The National Academy of Inventors welcomed three new Gators as NAI Fellows this month: Abdelsalam (Sumi) Helal, Ph.D., Chris Malachowsky, M.S. and Mark Sheplak, Ph.D.
These University of Florida engineering inventors are part of a larger cohort of 185 exceptional inventors — 169 from the United States and 16 international Fellows.
Helal is an emeritus professor who taught in the Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering until 2022. His research ventured into digital health, as well as mobile and pervasive computing.
He co-founded the Gator Tech Smart House, a real-world deployment project that identifies key barriers and opportunities to make Smart Home concepts commonplace.
“I am truly honored to be elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. This recognition is deeply meaningful to me because it reflects the real-world impact of the technologies and ideas developed with my students and collaborators over many years,” Helal said. “I never imagined that I would join this community of innovators, and I am grateful to the university for fostering an environment where research can translate into solutions that improve people’s lives.”