12 December 2018

A career dedicated to research has earned University of Queensland Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj a prestigious fellowship of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) in the United States.

Professor Høj’s election to NAI Fellow status, announced today, is distinction awarded to academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have had a significant impact on society.

He is one of four Australians recognised this year as NAI Fellows - joining five from previous years - and is part of a cohort of 148 academic inventors named in the 2018 class.

“I am so delighted and grateful for this recognition and deeply thankful for the honour the NAI has bestowed on me,” Professor Høj said.

“I see this as recognition not of me, but of the institutions in which I have worked, and I thank my outstanding colleagues for their wonderful efforts to bring great innovations to the world.

“At UQ, we have many incredible projects under way, and we will continue to create positive change that will benefit society in many ways.”

Professor Høj has been UQ Vice-Chancellor and President since 2012, and has led organisations in the university, government and private spheres.

A biochemist and geneticist, Professor Høj has held US and foreign patents and served on the Prime Minister’s Science Engineering and Innovation Council. 

He is an elected foreign member of the Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, and was awarded an Australian Government Centenary Medal for service to Australia through wine research and science.

National Academy of Inventors President Paul R. Sanberg said he was proud to welcome another class of outstanding NAI Fellows.

“Their collective achievements have helped shape the future, and they work each day to improve our world,” he said.

“Each of these new NAI Fellows embodies the Academy’s mission through their dedication, creativity and inventive spirit.

“I look forward to working collaboratively with the new NAI Fellows in growing a global culture of innovation.”

With the election of the 2018 class, there are now more than 1000 NAI Fellows, representing more than 250 universities and government and non-profit research institutes.

The 2018 Fellows are named inventors on nearly 4000 US patents, bringing the collective patents held by all NAI Fellows to more than 35,000.

The 2018 Fellows will be inducted in Houston, Texas, in April.

Media: UQ Communications, communications@uq.edu.au, +61 7 3346 7890.