Aerospace engineer Ron Barrett-Gonzalez named National Academy of Inventors Fellow

Ron Barrett-Gonzalez shows off the prototype of a “hexcopter.”

Ron Barrett-Gonzalez, University of Kansas professor of aerospace engineering, shows off KU’s “hexcopter” prototype at a news conference in 2018. Barrett-Gonzalez advised the team whose design was one of 10 winners in Phase I of the international “GoFly Prize.”

Tue, 12/10/2024

Erinn Barcomb-Peterson

LAWRENCE — For the second year in a row, the National Academy of Inventors has added a Jayhawk engineer among its fellows.

Ron Barrett-Gonzalez, professor of aerospace engineering, was named among the 170 academic inventors in the 2024 Class of NAI Fellows on Dec. 10. Election as an academy fellow is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to academic inventors.

Barrett-Gonzalez directs KU’s Adaptive Aerostructures and Aircraft Design Laboratories, which support the design, research, development and flight testing of a variety of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) ranging in speed from hover through hypersonic. The lab has pioneered the world's fastest micro quad-copters, known as QuadRockets, which can reach up to 130 mph.

His latest inventions include guided hypersonic ammunition for air-to-air combat, a flight safe flying motorcycle propulsor, flying Jayhawk and even a remote-controlled flying feather-ball. The ammunition and flying feather-ball have been licensed by Watson Industries.

He has disclosed more than 38 inventions to the KU Center for Technology Commercialization (KUCTC) and is the primary inventor on 23 issued utility and design patents, most with student co-inventors.

“It has been a pleasure to work with the KUCTC,” Barrett-Gonzalez said. “They make the patenting and licensing process easy for inventors like me.”

Cliff Michaels, the center’s executive director, said, “KUCTC, as KU’s technology transfer office, was happy to help nominate Dr. Barrett-Gonzalez for this recognition. He has been one of our most prolific inventors, collaborating with the office to help protect and advance innovations from his lab toward the market.”

Barrett-Gonzalez also guides winning teams of KU engineering students whose designs have included an unmanned hypersonic spy plane, a disaster-relief medical quadcopter, a flying motorcycle and a family of fast, eco-friendly jets dubbed Skyblazers.

“Innovation and invention are core components of the culture and mission of KU research, and are among the many ways that research at KU is translated into real-world solutions that make a difference in our community and our world,” said Shelley Hooks, vice chancellor for research. “This recognition acknowledges the combination of grit, inspiration and collaboration that define great inventors like Dr. Barrett-Gonzales. We are especially proud that Ron is a KU alumnus who has continued his career here as an engineering professor, educating and inspiring the next generation of Jayhawk innovators.”

He is the current head of KU’s Aerospace Design Program. Over the past 20 years, his students extended KU’s winning streak from 60 to 104 awards total, building on the records established by the program’s founders, the late professors Jan Roskam and Saeed Farokhi, whom Barrett-Gonzalez considers his most impactful mentors.

“Ron’s contribution to the field and to the School of Engineering are a source of inspiration,” said Mary Rezac, dean of the School of Engineering. “His innovation and mentorship of students are essential in helping KU Engineering maintain its place as a global leader in aircraft design.”

Barrett-Gonzalez received a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from KU before earning a master's degree in the discipline from the University of Maryland. He returned to KU for his doctorate in aerospace engineering.

Since its inception in 2012, the NAI Fellows program has grown to include more than 2,000 exceptional researchers and innovators, who hold more than 68,000 U.S. patents and 20,000 licensed technologies. NAI Fellows are known for the societal and economic impact of their inventions, contributing to major advancements in science and consumer technologies. Their innovations have generated more than $3.2 trillion in revenue and generated more than 1.2 million jobs.

KU was named a member of the National Academy of Inventors in 2013. Since then, seven faculty members have been named fellows while at KU:

2024 — Ron Barrett-Gonzalez.
2023 — Brian McClendon, research professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science.
2018 — Mark Shiflett, Foundation Distinguished Professor of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering.
2017 — Cory Berkland, Solon E. Summerfield Distinguished Professor in KU’s departments of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Chemical & Petroleum Engineering.
2016 — Raghunath Chaudhari, Deane E. Ackers Distinguished Professor of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering.
2015 — Val Stella, distinguished professor emeritus in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, and Bala Subramaniam, the Dan F. Servey Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering.

The 2024 class of fellows will be honored and presented their medals at the National Academy of Inventors 14th Annual Meeting in June 2025.