[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 144 (Tuesday, September 17, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E908-E909]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE 2024 INDUCTEES TO THE FLORIDA INVENTORS HALL OF FAME

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. KATHY CASTOR

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 17, 2024

  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the nine 
inventors who have been selected as the 2024 Inductees to the Florida 
Inventors Hall of Fame. To be named as an Inductee, these inventors 
were nominated by their peers nationwide and have undergone a review 
process by the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame Selection Committee. As a 
result, their innovations have been identified as significantly 
impacting the quality of life, economic development, and welfare of 
their communities, the residents of Florida, and the United States.
  The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame was founded in 2013 at the 
University of South Florida. It was recognized by the Florida Senate 
with Senate Resolution 1756, adopted on April 30, 2014. The Florida 
Inventors Hall of Fame catalyzes the cycle of discovery and innovation 
across the state of Florida by recognizing pioneering inventors, 
empowering future problem-solvers and change-makers, and propelling the 
American legacy of innovation through transformative experiences and 
meaningful storytelling.
  Nomination to the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame is open to all 
Florida inventors (living or deceased) who are or have been residents 
of Florida. The nominee must be a named inventor on a patent issued by 
the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The impact of the 
inventor and his or her invention should be significant to society, and 
the invention should have been commercialized, utilized or led to 
important innovations.
  The 2024 Inductees are the tenth class to be inducted into the 
Florida Inventors Hall of Fame. Their achievements underscore the 
critical role that innovation plays in driving progress and improving 
the quality of life for people in our state, our nation and around the 
world. Their groundbreaking work not only advances scientific discovery 
but also strengthens the economy and enhances our global 
competitiveness. The 2024 Inductees collectively hold more than 350 
U.S. patents and come from across industry and academia. Since its 
founding, the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame has inducted 77 inventors, 
who collectively hold over 5,200 U.S. patents.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my neighbors in Tampa Bay and the citizens 
of Florida, I am proud to honor the 2024 Inductees to the Florida 
Inventors Hall of Fame for this outstanding achievement. Innovation and 
invention are the building blocks of our Nation. I applaud these highly 
accomplished individuals and the organizations that support them in 
their quest to change the world in ways that truly benefit humanity. It 
is because of the perseverance of these inventors that future 
generations are encouraged to reach beyond their limits and push the 
boundaries of innovation.
  The 2024 Inductees are:
  Barry J. Byrne: Professor and Associate Chair of the University of 
Florida Department of Pediatrics and the Director of the Powell Gene 
Therapy Center at UF, who is recognized for groundbreaking advances in 
delivering DNA to muscle cells, initiating the new field of muscle gene 
therapy, and for developing innovative AAV-mediated gene therapy to 
restore cardiac and skeletal muscle function for patients with 
inherited neuromuscular diseases.
  Patricia Davis-Lemesy: Engineering Fellow at Cordis Corporation, who 
is recognized for the revolutionary development of novel polymers that 
address the characteristics required to conduct coronary angioplasty on 
blocked coronary arteries, and for advances in polymer chemistry 
leading to the design of artificial tendons for human trauma surgery.
  Peter J. Delfyett, Jr.: Pegasus Professor and Distinguished Professor 
of Optics & Photonics, Electrical & Computer Engineering and Physics 
and Director of the Townes Laser Institute at the University of Central 
Florida, who is recognized for significant contributions to development 
and commercialization of low-noise, high-power, ultrafast semiconductor 
lasers for applications in industrial manufacturing, metrology, 
communications, and signal processing.
  Hariklia ``Lili'' Deligianni: Founder of Sense4Me and retired 
Researcher and Principal Investigator with IBM's Thomas J. Watson 
Research Center, who is recognized for the invention and development of 
breakthrough electrochemical technologies that revolutionized the 
capability of electronic devices and the semiconductor industry and led 
to the widespread adoption of electrodeposition as a key processing 
technology for the fabrication of computer chips.
  Greg Mesaros: Chief Executive Officer and Chair of Triadex Services, 
who is recognized for industry-disrupting innovations integrating 
technology, market strategy and collective impact into digital tools 
enabling businesses to cost-effectively scale operations, and providing 
small businesses the ability to access supply chain prices and 
efficiencies similar to large corporations.

[[Page E909]]

  Sylvia Wilson Thomas: Vice President for Research & Innovation and 
President & CEO of the Research Foundation at the University of South 
Florida, who is recognized for transformational innovations in 
miniaturized electronic circuitry and advanced materials to support 
biosensors for more effective real-time health monitoring, and 
development of nano electronic device integration using advanced 
membrane/material systems to meet global technological challenges.
  Anthony ``Tony'' Van Heugten: Chief Technology Officer at e-Vision 
Smart Optics, Inc., who is recognized for cutting-edge ophthalmic 
technologies, developing liquid crystal tunable lenses for intra-ocular 
lenses, contact lenses, eyewear, and virtual and augmented reality 
devices; and for innovations in ophthalmic medical devices to restore 
clear vision for people with presbyopia, glaucoma, and cataracts.
  Rachana Vidhi: Director of Technical Sales at NextEra Analytics, who 
is recognized for pioneering contributions in renewable energy 
integration, in particular battery technologies that have 
revolutionized battery storage systems, accelerated the growth of 
renewable energy integration, and advanced sustainability; and 
developing innovative approaches to predicting long-term performance of 
Lithium-ion batteries for utility-scale applications.
  Daniel H. Yeh: Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental 
Engineering at the University of South Florida, who is recognized for 
pioneering contributions to environmental engineering and 
sustainability, particularly wastewater purification and recycling, 
sustainable and resilient infrastructure, renewable bioenergy, and 
global WaSH (water, sanitation and hygiene) to mitigate water scarcity 
and inadequate sanitation for countless communities worldwide.

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