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Richard McCullough, the President of Florida State University, will be inducted into the latest cohort of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame.
McCullough received accolades for his invention and progression of a specific type of polymer referred to as regioregular polythiophenes along with other innovative organic electronic materials, and for establishing companies that have propelled the commercialization of printable electronics and reactive metal inks.
“I’m privileged to be acknowledged for this accomplishment,” McCullough remarked. “Launching companies based on my research provided me with a firsthand perspective on how scientific innovation can profoundly influence society. I strive to instill the same entrepreneurial spirit in my governance of FSU.”
The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame is a statewide endeavor aimed at honoring and celebrating inventors affiliated with Florida, whose successes have greatly enhanced the quality of life for all Americans, while simultaneously fostering discovery, nurturing a culture of creativity, and motivating the next generation of innovators and change agents.
The polymers created by McCullough can be configured in three dimensions, endowing them with outstanding electrical characteristics suitable for uses such as solar cells and field-effect transistors. His innovation and commercialization of conductive ink represented a significant technological advancement, enabling successful printed electronics with features surpassing those of rival metallic inks.
McCullough has a track record of innovation throughout his academic journey.
As a professor and vice president for research at Carnegie Mellon University, he cultivated a dynamic innovation ecosystem, which included the Greenlighting Start-ups Initiative, leading to a substantial increase in the creation of university spinoff companies and corporate collaborations.
Before his tenure at FSU, McCullough held the roles of vice provost for research and professor of materials science and engineering at Harvard University.
During his time there, he initiated the Harvard Data Science Initiative, a partnership involving 12 of the university’s schools and over 120 faculty members. He also supervised the establishment of a new $100 million multi-institutional collaboration aimed at constructing the Advanced Biological Innovation and Manufacturing Center and Facility, known as Landmark Bio, which serves as a center for medical research and education as well as economic and workforce development.
In 2013, he was elected as a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.
McCullough joins three additional FSU-associated faculty members in the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame: Robert Holton, the creator of the anti-cancer medication Taxol; the late Thomas Lipo, whose groundbreaking contributions in electrical machinery and power electronics have enhanced technology for subway cars and paved the way for hybrid and electric vehicles; and Alan George Marshall, the inaugural director and chief scientist of the Ion Cyclotron Resonance Program at FSU.
McCullough will be acknowledged alongside other inductees for 2025 at a ceremony scheduled for Oct. 31 in Tampa.
For further details about the accolades and this year’s honorees, visit the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame website.
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