Triangle Academy of Inventors

The Triangle Fraternity Academy of Inventors recognizes Triangle Brothers for their contributions to society and the world through their inventions. Initiated in 2017, the program seeks to identify and celebrate the many inventions we take for granted every day that exist because of a Triangle member.

There are three levels of membership:

  • Distinguished Fellow – at least 3 patents, but based on overall impact of patent/s to the betterment of society
  • Distinguished Member – 5 or more patents
  • Member – 1 to 4 patents

Membership at all levels is open to living and deceased Brothers and to all members, including Chapter Honorary members. Members and Distinguished members are automatically enrolled upon confirmation of the number of patents in their name. Distinguished Fellows will be elected by the National Council and limited to two per year.

Self‐nomination is encouraged and will be the primary method of selection, although members may be nominated by others. Nominations must include total number of patents held, the patent number(s), date of each patent, a brief description of each patent, and who it was assigned to.

If the Brother holds more than ten U.S. patents, please list only the ten most important, significant or with the greatest impact. Nominations may be submitted via email at inventors@triangle.org, or you may nominate online using the form below.

Distinguished Fellow (at least 3 patents, elected by National Council)

Dean Peterson sdm53
Peterson’s development of the Kodak Instamatic camera in the 1960s caused an explosion in amateur photography.

  • In the 1970s, Peterson’s innovations made possible the “point and shoot” photography revolution that extends to this day. Automatic focus, off-the-film metering, auto-film-advance and built-in self-quenching flash: all were developed by Peterson and his team in the 1970s.
  • His favorite invention was the Morgan Reel, a single-action fly reel named after his father-in-law, Morgan Drake, featuring a unique, infinitely-variable drag mechanism which can never be damaged by sand or grit, superior ergonomics, and the ability to operate either with the characteristic “click” familiar in most fly reels or completely silently.
  • He was responsible for the development of two of most successful products in the history of Fisher-Price Toys, their childproof audiocassette recorder and phonograph player, both introduced in the early 1980s.
  • He designed a number of important advanced products for the medical industry, and developed a variety of patented methods for improving manufacturing processes, saving manufacturers tens of millions of dollars.
  • He developed the only successful 3D consumer camera, the first high-speed video camera for scientific motion analysis, and provided the mechanical design for the world’s first tablet computer.
  • Nearly 100 patents.

Randy Katz cor74
Katz is well known in the computer industry for his development of RAID computer storage systems in the 1980s with professor emeritus David Patterson and then-graduate student Garth Gibson. Short for Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks, RAID storage today is a multibillion-dollar business that allows storing data in multiple places across an array of many small, parallel computers for quick retrieval and protection against loss or corruption of the data.

  • In 1993-1994, he established whitehouse.gov and connected the White House to the Internet.
  • Led the implementation of the SPUR (Symbolic Processing Using RISCs) multiprocessor memory system, the first such system to integrate coherent multiprocessor cache memories with efficient virtual memory management. This project implemented the first “snooping cache” protocol that has subsequently been adapted and extended for virtual all of the multiprocessor workstation server systems on the market today.
  • The combined in-building, metropolitan-area, and wide-area testbed was called BARWAN (Bay Area Research Wireless Access Network). Major developments included low latency handoffs for real-time streams, intelligent vertical handoffs between overlay networks, improved transport layer performance over wireless and asymmetric links, and proxies for intelligent data adaptation for web data types and real-time streams.

Paul Flaherty marq84

  • Invented and managed the Alta Vista search engine, generating over $4.5 Billion in value for DEC. Alta Vista was the Internet’s first popular search engine and it introduced millions to online searching.
  • Holds five patents in wireless networking.

Robert Lucky pur58

  • Invented the adaptive equalizer, the key enabler for all high speed modems today, which allowed data to be transmitted over phone lines at 9600 bps instead of 2400bps.
  • Holds 10 patents.

Robert Rosenberg ar55

  • Invented the eternal flame that was installed at the John F Kennedy grave site.
  • The first gas-fired self-cleaning oven.
  • Smooth top gas range.
  • Holds 13 patents.

John Storm pur73

  • A new furnace application utilizing a methanol / nitrogen atmosphere, a technology that is now an industry standard. Storm’s innovations would eventually save GM over $6,000,000 per year.
  • Micropulse Process – thermal processing—the keys to the process were very rapidly heating the working surface of a gear approximately a millimeter deep to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit in less than half a second.
  • Contour Hardening’s patented gears, which are half as wide, yet twice as strong as the industry standard were in the first and second place cars in the 1997 Indianapolis 500.
  • Real Power – chassis-integrated power generators for pickups, etc.
  • Holds over 200 U.S. and international patents
Distinguished Member (5 or more patents)
John Bucknell akr90
Mark Buenz is80
Eugene Cummings nu59
J. Steven Flannigan rose67
Max Gassman sdm54
Robert Harner nu48
Jim Horn ar75
Lawrence M. Kaplan ill84
Robert A. Kleist kan49
Jim Niemira mom82
Gene O’Donnell lou79
Dennis Ramge cin61
Rollie Risher mich69
Robert Rosenberg ar55
Mark Shehan ps85
James G. Smith wis39
John Storm pur73
Garo Vaporciyan mich80
John F. Wakerly marq69
Herb Weiner cor68
Joshua Wurtz kan09
Member (1 to 4 patents)
Robert Campbell msu57
Clifford Carlson mich68

Gregory Davis mich80
Jon Eklund msoe99
Bruce Emaus mich69
Charles Fannin mich79
John Fraleigh mich79

Chris Fries msoe94
Patrick Gries marq80
Mark Harris pur00
Peter Hovde minn70
Ralph Kroy mich84
Andrew Lincoln mich81
Loyal Peterman cin62
Cary Robins mich80

Richard Sabis marq76
Todd Sauve msoe86
Carl Smith mich67

Bill Schmunk nu47
Anthony Sterns mich85

Shawn Szturma conn90
Maynard (Pete) Venema ar29

Nominate an Inventor

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