UIDP27 features more than 75 speakers from Fortune 50 companies, acclaimed universities and research institutions, economic development leaders and more. More are being added as the conference gets closer; check back to see the latest!
Elizabeth Adams
Elizabeth H. Adams is currently the Director of the Office of Research and Project Administration at Princeton University. Previously, she was an Associate with the UIDP, consulting on range of research-related topics including public-private partnerships, the management of federal funding, operations management and compliance. Her nearly 20 years of experience in sponsored programs management (spanning preaward, contracts, postaward and information functions) across four major research universities (University of Chicago, Northwestern University, University of Virginia and Princeton University) provides her a wide frame of reference for managing and advising on university-based and cross-sector research.
Charles Adelsheim
Charles’ responsibilities at Varian Medical Systems center on negotiating sponsored research agreements and license agreements with universities, CROs, and hospitals worldwide. He also handles incoming invention disclosures and a variety of contract and legal issues related to Varian’s diverse interactions with universities, CROs, and hospitals. He is a licensed patent attorney with 7+ years of experience prosecuting patents. Charles have a background in chemistry and engineering, and now oncology as well. He has experience with the vagaries of working within a university system, and experience in the private sector, and aim to continue to bridge the gap between these two sometimes disparate worlds.
Michael Amiridis
Michael Amiridis became 9th chancellor of the University of Illinois at Chicago on March 16, 2015. His vision for UIC encapsulates a set of campus priorities, or pillars of excellence, that include a strengthened focus on our student experience, direct engagement with Chicago’s business community and non-profit organizations, a push to showcase the impact of UIC’s research portfolio, and the development of a new more entrepreneurial operating model for the university. Prior to arriving at UIC, Chancellor Amiridis served for 21 years as faculty member, Department Chair, Dean of Engineering and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at the University of South Carolina. Amiridis’ research has resulted in over 100 peer-reviewed journal publications and over $18 million as PI or co-PI in research funding. He has received awards for teaching excellence at South Carolina as well as the National Science Foundation’s award for early-career scientists and engineers, the University of South Carolina’s research achievement award, and the university’s Golden Key Award for Integration of Undergraduate Teaching and Research. Early in his career, Amiridis was a research engineer for three years at W.R. Grace and Co. A native of Greece, Chancellor Amiridis received his Diploma in Chemical Engineering from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Gaylene Anderson
As Boehringer Ingelheim’s US Director, Contracts and Alliance Management, Gaylene is responsible for negotiating sponsored research and license agreements, and partnering with academic institutions to manage strategic alliance programs. Prior to joining BI, Gaylene served as the Director, Cleveland Clinic/ University of Notre Dame Global Alliance Commercialization Program – managing all life science IP, negotiating sponsored research opportunities, and spinning out new startup companies. Prior to the Cleveland Clinic, she worked for the University of Idaho and the University of Hawaii as a Senior Licensing Associate.
Gretchen Baier
Gretchen Baier is currently Associate R&D Director of External Technology at The Dow Chemical Company, responsible for collaborations with universities, research institutes, government agencies, and federal laboratories around the world. Currently, Gretchen chairs the Advisory Board of the Critical Materials Institute, a DOE Innovation Hub and is a member of the Project Committee for UIDP. Her previous roles in Dow have been as a technical leader in Ventures and New Business Development and as a chemical engineer in the Process Optimization group and the Process Separations Skill Center. She has a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, a B.S. from M.I.T. and is a licensed Professional Engineer.
Prakash Balan
Prakash Balan is Program Director at the National Science Foundation with the Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships. He has over 20 years of broad experience spanning R&D, new technology development and commercialization in both large and small entrepreneurial company environments. He holds 12 US patents, many of which are in full commercial use today. He currently manages a spectrum of NSF industrially focused funding programs that include the Industry University Cooperative Research Centers Program (IUCRC), Grants Opportunity for Academic Liaison with industry Program (GOALI) and the Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) Program, all focused on developing industry-academia collaboration and early stage technology development towards commercialization.
Charlotte Bell
As part of the University of Oxford’s Business and Partnering team, I support the establishment and management of strategic alliances in the Medical Sciences Division. Previously, I worked at the University of Bristol in the Knowledge Exchange and Commercialization team focusing on impact development and industry engagement in Biomedical Sciences. I spent 3 years at the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council where I managed collaborative funding mechanisms including the Industrial Biotechnology Catalyst and Research Industry Clubs in Bioprocessing, Biorefining, Animal Health and Horticulture. I completed my Engineering Doctorate in Biopharmaceutical Process Development at Newcastle University, in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline.
