Dean Kamen

Dean Kamen is an inventor, entrepreneur and a tireless advocate for science and technology. He holds more than 440 U.S. and foreign patents, many of them for innovative medical devices that have expanded the frontiers of health care worldwide. In 1976, he founded his first medical device company, AutoSyringe, Inc., to manufacture and market the world’s first wearable infusion pump, which he had invented while still a college undergraduate. He later founded DEKA Research & Development Corporation to develop internally-generated inventions as well as to provide research and development for major corporate clients. Kamen led DEKA’s development of such devices as the HomeChoice™ peritoneal dialysis system, the iBOT™ mobility device, and the Segway® Human Transporter. Kamen has received many awards, including the National Medal of Technology in 2000 and the 2002 Lemelson-MIT Prize, and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2005. One of Dean’s proudest accomplishments is founding FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), an organization dedicated to motivating the next generation to understand, use, and enjoy science and technology. Founded in 1989, this year FIRST® will serve more than 1 million young people, ages 6 to 18, in more than 86 countries around the globe.