Gerardo Gamez and Dy Dinh Le become the eighth and ninth members of the Texas Tech faculty to earn the prestigious honor.
Gerardo Gamez, a professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry in the College of Arts & Sciences, and Dy Dinh Le, the director of the Institute for Materials, Manufacturing and Sustainment (IMMS) in the Office of Research & Innovation at Texas Tech University, have been named to the 2026 class of National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Senior Members.
This year’s class of 128 Senior Members from 82 NAI member institutions around the world hold more than 2,000 U.S. patents. They bring the total number of NAI Senior Members up to 945, holding more than 11,000 patents.
Senior Members represent active faculty, scientists and administrators from NAI Member Institutions who have demonstrated remarkable innovation, producing technologies that have brought, or aspire to bring, real impact on the welfare of society. They also have growing success in patents, licensing and commercialization, while educating and mentoring the next generation of inventors.
“This recognition is a testament, not only to Gerardo’s and Dy’s outstanding contributions to research, but to their commitment to fostering a culture of excellence in innovation that inspires their students and collaborators,” said Joseph Heppert, vice president for Research & Innovation at Texas Tech. “Texas Tech is fortunate to include them among research leaders.”
Gamez’s research focuses on the development of plasma-based instrumentation and methods in optical spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS) for ultra-high throughput multi-dimensional chemical analysis in materials and biological sciences. His ambient MS techniques have made possible rapid 3-D imaging of polymer materials and additives, such as in single microplastics. Also, his 3-D elemental mapping approaches allow studying nanoscale materials orders of magnitude faster than traditional methods.
Gamez currently serves on the editorial board of the Royal Society of Chemistry Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry and as vice president of the International Atomic Spectrometry Association.
Established by Le in 2016, IMMS is developing an artificial intelligence and machine learning-powered method to identify factors linked to degradation and catastrophic failures in aero and space systems due to high operational stress. This technology enables a self-healing process to eliminate structural fatigue, slow degradation and restore system integrity, significantly extending user life. Le said this method also can be applied to humans experiencing similar complications from severe fatigue and high stress.
Le has extensive military experience as an Air Force pilot and scientist and has conducted research for the Naval Air Warfare Center, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Army Research Laboratory.
“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. “I commend them on their incredible pursuits, and I’m honored to welcome them to the Academy.”
The 2026 class of Senior Members will be inducted at the 15th Annual NAI Conference June 1-4 in Los Angeles. The induction of Gamez and Le brings Texas Tech’s number of NAI senior members to nine as well as 13 Fellows, including a joint appointment from Texas Tech and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
About the NAI
The National Academy of Inventors is a member organization comprising U.S. and international universities and governmental and nonprofit research institutes with more than 4,600 individual inventor members and Fellows spanning more than 260 institutions worldwide. It was founded in 2010 to recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students, and translate its members’ inventions to benefit society. The NAI has a close collaborative relationship with the USPTO and is one of three honorific organizations, along with the National Medals and National Inventors Hall of Fame, working closely with the USPTO on many discovery and innovation-support initiatives. The NAI publishes the multidisciplinary journal, Technology and Innovation.