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Honorary Doctor of Science Recipient

Dean Kamen

Dean Kamen is an inventor, an entrepreneur, and a tireless advocate for science and technology. His passion for technology and his ability to integrate the fundamental laws of physics with modern technology have led to inventions that have expanded the frontiers of health care worldwide.

While still a student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Kamen invented the first wearable infusion pump, which rapidly gained acceptance from such diverse medical specialties as chemotherapy, neonatology, and endocrinology. In 1976, he founded his first medical device company, AutoSyringe, Inc., to manufacture and market the pumps. By age 30, he had developed a number of other infusion devices, including the first insulin pump for diabetics. In 1982, he founded DEKA Research & Development Corporation to develop internally generated inventions as well as to provide research and development for major corporate clients.

Kamen was awarded the National Medal of Technology in 2000, awarded by President Clinton for inventions that have advanced medical care worldwide, and for innovative and imaginative leadership in awakening America to the excitement of science and technology. He was also awarded the Lemelson-MIT Prize in 2002, and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in May 2005. While his best-known invention is the Segway PT, which debuted in 2001, Kamen has been developing breakthrough technologies for improving lives ever since. His latest creations bring potential solutions to the need for clean water and electricity in the developing world.

Among Kamen'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.