State University of New York Chancellor Robert L. King this week honored four Binghamton scholars for their contribution to the advancement of humanity through groundbreaking research. The four were among 54 SUNY researchers recognized.

“SUNY’s success at attracting millions of dollars of research funds in the areas of high-tech science, medicine and education is being guaranteed today and into the future by the breakthroughs these award-winning faculty members contributed in 2002,” said King following the second “Chancellor’s Recognition Dinner Honoring Innovation, Creation, and Discovery,” held at State University Plaza in Albany.

From Binghamton, Chuan-Jian Zhong, assistant professor of chemistry; Patrick Madden, assistant professor of computer science; Scott Oliver, assistant professor of chemistry; and Junghyun Cho, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, were honored.

Zhong was recognized with a First Patent Award for development of a low-power electrically driven pumping device that could significantly enhance the quality of life for diabetics around the world. The device will be able to perform microfluidic analysis and potentially remain in the body, constantly measuring it for insulin and delivering precise amounts of the necessary hormone.

Madden, Oliver and Cho each received Promising Inventor Awards. Madden was honored for his work that allows for the fast and accurate calculation of propagation delays in very large scale integration (VLSI) interconnects, essential to the design of integrated circuits. Oliver and Cho were recognized for their work to develop space-age two-ply, self-assembling organic-inorganic thin films that make expensive mirrors and lenses, such as those used by NASA, virtually indestructible and dramatically reduce manufacturing costs.

Also nominated for their inventions were Zohngfei Zhang and Bahgat Sammakia. Zhang, assistant professor of computer science, was nominated for developing a process that allows for the detection and retrieval of video shots that contain independent motion directly from fast-scanning compressed surveillance video streams in an archived database, or directly from a remote sensor hook-up in real-time performance.

Sammakia, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Integrated Electronics Engineering Center, was nominated for his development of novel approaches to thermal management in electronics packaging, including those that use nanotechnology to achieve significant reductions in thermal resistance, and for his work with Oliver and Cho on thin films.

King noted that many contributions by SUNY scholars received funding from public and private sources, including the National Science Foundation. “Earlier this year, SUNY was ranked eighth in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s patent ranking of U.S. universities — a feat that will help the State University attract new students and faculty with the best and brightest minds from around the world,” added King.