S.K. Gupta, Shang-Hua Teng and Massoud Pedram (Photo/Viterbi School)
Shang-Hua Teng, S.K. Gupta and Massoud Pedram of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering have been elected fellows of the National Academy of Inventors, an honor that recognizes academic inventors whose work has generated significant societal and economic impact.
Teng’s research focuses on understanding why algorithms perform better in practice than traditional theoretical analysis would predict. Gupta develops robotic systems designed to handle repetitive, physically demanding manufacturing tasks that have become increasingly difficult for companies to staff. Pedram’s work centers on designing energy-efficient computer chips and systems that reduce power consumption in electronic devices.
“Shang-Hua’s inventive thinking transforms practices, creates novel pathways, and leads to great value creation,” USC Viterbi Dean Yannis C. Yortsos said. “S.K. is reimagining manufacturing in our age of AI, while also serving as a prolific mentor in innovative and entrepreneurial thinking to many of our students. And Professor Massoud Pedram’s work has long anticipated the importance of energy efficiency in computing, an area of explosive interest in today’s AI revolution.”
With the induction of Teng, a computer scientist known for his theoretical work on algorithms; Gupta, a robotics researcher who co-founded a manufacturing automation startup; and Pedram, an electrical engineer who holds multiple patents, USC Viterbi now has 31 fellows in the NAI.
Said Yortsos: “This constantly increasing distinction is a testament to the significant impact Viterbi has in not only advancing thought leadership but also in creating value that innovates in solving grand challenge-like problems and ultimately enriches life for the benefit of all humanity.”
The NAI, founded in 2010 in partnership with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, honors academics who hold U.S. patents and whose inventions have been commercialized or otherwise deployed in real-world settings. Fellow status represents what the organization describes as the highest professional distinction for academic inventors.
Last year, the NAI reported over 1.2 million jobs were created as a result of NAI fellow inventions.
Teng’s Theoretical Work Yields Practical Applications
Teng, the Seeley G. Mudd Professor of Engineering, and University Professor of computer science and mathematics, has won the Gödel Prize twice, making him one of a select group to receive theoretical computer science’s top honor multiple times.
His first Gödel Prize, awarded in 2008, recognized work he conducted with Daniel Spielman of Yale University on what they termed smoothed analysis. The framework addresses a persistent puzzle in computer science: many algorithms that should theoretically perform poorly in worst-case scenarios nonetheless work efficiently when deployed with real-world data.
The researchers demonstrated that the randomness, noise and imprecision inherent in practical data sets make worst-case scenarios less likely to occur. The insight has influenced work in fields ranging from internet communications to machine learning.
In 2015, Teng received a second Gödel Prize for developing algorithms that can solve network optimization problems in nearly linear time. The work has applications in analyzing large-scale networks, from social media platforms to power grids.
The Simons Foundation named Teng a Simons Investigator in 2014, describing him as one of the most original theoretical computer scientists working today. He holds multiple patents from consulting work with companies such as Microsoft Research, Akamai, IBM, Intel and Xerox PARC. They cover areas ranging from compiler optimization or making computer programs run faster and use less memory, to internet technology.
Beyond his algorithm work, Teng has also studied how math can inspire games and puzzles. He worked with a former student to create a board game called Atropos. The game is based on a mathematical rule about coloring triangles.
His recent research has solved problems that puzzled mathematicians since the 1980s. He studied what happens when people play multiple simple games at the same time.
Teng said he was thrilled to be named an NAI fellow. “As a theoretical computer scientist, I am honored by this recognition in practical computing. It reflects the creativity and talent of the many engineers and scientists, from NASA to Akamai, with whom I have had the privilege to work.”
Gupta: Bridging Academic Insights and Commercial Manufacturing
Gupta holds the Smith International Professorship in Mechanical Engineering, professorships in aerospace and mechanical engineering and computer science, and directs USC’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing. His career has alternated between academic positions and stints shaping federal robotics policy.
He served as program director for the National Robotics Initiative at the National Science Foundation from 2012 to 2014, where he helped establish funding priorities for robotics research across multiple federal agencies. Before joining USC in 2016, he founded and directed the Maryland Robotics Center at the University of Maryland.
Gupta’s academic work focuses on what he calls physics-informed artificial intelligence — systems that can make rapid decisions in manufacturing environments characterized by uncertainty and complex physical processes. He has published more than 500 technical papers and holds 28 U.S. and three international patents.
In 2020, he co-founded GrayMatter Robotics, a Los Angeles-based company where he serves as chief scientist. The startup develops AI-powered robotic systems for surface finishing operations like sanding, grinding and polishing — tasks that manufacturers struggle to fill because of their physically demanding nature. The company’s technology allows robots to program themselves from high-level task descriptions, eliminating the need for custom programming that would make automation economically unviable in facilities that produce varied products in small batches.
GrayMatter has raised $45 million in Series B funding in 2024 and deployed robotic cells in factories across North America for the aerospace, defense and consumer products industries. The approach reflects Gupta’s emphasis on human-centered automation, developing robotic systems that enhance worker productivity and safety rather than simply replacing labor. His earlier research projects include RoboRaven, a robotic bird capable of outdoor flight and aerobatic maneuvers, and RoboSAM, described as the first manufacturing robot able to assess its own confidence in performing tasks and request human assistance when needed.
Gupta has received numerous honors for his work, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2001, presented at the White House. He is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
“I am honored to be named a fellow of NAI and join the company of distinguished academic inventors,” he said.
Pedram: Pioneering Low-Power Electronics Design
Pedram holds the Charles Lee Powell Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science and has spent more than three decades advancing techniques that reduce energy consumption in electronic devices. His work addresses a fundamental challenge in modern computing: how to design chips and systems that deliver high performance while minimizing power use.
He joined USC in 1991 after earning his doctorate in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of California, Berkeley.
Pedram’s research in power modeling, analysis, and minimization has revolutionized energy-efficient VLSI circuit and system design. His innovative methodologies, hardware/software solutions, and design automation algorithms have dramatically advanced computation speed while reducing power dissipation across diverse computing paradigms, including CMOS systems, quantum computing, superconductive electronics and machine learning hardware.
He transformed low-power design from a niche to a crucial, ubiquitous discipline. He led the IARPA-funded ColdFlux project from 2017 to 2022 on ultra-low-power superconducting electronics and currently serves as principal investigator for NSF’s prestigious DISCoVER project, aiming for next-generation superconducting devices with over 100 times the energy efficiency of current CMOS technology.
His numerous honors include the 1996 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, IEEE Fellow (2001), AAAS Fellow (2023), and ACM Fellow (2024).
He also received the 2015 IEEE Circuits and Systems Society Charles A. Desoer Technical Achievement Award, the 2017 USC Viterbi School of Engineering Senior Research Award, and the 2023 Van Duzer Prize. His influence is further evidenced by his recognition as the second most cited author at the 20th International Symposium on Low Power Electronics and Design (2015) and the third most cited at the 50th Design Automation Conference (2013). His scholarly output comprises four books, over 800 peer-reviewed papers and conference contributions and 12 U.S. patents.
Pedram served as editor-in-chief of the ACM Transactions on Design Automation of Electronic Systems from 2008 to 2014. He was also the founding editor-in-chief of the IEEE Journal on Emerging and Selected Topics in Circuits and Systems from 2010 to 2013.
“I see this recognition as a powerful encouragement to keep pushing the boundaries and focusing on transformative projects that can make a difference,” he said. “The real reward is always in the next big idea.”
The 2026 NAI Fellows awards ceremony will take place on the USC Campus in June.
Published on December 11th, 2025
Last updated on December 11th, 2025
