Learn about intellectual property at initial meeting of National Academy of Inventors LTU chapter

SOUTHFIELD-The Lawrence Technological University chapter of the National Academy of Inventors will hold its inaugural meeting Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 11:30 a.m. in Room S100, the Marburger Auditorium in LTU's Science Building (building 7 at www.ltu.edu/map).

This organizational session will focus on the processes and procedures of developing intellectual property and bringing it to industry. The event is free, open to the public, and includes lunch.

The meeting will kick off with a welcome from LTU President Tarek Sobh, followed by the keynote address from Anne DiSante, executive director of Michigan State University's MSU Technologies.

DiSante is an experienced technology transfer professional who began her career in 1987. At MSU Technologies, she supervises an office of 22 professionals who engage inventors on all aspects of innovation, intellectual property, and commercialization. Before working in tech transfer, DiSante was a medical technologist. She earned a bachelor's degree in medical technologies, a master's degree in microbiology and immunology, and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

The meeting will also feature an innovation and invention panel discussion, featuring DiSante, along with Kevin Finn, LTU vice president for philanthropy and alumni engagement; Andrew Gerhart, assistant chair of LTU's A. Leon Linton Department of Mechanical, Robotics and Industrial Engineering; LTU University Historian Bruce Annett; Ward Law Office LLC patent attorney Jake Ward; and Dennis Shaver, director of product development at LTU's Centrepolis Accelerator. Ward Law, a registered patent attorney firm, is corporate sponsor of the event.

For more information, contact LTU NAI Chapter President Roger Harrison at [email protected] or (248) 204-2561. Harrison is project engineer in the LTU Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering.

Harrison said the meeting is intended to introduce LTU faculty, staff, students, and the public to the NAI, the opportunities the organization provides to innovators, and the importance of protecting intellectual property.

The National Academy of Inventors is a non-profit organization that recognizes and supports inventors and promotes the advancement of science and technology: The NAI has over 4,600 members, including Fellows, Senior Members, and Chapter Members, affiliated with more than 300 institutions worldwide. Members are elected based on their invention and innovation achievements. The NAI offers a variety of services to members, including networking opportunities, awards for outstanding inventors, educational programs, and research opportunities.

Lawrence Technological Universityis one of only 13 independent, technological, comprehensive doctoral universities in the United States. Located in Southfield, Mich., LTU was founded in 1932 and offers more than 100 programs through its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, Engineering, and Health Sciences, as well as Specs@LTU as part of its growing Center for Professional Development. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation's top 11 percent of universities for alumni salaries. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal rank LTU among the nation's top 10 percent. U.S. News and World Report list it in the top tier of the best Midwest colleges. And LTU is included in the Princeton Review's "The Best 390 Colleges 2025 Edition," a list of the nation's top 15 percent of colleges and universities. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, "theory and practice" education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech's 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.