Tony Boccanfuso
Since July 2007, Tony has provided strategic leadership to the UIDP including its successful graduation from the National Academies in 2015. His insights on strategic university-industry matters are regularly sought by academic, government and private sector organizations. Tony is married to Dr. Laura Boccanfuso, who founded Van Robotics; along with their three children, they reside in Columbia, SC.
Jim Bray
Jim Bray is the Director of the Office of Corporate Engagement at Northwestern University, where he provides industry leaders access to the university’s talent, research, and resources. In coordination with partners across multiple campuses, the Corporate Engagement team strives to ensure a company’s involvement with Northwestern is strategic, streamlined, and supportive of company and university goals. Prior to Corporate Engagement, Mr. Bray held roles at Northwestern focused on commercialization and entrepreneurship. In 2011, while working with other partners at Northwestern, the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago, he was a founder of Chicago Innovation Mentors, a successful program that matches entrepreneurial faculty with teams of seasoned executives and experts to guide the development of new ventures. He holds an MS in Biotechnology and a BA in Biology from Northwestern University.
Elaine Brock
Elaine is a Project Manager for the UIDP, managing the Contract Accords and Master Agreements projects, both of which develop practical guidance and materials to help parties negotiating collaborative research agreements. She is President & Senior Partner at Contracts, Compliance, and Conflict of Interest Authority, LLC, where she provides advice and counsel to universities and small business on research administration issues.
Carolyn Brougham
As a Senior Contracts Officer at Northwestern University, Carolyn is responsible for the preparation, review, redlining, and negotiation of sponsored research agreements and unfunded projects. She engages companies throughout the negotiation process to reach agreement on terms relating to invention ownership, licensing scope, publication rights, as well as other areas of concern to the University. Prior to joining Northwestern University, Carolyn worked for seven years at Brinks Gilson & Lione as an intellectual property attorney. Carolyn manages Women in Bio’s (WIB) successful Boardroom Ready program and sits on the board of WIB Chicago.
Michael Carr
Michael Carr is the UIC Interim Associate Director, Sponsored Projects (Research Contracts) in the Office of Research Services (ORS). Prior to joining the office in November 2016, his previous work experience included periods in the University of Colorado Technology Transfer Office and UIC Office of Technology Management. A chemist by education, he previously worked for a local chemical company in Warrenville, IL specializing in lubricants and cooling fluids. Prior to that position, he attended the University of Michigan as a PhD candidate in organic chemistry. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Hope College and his MBA degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He received his CRA accreditation in June 2017.
Mindy Cohen
A nationally recognized leader in the executive search industry, Mindy has successfully represented leading organizations for more than 25 years. She has recruited senior executives—nationally and internationally—for nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, public/private partnerships, and Fortune 500 companies. As co-Founder and President of Higher Talent, Inc., Mindy oversees executive search operations, training and client management. She is passionate about helping professionals reach new career heights and serving mission-driven organizations. Mindy is said to have “a nose” for talent. She has successfully recruited, coached and placed chief development officers, chief marketing and communications officers, senior academic medical and healthcare philanthropy professionals, and industry–university partnership leaders. Her focus areas are advancement, communications, and corporate relations, and she has worked with some of the most highly regarded nonprofits, academic medical centers, private universities and colleges, and large public state and land-grant institutions.
Sunny Elebua
Sunny Elebua is the Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Exelon, overseeing a wide range of strategic and technology-driven responsibilities. His responsibilities include engaging the external ecosystem of technology subject-matter experts and managing the process for the exchange of ideas within the internal cross-functional teams responsible for the evaluation of technology. In addition, his team coordinates the development of the enterprise strategic plan which takes a view a long-term view of evolving industry landscape. Prior to his role in Corporate Strategy, he worked on Exelon’s Corporate Development team for several years, managing the evaluation and due diligence of a number of M&A transactions. He received his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Pete Ellingson
After joining P&G in ‘94, Pete spent 12 years in technology development for cosmetics, skin care, anti-perspirants / deodorants (AP/DO), and shampoos. In ’03-‘04, he also led an AP/DO products research team on initiative delivery & claims support. From ’07-‘18, Pete led a section in FemCare technology development spanning materials, formulation, and upstream product design. He moved to his current Connect + Develop role in Corporate R&D with responsibility for some of our key academic partnerships. Pete is an inventor on multiple granted patents & pending applications. Pete holds a BS in Chemistry, and a PhD in Physical Chemistry.
Andrew Fishkin
Andrew has been on the cutting edge of strategic partnerships in sports and entertainment throughout his career, working with clients on all sides of the industry – universities, professional leagues and teams, networks and brands (Arizona State University, NFL, Miami Heat, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Liberty Mutual, etc.). In his role as Sr. Manager, Strategic Partnerships, Andrew and his team help universities and properties generate revenue through creating high-value, integrated partnerships that align the university’s needs with a brand’s objectives. His process for creating strategic partnerships includes valuing assets, aligning stakeholders, customizing partnership packages, identifying potential partners, building relationships and negotiating agreements.
