Dr. Steven Jung, an adjunct professor at Missouri S&T who developed a specialty glass used to speed healing of open wounds, has been named a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors, the NAI announced today (Tuesday, Aug. 11).

Jung is among 38 academic inventors elected to the new class of NAI Senior Members, who are faculty, engineers and scientists from NAI member institutions who demonstrate innovation in producing technologies for society’s welfare.

“This level of recognition for my professional accomplishments is a great honor and very exciting.,” says Jung. “I attribute much of my success to the relationships and collaborations I have had on the Missouri S&T campus.”

Jung holds bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees in ceramic engineering from Missouri S&T. He is now chief technology officer at Mo-Sci Corp., a Rolla specialty glass manufacturer, and serves S&T as an adjunct professor of materials science and engineering (MSE) and an adjunct member of the Center for Biomedical Research (CBR). At S&T, Jung has developed and taught a course on biomaterials and has lectured in tissue engineering courses and introductory ceramic engineering courses. He mentors S&T students on senior design projects and has hosted students as interns at Mo-Sci.

“MSE is very proud to have Dr. Jung as one of our alumni, and we are excited to see him receive this recognition from the NAI,” says Dr. Gregory E. Hilmas, Curators’ Distinguished Professor of Ceramic Engineering and department chair. “Steve is always happy to give back to the department and inspire our students, and he has done so while continuing his research and development activities in the field of bioactive glasses.”

Jung holds 26 patents. His research as a student at S&T, under the direction of Curators’ Professor Emeritus Delbert E. Day, resulted in the Mirragen Advanced Wound Matrix, a glass-based, customizable wound care product that has been commercially available since 2017. The research also resulted in a similar product used in veterinary medicine.

The Mirragen Advanced Wound Matrix is a wound dressing solely composed of microscopic glass fibers and particles that are absorbed by the body. Both flexible and moldable, the wound dressing can be easily customized, while its fiber structure allows Mirragen to absorb fluid from the wound site and facilitate healing.

“In addition to his groundbreaking work on new wound-healing glass compositions, Steve discovered new ways to process other bioactive glass powders that have created new biomedical applications and markets for an old material,” says Dr. Richard K. Brow, CBR director and Jung’s nominator. “Steve’s patents have truly shifted the paradigm for materials that promote tissue regeneration.”

Jung’s work with glass compositions showcases the types of research that complement the University of Missouri System’s NextGen Precision Health Initiative. NextGen is expected to accelerate medical breakthroughs and improve lives by harnessing the research being done at the system’s four universities and training a new generation of health scientists and practitioners.

Last fall, Missouri S&T’s Miner Alumni Association honored Jung with the Alumni Achievement Award for his accomplishments.

A full list of NAI Senior Members is available on the NAI website.

About Missouri University of Science and Technology

Founded in 1870 as the University of Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of more than 8,000 students and part of the four-campus University of Missouri System. Located in Rolla, Missouri S&T offers 99 different degree programs in 40 areas of study, including engineering, the sciences, business and information technology, the humanities, and the liberal arts. Missouri S&T is known globally and is highly ranked for providing a high return on tuition investment, exceptional career opportunities for graduates, and an emphasis on applied, hands-on learning through student design teams and cooperative education and internship opportunities. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit mst.edu.