National Academy of Inventors Selects Theegala as Senior Member in Another Win for LSU

BATON ROUGE - LSU engineer Chandra Theegala, the Scott & Ruth Bergeron Professor with a joint appointment in the College of Engineering’s Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and the LSU AgCenter, has been elected a senior member by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). It’s one of the highest honors for inventors worldwide, a mark of high entrepreneurial activity and a potential for major social impact.

At LSU, 15 faculty are members of NAI, and with the election of Theegala, nearly half are engineers.

Fellows, the highest rank, collectively hold over 86,000 U.S. issued patents. According to NAI, fellows are academic researchers who have generated over 20,000 licensed technologies, launched 4,000 companies and created over 1.4 million jobs. Senior members, the NAI says, are rising stars. They demonstrate success in patents, licensing and commercialization, promote a spirit of invention, and mentor the next generation.

“I’m so proud of Dr. Theegala and all LSU engineers who’ve earned this distinction,” said LSU Engineering Dean Vicki Colvin. “Engineers solve big problems, and to do that, you often have to create new tools and technologies. Invention is essential to creating a stronger economy and improving our quality of life.”

Theegala earned his doctorate degree in civil and environmental engineering at LSU, and is a certified professional engineer specializing in civil engineering, water resources, and environmental engineering. He holds two U.S. patents, including a device that separates oil from salt water he developed after the 2010 Deep Water oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The invention earned live coverage from CNN from the Baton Rouge campus during the disaster.

“ Working with faculty and students to design new processes and products is central to my work, and to the work of so many engineers. I’m grateful to LSU and to NAI for recognizing these contributions. ”

Theegala has built 35 prototypes, supervised 23 graduate students, and worked with nearly 100 LSU undergraduates on senior capstone design projects, including a robotic arm for harvesting crawfish in Louisiana that also earned national attention in 2021.

“I get energized by technical challenges,” Theegala said. “Working with faculty and students to design new processes and products is central to my work, and to the work of so many engineers. I’m grateful to LSU and to NAI for recognizing these contributions.”

Marybeth Lima, professor and chair in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and the LSU AgCenter, nominated Theegala to the NAI. She said a common thread in his work is developing new ways to better manage natural resources. Lima says this means creating systems or tools that minimize waste, sustainably manage biological fuel sources, and promote energy conservation.

Theegala has used algae to create biofuels, made products like fertilizer from agricultural waste, and developed new tools for solar drying - the process of using sunlight to remove moisture from fruits, vegetables, and grains. His second U.S. patent is for a biomass gasifier system, which can convert carbon-based materials into clean-burning synthetic gas.

“Dr. Theegala’s ingenuity is inspiring and seemingly without limit,” said Wade Baumgartner, director of sponsored programs and intellectual property at the LSU AgCenter. “I expect more inventions to come.”

Theegala and the 2026 class of senior members will be honored at NAI’s 15th Annual Conference taking place June 1-4th, 2026 in Los Angeles.

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