The Lemelson Foundation

09/02/2026

Summer intern recap: Part 2 🎥 👏

Our Invention Education Research Intern, Doris Agra, reflects on her time working with The Lemelson Foundation team examining the education policy landscape in the U.S.

09/01/2026

Summer intern recap 🎥 👏

Our Climate Technology intern, Max Glanville, reflects on his time working with The Lemelson Foundation team focused on climate action.

08/25/2026

“It’s a place every year I come and it refills my cup.” ☀️📚🎓

MESA educator Jess Augden shared this after last week’s MESA Summer Institute, which was held at The Lemelson Foundation’s offices.

To start the new academic year, Oregon MESA brings teachers and staff together to learn, connect, build new skills, and get grounded in the mission and community that make invention education so special.

The first event had a little bit of everything: design thinking, coding, circuitry, soldering (Ms. Augden’s personal favorite!), and networking with other teachers. The MESA team, the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science, and graduate students from Portland State University helped educators learn these new skills to help all of their students thrive in STEM and problem solving.

The Lemelson Foundation is proud to support this program, and to provide a space for invention education to grow in Oregon! 👏

08/21/2026

A legendary group of individuals was recently inducted into the Black Inventors Hall of Fame (BIHOF)!

Innovators and industry leaders were honored in an induction ceremony at the David Rubenstein Forum at The University of Chicago in July. The event included several descendants of historical inventor inductees, a rousing speech from Young Innovator Award recipient Eniola Shokunbi, and uplifting messages from seven current honorees.

“What unfolded was more than a ceremony — it was a landmark gathering that affirmed the enduring impact of Black creativity on the world and set a new standard for how innovation is celebrated,” BIHOF wrote.

Congratulations to the BIHOF Class of 2026! 👏
⚬ Dr. Mae Jemison, astronaut and entrepreneur in biotechnology
⚬ Prof. Emeritus James West, inventor of the electret microphone
⚬ Dr. Marian Croak, pioneer in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
⚬ Lanny Smoot, inventor of theatrical technologies and special effects
⚬ Sir Cato T. Laurencin, trailblazer in regenerative engineering
⚬ Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi, innovator in semiconductor physics
⚬ Jesse Russell, pioneer in digital cellular technology
⚬ Eniola Shokunbi, inventor of an advanced air filtration system

2026 Historical Legendary Inductees💡
⚬ Charles Frederick Page, pioneer in aviation and airship design
⚬ Walter Lincoln Hawkins, trailblazer in telecommunications
⚬ Charles Richard Patterson, entrepreneur and inventor in transportation
⚬ Annie Turnbo Malone, entrepreneur and trailblazer in beauty science
⚬ Frederick Mckinley Jones, invented mobile refrigeration systems
⚬ Marie Van Brittan Brown, created first home security system
⚬ David Crosthwait, innovator in climate-control engineering
⚬ Gladys West, pioneer behind Global Positioning System (GPS)

🔗 Learn more about those inventors in the Black Inventors Hall of Fame: https://bihof.org/2026-induction-ceremony

08/17/2026

“Every student, regardless of visual ability, deserves equal opportunities,” says young inventor Evann Sun.

📚 ICYMI: Our latest Invention Notebook profile features Evann, last year’s winner of the Lemelson Foundation Award for Invention at the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge for middle school students.

The 15-year-old from Santa Clara, California, co-developed a prototype of affordable glasses called “Visionary” that use AI to translate text-to-speech in real time for visually impaired students. What began as a science fair project among three friends led to an effective prototype that won national recognition.

Read more about Evann’s invention journey, the story behind Visionary, and the importance of teamwork in the invention process: https://www.lemelson.org/inventors-envision-the-future-of-accessibility-with-ai/

📸 Photo: Courtesy of Lisa Fryklund/Licensed by Society for Science

Society for Science

08/14/2026

Dr. Arlyne Simon is always full of inspiration! 👏

She’s a patented inventor of healthcare technology, and a children’s book author who is passionate about teaching young people to pursue STEM and develop their inventive mindsets.

Find out more about Dr. Simon’s entrepreneurial journey and her advocacy of invention education in our Invention Notebook: https://www.lemelson.org/engineer-and-childrens-author-arlyne-simon-breaking-barriers-for-female-patent-holders/

"By encouraging all students to see themselves as inventors and innovators, we can start raising a generation of changemakers who will solve the challenges of today."
— Dr. Arlyne Simon, Biomedical Engineer, Inventor, Author & Entrepreneur
Every great invention begins with someone who believes they can make a difference.

Dr. Arlyne Simon has dedicated her career to proving that innovation belongs to everyone, from inventing life-changing healthcare technologies to inspiring young people through her books and advocacy for invention education. Her message reminds us that when students see themselves as inventors, they gain the confidence to imagine, create, and solve the problems that matter most.

Learn more about the power of invention education by visiting: inventioneducation.org

08/11/2026

Kenyatta University is leading medtech innovation through higher education, including with a new Maternal and Neonatal Health Design Challenge! 🌐

Its Centre for Design, Innovation and Engineering in Nairobi is using invention education (IvE) to create real-world medtech solutions in East Africa.

This current design challenge invites teams of students or innovators to focus on solving critical issues in maternal and newborn care.

🔗 Learn more at the info-session webinar on Aug. 14: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfJoFgpyIXT58ZlfEc6TSmMr2OxcSF0EiDf13CZI7_fTuvjKQ/viewform

🔗 Apply for the IvE-KU Design Challenge by Aug. 24: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ASGhPvd3JZ3UeVGvY9Rsjvv4f0RCIkYwJNHNjg6aUuM/viewform?ts=6a70a1d5&edit_requested=true

08/06/2026

Evann Sun, a 15-year-old student inventor from Santa Clara, California, has a Michael Jordan quote on his closet door. It reads: “You must expect great things from yourself before you can do them.”

He channeled that belief in himself into inventing to help others.

His middle school science fair team developed an affordable assistive reading device for visually impaired students called “Visionary” — a pair of glasses that use AI to translate text to speech in real time. They succeeded in creating an effective prototype that gained national recognition at the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, the premier STEM research competition for middle schoolers.

🏀 Read more about Evann’s journey, the story behind their prototype, and the importance of teamwork in invention: https://www.lemelson.org/inventors-envision-the-future-of-accessibility-with-ai/

📸 Photo: Courtesy of Lisa Fryklund/Licensed by Society for Science

Society for Science

08/05/2026

A solar-powered sewing machine revived the livelihood of a tailor who experienced a mobility-altering accident in Vijaypura, India.

​She received the transformative technology after The Association of People with Disability - India connected her with our grantee, the SELCO Foundation, which is working to decentralize renewable energy in India.

​“Now, I can do tailoring work as I used to do before my injury,” she said.

​Watch SELCO’s video to see how affordable solar power can improve accessibility for underserved communities.

Learn more about our grantee and their model that promotes greater inclusivity in the transition to clean energy at Lemelson.org/selco-foundation.

07/31/2026

We’re partnering with the National Society of Black Engineers Portland Professionals Chapter to help elevate the next generation of engineers and founders with a special event in Portland, Oregon.

On August 12, “Building at the Crossroads” will feature a hybrid panel discussion (also accessible virtually) on the intersection of AI, data center infrastructure, and entrepreneurship. Attendees will gain an opportunity to network, learn about climate tech entry points, and hear how to capitalize on the rapidly growing AI space.

Attend the free event either online or in person. 🔗 Register at the link below.

NSBE Portland Professionals

Join us in person and VIRTUALLY to explore how AI and infrastructure is sparking new opportunities for Engineering-Focused Entrepreneurs!