National Academy of Inventors names two Miami faculty members among 2026 class of Senior Members
Dave Hartup, Mohammad Mayyas among emerging academic inventors recognized
National Academy of Inventors names two Miami faculty members among 2026 class of Senior Members
Dave Hartup, Mohammad Mayyas among emerging academic inventors recognized
Two Miami University faculty members on Thursday were named Senior Members of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).
Dave Hartup is an associate teaching professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering and Computing. Mohammad Mayyas is associate dean for strategic initiatives and chair and professor of Engineering Technology in the College of Liberal Arts and Applied Science at Miami Regionals.
They are among 231 of the country’s foremost emerging academic inventors selected as a Senior Member and will be inducted during the NAI’s annual conference June 1-4 in Los Angeles.
Dave Hartup
Hartup’s focus is on optics, signal processing, acoustics, communication systems, radar, and robotics. He is credited as an inventor on eight patents.
Last year, Miami’s College of Engineering and Computing named Hartup as the recipient of the Arthur Olson Generational Outstanding Teaching Excellence Award.
“I love teaching, being able to work with students and hopefully have a positive impact on their lives and their future. That’s my real passion,” he said.
Hartup joined Miami to pursue his passion for teaching after spending decades doing industry work. He takes great pride in his classified work dedicated to supporting the freedoms of this country.
An impact statement for the recognition states, "Dr. Hartup’s efforts have resulted in the increased security of the United States by developing technologies to contribute to the U.S. defense" and that a large majority of his work cannot be explained in detail due to government classification.
"Dr. Hartup has also contributed to several commercial efforts, including development of an In-Band On-Channel digital audio broadcasting system which can preserve precious RF spectrum while improving the quality of AM broadcasts from radio stations."
During his work at Georgia Tech, Hartup developed an acousto-optic system that can analyze radar signals in a manner unachievable by electronic circuits. This work resulted in the first of his eight patents.
Mohammad Mayyas
Mayyas’ focus is on engineering innovation, workforce alignment, and institutional transformation. He is credited as an inventor on a U.S patent issued in 2014.
The patent, he said, addresses a key manufacturing challenge in MEMS fabrication — enabling the precise release of delicate micro-scale components during production. While rooted in fundamental modeling and micro-actuation research, the work evolved into applied solutions relevant to semiconductor packaging, optical sensing systems, and microsystem integration.
At Miami, Mayyas has led efforts to modernize engineering technology programs, advance ABET readiness, launch cross-disciplinary degree pathways, and secure major federal and state grants. He serves on the leadership team for the university’s Polytechnic Initiative and oversees implementation of the Advanced Manufacturing Workforce and Innovation Hub (AM Hub).
Mayyas also has helped develop an ENT pathway for the Early College Academy that will launch in the fall. Students will begin the Engineering Technology pathway in high school and earn an associate of Applied Science degree at Miami Regionals just one year after graduation.
"Innovation has been central to my career for more than two decades — from micro-scale robotics and MEMS systems to advanced manufacturing ecosystems and workforce-driven applied research. Being named a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors affirms the translational nature of that work — bridging research, patents, industry collaboration, and real-world implementation," he said.
"I also see this recognition as reflective of the broader innovation culture we are building at Miami, particularly through the polytechnic transformation and the Advanced Manufacturing Workforce and Innovation Hub."
More broadly, Mayyas said, this recognition as an inventor reflects not only a patent but the innovative projects he has led throughout his career, many developed in close collaboration with industry and supported through federal and state innovation programs.
"Equally important is the impact on students. Many of these innovation initiatives involved mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in applied research, prototyping, and system development," he said. "Seeing former students become innovators and industry leaders themselves is one of the most meaningful outcomes of this work."
The NAI’s 2026 class of Senior Members is the largest to date, hailing from 82 NAI member Institutions across the globe and collectively holding more than 2,000 U.S. patents.
NAI president Paul Sanberg called the class an impressive cohort. “These innovators come from a variety of fields and disciplines, translating their technologies into tangible impact.”