FAU Inductees of Florida Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine

Three FAU researchers - Randy Blakely, Ph.D., Gregg Fields, Ph.D., and Hari Kalva, Ph.D. - were inducted into the 2025 class of the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida.

Florida Atlantic University 's Randy Blakely, Ph.D., Gregg Fields, Ph.D., and Hari Kalva, Ph.D., were inducted into the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida (ASEMFL) as honorees of the class of 2025 during a special ceremony held last month in Orlando.

The ASEMFL selects members based on exceptional research achievements and innovations that have led to significant impacts across science, engineering and medicine. Inductees are considered among the most accomplished scholars in their fields and are recognized for contributions with potential national and global influence. This year's class of 26 inductees marks a record for the organization, bringing total membership to more than 250 of Florida's top researchers and innovators.

"Being inducted into the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida is an incredible honor and a testament to the outstanding accomplishments of Drs. Blakely, Fields and Kalva," said FAU President Adam Hasner. "This recognition highlights their exceptional contributions that are transforming their fields, and further underscores Florida Atlantic's prestigious R1 top-tier research status and ongoing commitment to making a global impact."

Through collaboration and recognition, ASEMFL enhances Florida's scientific and technological landscape and inspires the next generation of innovators.

"We welcome our new ASEMFL members," said Hortensia Amaro, Ph.D., ASEMFL president and a distinguished university professor and senior scholar on community health, Florida International University. "Their lifelong dedication, creativity and talent have resulted in critical and impactful advances in their fields with resulting benefits to society."

Blakely, executive director of the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, the David J.S. Nicholson Distinguished Professor in Neuroscience, and a professor of biomedical science, FAU Charles Schmidt College of Medicine, is a pioneer in the field of molecular neuroscience. He has spent more than three decades investigating the genetics, regulation and pathophysiology of synaptic transporters - proteins that govern communication between nerve cells. His work, published in more than 300 research papers and reviews, has led to groundbreaking discoveries in the understanding of neurological and psychiatric conditions such as autism, ADHD and Alzheimer's disease.

Throughout his career, Blakely's research has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health and private foundations, underscoring the enduring importance of his work. An advocate for mentorship, he has trained more than 100 undergraduate, graduate and medical students, along with more than 40 postdoctoral fellows, many of whom now hold leadership positions in academia and industry.

Blakely's extensive list of honors includes the Daniel Efron Award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, the Astellas Award in Translational Pharmacology, and the Julius Axelrod Award from the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, where he is also a Fellow. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Academy of Inventors. As executive director of the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, he continues to lead initiatives that advance neuroscience research, education and community engagement across South Florida.

Fields, FAU vice president for research, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry within FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, and an internationally renowned biochemist, has dedicated his career to understanding how proteins function at the molecular level and how these mechanisms contribute to diseases such as cancer, arthritis and neurodegenerative disorders. His research explores extracellular proteases - enzymes that regulate tissue remodeling and disease progression - and uses innovative chemical approaches to design novel mini-protein models that provide insights into enzyme behavior and therapeutic intervention.

Fields has authored or coauthored more than 300 scientific publications and delivered nearly 200 invited lectures worldwide. His work has advanced the development of new protease inhibitors and provided key frameworks for understanding tumor metastasis and cellular communication.

Over his distinguished career, Fields has held several endowed professorships, including the McKnight Land Grant Professorship at the University of Minnesota and the Robert A. Welch Foundation Distinguished University Chair in Chemistry at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He serves as the executive director of FAU's Institute for Human Health and Disease Intervention, a university-wide initiative focused on improving health through interdisciplinary and translational work. Fields is also a Fellow of both the National Academy of Inventors and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Kalva, professor and associate chair, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and director of the FAU Multimedia Lab within the FAU College of Engineering and Computer Science, is a global leader in multimedia systems and video compression technologies whose innovations have shaped the way hundreds of millions of people experience digital media today. A prolific inventor with 73 U.S. patents and 70 international patents, Kalva's work underpins the core technologies of the world's most widely used video standards, including AVC/H.264, HEVC/H.265 and VVC/H.266 - the formats that enable video streaming, broadcasting and communication across virtually every modern device.

Beyond his technical achievements, Kalva is also an entrepreneur and educator dedicated to advancing real-world innovation. He founded two technology ventures - Flavor Software and Videopura, a Boca Raton-based company developing artificial intelligence-driven video compression solutions. As director of FAU's Multimedia Lab, he has guided generations of students in research that bridges academia, industry and global technology standards.

A senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a member of the Association for Computing Machinery, and a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, Kalva has also served as a United States delegate to the International Organization for Standardization subcommittees on video compression.

Founded in 2018 and housed at the University of Central Florida, the ASEMFL is a not-for-profit organization composed of the state's most distinguished researchers, innovators and scholars. Its mission is to employ scientific and engineering advances to inform the Florida community of critical challenges facing society, conduct studies of state and national interest, and recognize individuals who have made major achievements in their fields.

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