JUNE 5, 2024 — UTSA researchers secured 10 patents in 2023, contributing to The University of Texas (UT) System’s No. 3 ranking on a recent assessment by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Published annually, the Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted Utility Patents ranks universities by the number of patents issued to their faculty within a calendar year.
The ranking serves to highlight U.S. universities that play a large role in advancing innovation and invention in the United States. This marks the second consecutive year that the UT System has held third place in this ranking.
“Achieving this ranking in 2022 and maintaining our position in 2023 is a demonstration of the sheer ingenuity and momentum of our community of researchers and inventors,” said JoAnn Browning, UTSA interim vice president for research. “The UT System is a powerhouse for research and development, and I am immensely proud to be a part of an ecosystem that provides researchers with the tools and support to innovate relentlessly.”
Eugene John, UTSA Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design (Klesse College), was among the UTSA researchers who received a patent in 2023. The patent, titled Method and apparatus for an ultra low power VLSI implementation of the 128-bit AES algorithm using a novel approach to the shiftrow transformation, aims to improve the efficiency of Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), a widely used encryption algorithm.
AES was established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 2001 to keep users’ data secure.
“Think of AES encryption as a super-secure lock for your digital information,” John said. “It's like having a secret box that only opens with a special key. AES uses this key — like a password — to scramble your data into a code that looks like gibberish to anyone without the key. AES is very strong and can use keys of different lengths, making it even harder to break. This patent is about an efficient way to implement AES algorithms.” John noted that he and his team anticipate that their novel approach “will have a significant industry impact.”
Other patents spanned a range of fields and topics, from deep learning to bioengineering to photovoltaics. The 10 patents issued to UTSA researchers in 2023 include:
Carlos Garcia, Tomas E Benavidez, Rena Bizios (Klesse College, biomedical engineering)
11,819,592 | Adsorption of proteins on conducting surfaces upon application of external potential
Kelly Nash (College of Sciences, physics and astronomy), Gregory Guisbiers, Humberto Herman Lara Villegas
11,825,847 | Antimicrobial coating comprising chalcogenide nano-particles capped by chitosan
Sos Agaian, Karen Panetta, Long Bao
11,615,559 | Methods and systems for human imperceptible computerized color transfer
Bing Dong, Zhaoxuan Li
11,545,830 | Systems and methods of hierarchical forecasting of solar photovoltaic energy production;
Aaron Benjamin Greenblatt, Sos S. Agaian
11,645,835 | Hypercomplex deep learning methods, architectures, and apparatus for multimodal small, medium, and large-scale data representation, analysis, and applications;
Alekhya Muthineni, Eugene John (Klesse College, electrical and computer engineering)
11,838,403 | Method and apparatus for an ultra low power VLSI implementation of the 128-bit AES algorithm using a novel approach to the shiftrow transformation
Tongping Liu, Sam Albert Silvestro, Hongyu Liu, Tianyi Liu
11,593,483 | Guarder: an efficient heap allocator with strongest and tunable security;
Lingqian Chang, R. Lyle Hood (Klesse College, mechanical engineering) Forhad Akhter
11,624,050 | Microneedle array electroporation system for cell transfection;
Tongping Liu, Hongyu Liu, Sam Albert Silvestro
11,599,445 | Watcher: precise and fully-automatic on-site failure diagnosis;
Banglin Chen, Rui-Biao Lin, Yanshu Shi
11,708,379 | Mechanochemical synthesis of metal-organic frameworks for molecular sieving and compositions and methods of use thereof
The NAI has published the Top 100 Worldwide Universities list since 2013. It introduced the Top 100 U.S. Universities ranking last year to complement the worldwide ranking and provide a more focused view of the national innovation landscape.
“As we look at the current and future state of innovation in our nation, we need to ensure that the U.S. is remaining competitive in the international innovation ecosystem,” said Paul R. Sanberg, president of the NAI. “Protecting intellectual property is a key component to this, and the Top 100 U.S. Universities list allows us to recognize and celebrate universities and their faculty, staff, and students who are not only innovating at high levels but taking the additional step of protecting their IP through patenting.”
The UT System has ranked highly on the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents lists in previous years. It held fourth place in 2020 and third place in 2021.
This year, NAI also launched the Top 60 Worldwide Non-profit Research Institutes and Government Agencies ranking to highlight the role non-profit research institutions and government agencies in advancing innovation around the world and driving the global economy. Together, these rankings aim to provide a comprehensive snapshot of intellectual property protection in the innovation ecosystem.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn to setup an EndNote library, save references and PDFs, and automatically create and edit a bibliography. Attendees are encouraged, but not required, to have EndNote already installed on a personal computer.
Virtual EventJoin this annual community celebration of Mexico’s independence sponsored by the Avenida Guadalupe Association. UTSA’s Westside Community Center—located at the parade’s starting location at Guadalupe and Brazos Streets—will be open to visitors for the duration of the event.
UTSA Westside Community Center, 1310 Guadalupe St, San Antonio, TX 78207Don’t mind the writing but hate formatting citations and bibliographies? Working on your thesis or dissertation, or even a long paper this semester? Citation managers such as Zotero® can help you store and organize the citations you find during your research. Take part in this session about using Zotero®.
Virtual EventDid you know the library offers much more than books and study spaces? Our librarians can also support your research and publishing and strengthen your instruction. Join us for a one-hour workshop about all that UTSA Libraries offers.
Virtual EventAre you interested in learning more about incorporating digital methods into your research? This workshop will introduce you to approaches and tools that can help support your research. Through hands-on activities, you will learn about text analysis and digital mapping and how these methods can enrich your projects.
Group Spot B, 2.01.22, John Peace LibraryLearn to use the simple but powerful features of EndNote®, a citation management tool. In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn to setup an EndNote library, save references and PDFs, and automatically create and edit a bibliography.
Virtual EventAproduction of the Gudalupe Cultural Arts Center, Rio Bravo showcases the vibrant music and dance traditions of the Texas-Mexico border region. Featuring the Guadalupe Dance Company and Mariachi Azteca de América, the performances will be filmed live both nights, courtesy of UTSA's College of Liberal and Fine Arts.
UTSA Downtown CampusThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.