College Discoveries Named UMD 2026 Inventions of the Year
University of Maryland Invention of the Year winners were announced Tuesday at Innovate Maryland, an annual celebration of UMD researchers’ creativity in translating cutting-edge research into practical, impactful solutions.
"Our researchers are redefining what's possible across science, medicine and technology," said Vice President and Chief Research Officer Patrick O'Shea. "From pulling 'forever chemicals' out of our drinking water to harnessing the power of quantum light, this year's finalists remind us that bold ideas and rigorous science can change lives and the world."
The 2026 Invention of the Year winners from the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences were:
Physical Sciences Category Winner
Rare-Earth Metal Ion Recovery Using a Self-Assembling Ligand System
Inventors: Mercedes Taylor and Michael Baptiste, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
The rare-earth metals used to build our phones, electric vehicles and renewable energy systems are extraordinarily difficult to recover and recycle. Traditional extraction methods are slow and chemically intensive and often yield impure results. Researchers in the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences have designed a molecule that solves this problem by self-assembling around rare-earth ions to selectively bind and separate them from complex mixtures. The process is rapid, recyclable and precise, with the potential to build a more sustainable and reliable supply chain to support clean energy infrastructure.
Quantum Technology Category Winner
Topological Photonics Architecture for Optical Computing and Artificial Intelligence (TOPAI)
Inventors: Mahmoud Mehrabad, Lida Xu, Supratik Sarkar, Zhi-Yuan Wei, Mohammad Hafezi, Department of Physics
Today’s AI systems are bumping up against hard limits. They consume enormous amounts of power, generate tremendous heat and struggle to scale. TOPAI, developed by researchers in the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences and the A. James Clark School of Engineering, offers a different approach: computing with light instead of electricity. Like a train locked onto a track, TOPAI’s topological photonic states keep information stable and on course even as the system scales, opening a new frontier for AI infrastructure that is faster, cooler and more resilient than ever before.
In addition, Anne Simon, a professor of cell biology and molecular genetics, received a special recognition award for her significant contributions to UMD's innovation ecosystem. Simon received the Innovation Catalyst Award for spurring innovation on campus and in industry. Simon co-founded Silvec Biologics with her brother Rafael Simon to deploy her research against citrus greening disease—a bacterial infection that has devastated Florida's citrus industry since 2005 and continues to threaten production worldwide.
Adapted from an article written by Silvana Montañola