Associate professor of electrical and computer engineering named NAI senior member
Published: Mar 9, 2026 8:00 AM
By Joe McAdory
Masoud Mahjouri-Samani, left, created the world's first dry, ink-free printer.
Masoud Mahjouri-Samani thrives on turning research into tangible products.
The Godbold Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) invented the world’s first dry, ink-free printer and proved it functions in microgravitational conditions via a series of NASA-sanctioned parabolic flights. When COVID-19 ravaged the planet and clinical testing results demanded time and patients, his lab developed biomedical sensors capable of instantly detecting the disease.
And he’s just getting started.
As founder of NanoPrintek and director of the LASE-END lab in Broun Hall, Mahjouri-Samani is also dabbling with nano-scale power additive manufacturing, 2D-quantum materials, dry printing with high resolution and even large-scale circuit board printing, but that’s just to name a few.
The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and FlexTech have taken notice. Not only did the NAI select Mahjouri-Samani as a senior member, but FlexTech, a SEMI Technology community, recognized the associate professor as an “environmental sustainability champion” at its FLEX Conference, Feb. 25 in Phoenix.
“I’m honored and humbled by the recognition from both organizations,” Mahjouri-Samani said. “When you approach research with an inventor’s mindset, it leads to real outcomes. You can begin with fundamental research, but if you think like an inventor, your work ultimately becomes something useful.
“In my case, I enjoy turning research into tangible products. That’s important to me. I think about people like Benjamin Franklin. He wasn’t just studying ideas, but his inventor’s mind changed the world. That’s how I see research.”
In an announcement, the NAI credited Mahjouri-Samani for “remarkable achievements as an academic inventor and a rising leader in the field.”
He joins a global network of 945 NAI senior members and becomes the second Auburn Engineering faculty member to earn senior member status, alongside Jin Wang, the Woltosz Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering.
The NAI Fellow designation represents an even more prestigious distinction within the organization, and Auburn Engineering is already home to three current faculty who hold that honor: Mehmet Arik, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bruce Tatarchuk, the Charles E. Gavin III Chair, director of the Center for Microfibrous Materials Manufacturing and professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, and J. David Irwin, ECE professor and head emeritus.
Separately, FlexTech “honors individuals whose volunteer leadership and professional contributions have advanced the flexible and hybrid electronics industry toward greater environmental sustainability,” according to a release. Mahjouri-Samani checks those boxes.
NanoPrintek, an Alabama Launchpad business pitch competition finalist in 2023, enables on-demand, conformal manufacturing without reliance on complex supply chains. This technology offers a precise, flexible and sustainable approach to producing next-generation flexible and hybrid electronics.
Mahjouri-Samani said that for the past three decades, printing has relied on ink-based systems that require converting raw materials into nano powder and then into carefully formulated ink, a lengthy process that consumes substantial energy, water and chemicals. Even after printing, products still require post-processing and cleaning before they are finished.
That’s an environmental problem Mahjouri-Samani’s dry-ink printer does not introduce.
“Consider the pollution, energy consumption and time involved in that entire chain,” Mahjouri-Samani said. “The supply chain itself is complex. If any step fails, the final product cannot be made.
“With our approach, we eliminate those steps. NanoPrintek prints directly from raw material. There is no ink conversion, no extensive chemical processing and no complicated supply chain. That means dramatically reduced energy use, no water or chemical waste and a cleaner, more sustainable manufacturing process.”
ECE Chair Mark Nelms said Mahjouri‑Samani’s recognitions from the NAI and FlexTech “speak to the impact and relevance of his work.”
“Dr. Mahjouri-Samani’s ability to turn fundamental discoveries into technologies with real societal impact exemplifies the innovation culture our faculty are building across the department,” Nelms said. “Whether it’s next‑generation electronics, advanced manufacturing, resilient communication systems or emerging areas of materials and device research, our teams are driving work that positions Auburn as a leader in engineering innovation. Dr. Mahjouri-Samani’s accomplishments highlight the momentum across the department and the growing national visibility of our research enterprise.”
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