Florida Inventor Hall of Fame inaugural features USF professor

A USF professor, along with Thomas Edison, were among six inventors inducted into the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame on Wednesday for the hall’s inaugural ceremony.

USF professor Shyam Mohapatra was inducted for developing nanoparticles that deliver drugs and peptides, regulating the immune response to inflammatory diseases. His research also contributed to nanoscale therapy for cancer, traumatic brain injury, asthma and viral infections.

Thomas Edison, who lived in Fort Myers for almost 50 years, was inducted for inventing the phonograph, the picture camera and the light bulb. Accepting on his behalf was Chris Pendleton, president and CEO of Edison Ford Winter Estates, Inc.

Other Florida inventors inducted include the inventor of refrigeration and air conditioning, the developer of high-definition digital imaging for NASA, the researcher of liquid crystals used in display screens and the creator of Gatorade. 

The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame, located in USF Research Park, is one of only seven inventor halls of fame in the nation. The induction ceremony is