Seven researchers named to Battelle Distinguished Inventor cadre

Seven scientists affiliated with the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have been named Battelle Distinguished Inventors in recognition of being granted 14 or more United States patents. Since Battelle began managing ORNL in 2000, 104 ORNL researchers have reached this milestone.

“These innovators have not only developed cutting-edge technologies, but they have also prioritized taking the steps to move them out into the marketplace, which is critical for adoption and broad impact,” said Susan Hubbard, ORNL deputy for science and technology. “The innovators are working on a range of strategies important for our mission, including advanced manufacturing, engine optimization, polymer upcycling, carbon management and battery performance.”

The scientists include:

• Amy Elliott, group leader for Systems Automation and Monitoring Research in the Manufacturing Science Division. Elliott specializes in inkjet-based 3D printing of polymer and metal systems, which are applicable to the automotive, aerospace and power generation sectors. This industrial versatility is reflected in Elliott’s work in the public sphere promoting girls’ participation in STEM. Elliott has been recognized with two R&D 100 Awards, as an ORNL Innovator (2019) and ORNL Outstanding Scholarly Output (2022), among other awards.
• Jianlin Li, former group leader for the Energy Storage and Conversion Manufacturing. Li worked at ORNL for 13 years; during that time, he worked on a small team to establish the Battery Manufacturing Facility. Li’s research focuses on batteries that store energy inexpensively, while improving safety and longevity. Li has received the 2023 UT-Battelle Outstanding Research Output team award, 2021 UT-Battelle Research Accomplishment individual award, three R&D 100 Awards and two Federal Laboratory Consortium awards.
• James E. Parks II, section head for Energy and Industrial Decarbonization. Parks is a Fellow of the Society of Automobile Engineers, and his innovations have been recognized with two Federal Laboratory Consortium awards and three R&D 100 Awards. Parks’ patents include novel spectroscopy-based diagnostics for measuring the chemistry of fuel, oil and exhaust in engines, advanced catalysts for emissions control and advanced manufacturing technology for C02 capture. Through technology transfer to industry partners, his inventions have strengthened clean energy.
• Brian Post, group leader in the Disruptive Manufacturing Systems Development Group. Recognized as an Early Career Researcher in 2019, Post is a leader in additive manufacturing that spans composites, metals and concretes, producing large parts at rates faster than commercially available systems. Post has been awarded three Federal Laboratory Consortium awards and six R&D 100 Awards. He specializes in large-scale 3D printing, helping develop and commercialize ORNL’s large-scale 3D manufacturing technologies. This has resulted in a range of remarkable achievements, including printing the world’s first 3D printed car, submarines, wind turbine blade molds, and a full-scale home. 
• Tomonori Saito, distinguished R&D staff member in the Chemical Sciences Division. The 2023 Battelle Inventor of the Year, Saito received ORNL’s Research Accomplishment, Outstanding Scholarly Output and BTSD Outstanding ORNL Collaborator Award in 2022. The recipient of five R&D 100 Awards, Saito’s research focuses on polymers, and his innovations in polymer upcycling address plastic waste and enable closed loop recycling. His other projects have advanced polymers for several applications, such as additive manufacturing, composites, adhesives, ion-conducting polymers in batteries and fuel cells and thermal insulating building materials.
• Costas Tsouris, distinguished R&D staff in the Chemical Process Scale Up Group, part of the Manufacturing Science Division. Tsouris specializes in chemical separations and innovative chemical processes including liquid extraction, absorption, adsorption, ion exchange and filtration. He is the recipient of five R&D 100 Awards and his research has enabled carbon capture from point sources and from air, uranium recovery from seawater, sequestration of C02 in the form of solid gas hydrates on the ocean floor, and water and wastewater treatment and desalination.
• Gabriel Veith, distinguished staff scientist within the Chemical Sciences Division at ORNL. Veith is a materials chemist who focuses on the synthesis and characterization of new materials for energy conversion and storage and improved battery performance to enable resiliency, energy security and reliability. His research has resulted in over 274 peer-reviewed publications and has been recognized with an Early Career Award for Scientific Accomplishment from UT-Battelle, two R&D 100 Awards and one Federal Laboratory Consortium award.

An etched portrait of each new honoree will be added to a wall display at ORNL and at Battelle headquarters in Columbus, Ohio.

UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science. — Brynn Downing