Learn the stories of the greatest innovators

Browse Journeys of Innovation articles featuring NMTI laureates

The National Medal of Technology and Innovation (NMTI) is the nation’s highest honor for technological achievement on America's leading innovations. Find inspiration from the journeys of the greatest contributors to American technological innovation. Read about the challenges they faced to make their innovation a reality, how they overcame them, and how their ideas have impacted society. These stories also emphasize the importance of creating and protecting intellectual property, and the critical role it plays in technological advancement.

Browse all stories below, or search for a name or story title.

Jim West in a laboratory with three of his graduate students.
Going beyond the horizon >
Jim West
Highly regarded as an acoustic scientist, inventor Jim West is also a devoted mentor and advocate of diversity in STEM. Full Story >
Bob Metcalfe holding an Ethernet cable
Defying the doubters >
Bob Metcalfe
The one wire that connected us all. Full Story >
Rory Cooper in leaned back in a racing chair on a red track, leaned down to become aerodynamic, pushing himself to win
Engineering a better life >
Rory Cooper
An accident changed Rory Cooper’s life and set him on a path to improving the well-being of people with mobility impairments. Full Story >
Image: Chemist Frances Arnold holds a beaker with yellow liquid up to the light.
Beyond the Nobel >
Frances Arnold
Insights from the first American woman to win the Nobel prize in chemistry. Full Story >
Image: Irina Buhimschi and Cherry Murray speak on a panel at the US Capitol on empowering women
Failure or challenge? >
Irina Buhimschi and Cherry Murray
Two trailblazing innovators share insights on science, life in the lab, and beyond. Full Story >
share Share this page     print Print this page
Additional information  about this page