New Beginnings with New Leadership
Kostas Principal Research & Development Engineer Yunume Fitchorova begins the role of Faculty Chair for the National Academy of Inventors, recognizing the growth from Professor Randall Erb’s time in the position.
Passing the Torch: Northeastern’s NAI Chapter Welcomes New Faculty Chair
This spring, Northeastern University’s chapter of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) recognizes the transition of leadership in its Faculty Chair role. Professor Randall Erb, who has served as Faculty Chair for the past two years, is stepping down to return his full attention to his research and his spinout company. Dr. Yunume Fitchorova, who has been part of the chapter since its founding, will step into the role of new Faculty Chair.
Together, they represent the Northeastern NAI chapter’s purpose to bolster innovation and foster the community that makes it all possible.
Two Years of Chapter Growth
When Professor Erb took the role of Faculty Chair two years ago, following founding Co-chair Professor Vincent Harris, the chapter was still quite new. Over his tenure, the chapter grew in both faculty and student membership, and event attendance rose meaningfully. Beyond the numbers, Professor Erb made structural changes designed to carry the chapter forward long after his tenure.
He introduced what he calls a “faculty hotseat” model — a system in which each Innovation Board member takes ownership of one event, from topic selection through execution, with full administrative support from the CRI. The model distributes responsibility across a broader group, which keeps programming fresh and diverse, and ensures the chapter’s momentum is not dependent on any single person’s energy or perspective.
The role also deepened his appreciation for the broader landscape. “What surprised me most was how much Northeastern’s CRI does for innovation across our ecosystem and how genuinely committed they are to enabling faculty,” he said. “They’re a real partner, and I didn’t fully appreciate that until I was in this role.”
His time leading the chapter also sharpened his thinking about what the next generation of innovators needs most. “The events that left an impact were always the ones built around ‘war’ stories — real accounts from people who have lived tough and meaningful innovation journeys,” he said. “The next generation of innovators doesn’t need to learn first; they need to be inspired first.”
Stepping down from the chair role means stepping further into the innovation journey he has long championed. Fourier, Erb’s Northeastern spinout, is developing thermoformable ceramic materials for thermal management in advanced electronics — targeting a problem with significant real-world consequences. Heat dissipation failure accounts for more than half of all electronic device failures worldwide, contributing to tens of millions of metric tons of e-waste and substantial carbon emissions annually. Fourier’s technology is actively working to change that.
As for the chapter, he is clear that his investment in it does not end here. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “I’ll be here to help keep the chapter growing and engaged, just from a different seat.”
Welcoming Dr. Yunume Fitchorova as Faculty Chair
Dr. Yunume Fitchorova has had a front-row seat to the chapter’s growth from the very beginning. As a founding member of the NAI Innovation Board, she managed the membership approval process through every cycle of growth.
Dr. Fitchorova is Principal Engineer and Director of Materials and Devices at the Kostas Research Institute, where she has spent more than 15 years working at the frontier of magnetic, multiferroic, and multifunctional metamaterials. Her research has applications in defense, radar, communications, and next-generation RF systems, and is funded by DARPA, the Army, and the Office of Naval Research. Her rigorous background shapes how she thinks about what the chapter can provide for its members.
“[Members] are not people chasing trends,” she said. “They are doing serious, substantive work with real implications, and they deserve a chapter that meets them at that level — one that doesn’t just celebrate innovation in the abstract but actively helps them navigate the challenges of moving research forward and getting it into the world.”
Her vision for the chapter is expansive. She wants to extend its reach and close the gap between current membership and the full range of innovators working across Northeastern’s colleges and institutes. She also sees significant opportunity to strengthen mentorship, support translational research, and position the chapter as a resource for members.
For students in particular, she has a direct message: “This is one of the most valuable communities you can get involved with at Northeastern. The access you get to faculty mentors, to industry relationships, to a national network of innovators is the kind of thing that shapes careers. Do not wait until you feel ready. Engage early, ask questions, build relationships, and become part of the community.”
A Community Committed to Innovation
Both Professor Erb and Dr. Fitchorova share a vision of the chapter as a genuine community — one where people show up not for the credential, but for the conversations, the connections, and the candid accounts of others who have lived the innovation journey.
Professor Erb describes it simply: “The NAI chapter is a special place where researchers, inventors, and entrepreneurs from completely different fields are in the same room for the same reason. That network has huge value — helping find unexpected synergies, hearing inspiring innovation stories, and knowing specifically who to ask when you have a question you haven’t figured out yet.”
Dr. Fitchorova frames it as a standard the chapter holds itself to. She asks: “Are we giving our members something genuinely valuable? Are we helping them grow not just as innovators, but as leaders in their fields? That is the standard I want this chapter to hold itself to.”
Get Involved with Northeastern’s NAI Chapter
Northeastern’s NAI chapter is open to faculty and students at all stages of their innovation journey. Faculty membership offers access to a peer network of inventors, support for pursuing NAI national standing, and connections to commercialization and IP resources. Student membership is open to anyone with curiosity about innovation, entrepreneurship, and what it takes to bring ideas into the world.
Throughout the year, the chapter hosts meetings, workshops, networking events, and seminars on IP creation and protection. Visit cri.northeastern.edu/nai to learn more.
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