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This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
NSU VP Appointed as Judge for ‘Patents for Humanity’ Award Program
Gary S. Margules, Sc.D.
The U.S. Commerce Department’s Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recently announced that Gary S. Margules, Sc.D., vice president for research and technology transfer at Nova Southeastern University (NSU), was selected as a judge for the prestigious Patents for Humanity program.
Started in 2012, the program honors businesses, inventors, non-profits and universities that leverage their intellectual property portfolio to tackle global humanitarian challenges.
“Dr. Margules exemplifies Nova Southeastern University’s core values of research, innovation and community and is well deserving of being on this panel,” said NSU President George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D. “His integrity and knowledge of the sciences and research are of the highest standard.”
Qualified judges from outside the USPTO, including Margules, will review and score the Patents for Humanity award applications in the categories of medicine, nutrition, sanitation, household energy and living standards. USPTO will then forward the top-scoring applications to reviewers from participating federal agencies to recommend award recipients.
“The USPTO plays a crucial role in helping protect the cutting-edge ideas that drive our economy and keep the U.S. globally competitive,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. “The Patents for Humanity program supports American businesses and inventors who are helping solve some of today’s toughest global challenges. The Commerce Department is committed to helping foster the innovation that protects and promotes our ideas-driven economy, which is essential to economic growth.”
Patents for Humanity advances President Obama’s global development agenda by rewarding companies that bring life-saving technologies to underserved people of the world, while showing how patents are an integral part of tackling the world’s challenges.
Highlighting success stories of humanitarian engagement that are compatible with business interests and strong patent rights demonstrates how companies can effectively contribute to global good while maintaining commercial markets.
The USPTO expects to select approximately 10 winners this cycle that will receive public recognition and an acceleration certificate to expedite select proceedings at the USPTO. Honorable mentions will also be awarded with a more limited certificate to accelerate a patent application of the recipient’s choosing.
See the Federal Register Notice for more details on awards.
To learn more about the Patents for Humanity program, please visit www.uspto.gov/patentsforhumanity.