Vilas Pol, professor of chemical engineering at the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering at Purdue University, has been selected to the 2026 class of Senior Members by the National Academy of Inventors.

The honor recognizes academic inventors whose patents, licensing, and commercialization efforts have advanced technology and demonstrate significant potential to benefit society. Pol’s research focuses on electrochemical energy storage, including safer, wider-temperature-range, and higher-performance batteries through innovations in electrode materials, electrolytes, and thermal safety — work that bridges fundamental science and real-world application.

Pol directs the Vilas Pol Energy Research (ViPER) group, whose work spans lithium-ion, sodium-ion, potassium-ion, multivalent zinc-ion, and solid-state battery systems. He has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications and is an inventor on 27 issued U.S. patents, with 10 additional patent applications pending.

Pol has received honors from major professional societies, including the American Chemical Society’s Grand Prize, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ Excellence in Process Research and Development Award, the American Ceramic Society’s Richard M. Fulrath Award, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Power Electronics Society Energy Storage Innovation Award. A fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Royal Society of Arts and a Fulbright Specialist, Pol also holds a Guinness World Records title for charging a lithium-ion battery at the lowest temperature recorded, minus 100 degrees Celsius.

Pol joins a global network of 945 Senior Members affiliated with NAI member institutions worldwide. The Senior Member program honors emerging leaders in academic innovation while enhancing the visibility of intellectual property and technology transfer from research institutions.

The 2026 Senior Member class will be formally inducted at the 15th NAI Annual Conference, scheduled for June 1-4 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles. During the ceremony, inductees will receive a certificate, an NAI pin and a challenge coin presented by representatives of the NAI and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

This recognition reflects Purdue Engineering’s leadership in translating research discoveries into technologies with global impact.