The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has named six faculty members of the 162 recognized this year from the USF College of Engineering to its 2025 Class of NAI Senior Members. The distinction recognizes their contributions to technological advancement and research excellence.
Stephanie L. Carey, Ph.D. – Mechanical Engineering
Stephanie L. Carey, an associate research professor of mechanical engineering at USF, coordinates research at the Center for Assistive, Rehabilitation & Robotics Technologies (CARRT). Her work focuses on assistive technologies, biomechanics, and injury prevention for military personnel and performing artists.
“Being recognized as a 2025 NAI Senior and joining this distinguished community of inventors is both a privilege and an opportunity to further impact society through innovation and discovery,” said Stephanie Carey.
Carey has received research funding from the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA, and other agencies. She has published over 160 technical papers and has been a member of the NAI since 2018.
Lingling Fan, Ph.D. – Electrical Engineering
Lingling Fan, a professor of electrical engineering at USF, specializes in power systems, power electronics, and electric machines. Her research explores control, dynamics, optimization, and system identification applications. Recent projects include root cause analysis for real-world wind farm oscillations, solar PV tripping, and control of inverters.
“USF offers an excellent environment for me to build a career and deliver innovations. I am also very happy to contribute to the research community and the society," said Lingling Fan.
She has been principal investigator of two multi-million projects, a frequent speaker of prominent power grid industry forums and an invited speaker of UC Berkley, John Hopkins University, and more.
Srinivas Katkoori, Ph.D. – Computer Science and Engineering
Srinivas Katkoori, a professor in the department of computer science and engineering at USF, specializes in VLSI CAD, IoT, hardware security, and ML in hardware. He has published over 175 peer-reviewed papers and holds 5 U.S. patents. He has advised numerous graduate students and is a senior member of ACM and IEEE.
Srinivas Katkoori said, "I am greatly honored to be part of NAI academy. I am thankful and indebted to USF for encouraging and supporting our research group to patent innovative ideas."
Professor Katkoori serves on technical committees of several VLSI and embedded conferences and is a peer reviewer for many smart embedded systems journals and conferences.
Ashwin Parthasarathy, Ph.D. – Electrical Engineering
Ashwin Parthasarathy, an associate professor of electrical engineering at USF, focuses on developing biophotonics instruments and imagers to measure tissue physiology. His research has received support and funding from the National Institutes of Health and other organizations.
“I am honored to have been selected as an NAI Senior member. I am grateful for the nomination and support from the USF community and want to take this opportunity to thank students and colleagues whom I have worked with over the years," said Ashwin Parthasarathy.
Parthasarathy developed a non-invasive, wearable optical device for measuring blood flow, which earned him the Cade Prize in 2021 and the NSF CAREER award in 2023. He holds five patents, with six more pending. He is a senior member of IEEE and Optica, and a member of SPIE and AHA. He holds four patents with another pending in the applications of machine learning and AI in food and healthcare.
Ismail Uysal, Ph.D. – Electrical Engineering
Ismail Uysal, an associate professor and undergraduate director of electrical engineering at USF, conducts research on machine learning, data analytics, and the Internet of Things (IoT). His work focuses on wireless sensor systems for smart healthcare and agriculture, as well as signal processing for brain-computer interfaces.
“I am honored to be recognized as a senior member by the National Academy of Inventors and remain committed to advancing the intelligent use of sensors and AI to transform data into actionable insights that drive innovation and smarter solutions for tomorrow,” said Ismail Uysal.
Since joining USF in 2012, Uysal has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications and secured $5.2 million in funding for transformative research. He has received the SCEEE Young Investigator Award and represented USF at a U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee IoT showcase.
Yu Zhang, Ph.D. – Civil and Environmental Engineering
Yu Yu Zhang, professor of civil and environmental engineering, leads the Smart Urban Mobility Laboratory (SUM-Lab) and serves as director of the National Institute for Congestion Reduction, a U.S. Department of Transportation University Transportation Center. Her research applies mathematical modeling, simulation, and machine learning to transportation systems, with a focus on Advanced Air Mobility and automated, connected, electrified, and shared (ACES) transportation.
“I am truly honored to be recognized as a 2025 NAI Senior Member. This distinction inspires me to further advance the transformation of cutting-edge transportation research into innovative solutions that enhance the safety, efficiency, and resilience of our national transportation systems,” said Yu Yu Zhang.
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These six faculty members join a distinguished group of researchers recognized by the NAI for their contributions to innovation and technological advancement.
These distinguished innovators will be honored at NAI’s Annual Conference, Forward Together: Innovating with Purpose, taking place June 23–26, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia