, engineering, clinical practice and technology integration – it combines advances in all of these areas to solve a problem. Our vision for the Innovation District is to provide the physical and organizational structure that encourages people to work outside their traditional disciplinary boundaries. “
An invaluable partner
Shrivastav is part of the 2020 NAI Fellow class which represents 115 government and non-profit research universities and research institutes worldwide and, together, holds more than 4,700 US patents issued. Among the 2020 fellows are members of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as a Nobel Prize winner. Its collective body of research covers a variety of scientific disciplines, including biomedical engineering, computer engineering, materials science and physics.
“Rahul’s experience and success in marketing technology has made him an invaluable partner in shaping our Innovation District,” said David Lee, vice president of research. “He is not only a talented inventor, he is also a passionate advocate for experiential learning opportunities that imbue our students with a spirit of research and innovation. I congratulate you for this deserved tribute. “
Shrivastav will be formally sworn in at a ceremony that is part of the annual NAI meeting, scheduled for June 7-9, 2021, in Tampa, Florida. A complete list of fellows is available on the NAI website.