Thomas A. Edison Patent Award
The Thomas A. Edison Patent Award, established in 1997, recognizes creativity of a patented device or process that has the potential of significantly enhancing some aspect of mechanical engineering.
Nominations for this award are expected to demonstrate the significant impact of the nominee'/s invention to the practice of mechanical engineering or the significant impact that the invention had on at least one industrial/commercial sector. Such an impact might include: (a) creating a new business or industry, (b) substantially improving the efficiency, method of operation, or productivity of an existing machine or process, (c) dramatically reducing the size, weight, or energy requirements of an existing machine or device, (d) improving the quality of life for a definable segment, or all, of humanity, and (e) financially impacting an existing business or industry.
The nomination should focus on a single patent rather than the inventor'/s entire body of work.
Submit Nomination Here
Nomination Instructions
Nomination Tip
| Form of Award: | $1000, plaque, certificate, and a $750 travel allowance |
| Limitation(s): | The patent must have been registered in the U.S. |
| Administrative Responsibility: | Design Engineering Division |
| Nomination Deadline: | February 1 |
| E-mail: | persaudl@asme.org |
| Awarded By: | Committee on Honors (COH) |
Thomas A. Edison Patent Awardees
| 2000 | Herman H. Viegas |
| 2001 | Alexander M. Gorlov |
| 2002 | Hooshang Heshmat |
| 2003 | John N. Basic, Sr. |
| 2004 | Faydor L. Litvin |
| 2005 | Ching-Pang Lee |
| 2006 | Charles A. Garris |
| 2007 | Norman R. McCombs |
| 2008 | Kyriacos A. Athanasiou |
| 2009 | Alex J. Severensky |
| 2010 | Jyotirmoy Mazumder |
| 2012 | Vipin Kumar |
| 2013 | Moshe Shoham |
| 2015 | Andy Walker |
| 2020 | Shorya Awtar |
| 2022 | Robert O. Ambrose |
| 2023 | Phillip Cameron Chesser Brian K. Post Randall F. Lind Alex Roschli Lonnie J. Love |
| 2025 | Xin Zhang |