Pete Ellingson
After joining P&G in ‘94, Pete spent 12 years in technology development for cosmetics, skin care, anti-perspirants / deodorants (AP/DO), and shampoos. In ’03-‘04, he also led an AP/DO products research team on initiative delivery & claims support. From ’07-‘18, Pete led a section in FemCare technology development spanning materials, formulation, and upstream product design. He moved to his current Connect + Develop role in Corporate R&D with responsibility for some of our key academic partnerships. Pete is an inventor on multiple granted patents & pending applications. Pete holds a BS in Chemistry, and a PhD in Physical Chemistry.
Ronda Hamm
Ronda Hamm leads Global Academic Relations for CortevaTM Agriscience, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont. In her role she develops strategic programing for universities to grow new talent and advance innovations for the agricultural industry. In 2016, Ronda was awarded the Distinguished Informal Educator Award from the National Science Teachers Association for her work in founding three successful science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs (two while in graduate school and one at Dow AgroSciences (now Corteva Agriscience)) that continue to grow. In the past seven years more than 500 Corteva Agriscience employees have impacted three quarters of a million people around the world.
Stephen Harsy
Steve Harsy currently serves as Director of Contracting and Pre-award Services at the University of Arizona. He is responsible for central administrative units that negotiate contracts, review and submit proposals, and set up awards. Prior to joining the University of Arizona, Dr. Harsy worked in both industry and academia. He spent fifteen years at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, structuring relationships with industry, and managing conflict of interest, research misconduct, intellectual property, and other research policy issues. Dr. Harsy spent the first seventeen years of his career in industry, as a corporate scientist at W.R. Grace and Company, and in scientific and management positions at Covance Laboratories. He received his B.S. degree in chemistry from Stanford University, and his PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Chris Hewitt
Hewitt has more than 28 years of experience working as the interface between chemical technology and business initiatives. He was appointed Science Relations Manager, North America for BASF in mid-2014 and has responsibility for BASF’s relationships with universities in North America. Prior to this he was BASF’s Global Business Manager for the Inorganic Intermediates business. Prior to joining BASF, Hewitt held a number of leadership roles at Sigma-Aldrich, including Director of Business Development for Chemistry and Vice President, Marketing and R&D. He earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from Durham University in United Kingdom and is a Chartered Chemist and Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Peter Hoffman
Peter Hoffman, Boeing vice president of Intellectual Property Management, is responsible for strategies that protect and generate the highest possible value from this significant corporate asset. Hoffman specifically manages the company’s patent portfolio; protection of trade secrets; and licensing of technical data, images, consumer products, trademarks and patents. Hoffman is board chairman of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Center at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, an Advisory Board member at the University of Tennessee College of Engineering, and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Andy Johns
Andy Johns is Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for research and is responsible for strategic planning, research policy, infrastructure and elements of regulatory compliance. Johns also works closely with the Vice Chancellor for Research on budget, facilities, and other administrative issues. Currently, he oversees the Office of Sponsored Research, Office of Clinical Trials, Office of Industry Contracting and the Office of Research Information Systems.
Scott Johnson
Scott Johnson is Director of Research & Strategic Collaborations at Varian Medical Systems, a Palo Alto based company focused on equipping the world with radiotherapy tools for fighting cancer. Scott’s responsibilities include management of Varian’s investigator-initiated research grants program. Varian currently supports about 120 investigator-initiated projects at about 70 institutions worldwide. Scott joined Varian in 2001 as a product manager and previously worked at University of Chicago as Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology. Scott has a PhD in Nuclear Engineering from MIT.
Judy Kelly
Judy is Vice President of Sales for IBM Government and Education Clients. Responsibilities include revenue, profit and client satisfaction for Systems, Software and Services for State and Local Government and Education institutions. She and her team are focused on initiatives for Cloud, AI, Blockchain, Security and Mobility solutions for clients. Judy has worked for IBM in client focused roles in both Industrial and Public Sector. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from University of Detroit for under graduate business studies and a Masters of Business Administration from Wayne State University. She certified in the IBM Client Management Program at Harvard, an Executive Program offered in cooperation with the Harvard Business School.
Thomas Kirsch
Thomas Kirsch is Director External Collaboration at Givaudan Flavours where he leads the integration of external partners into the innovation process to accelerate strategy execution. He drives results in the Science & Technology organization by providing focus and priority for Need based scouting, facilitating partner assessments and deal negotiation, and executing collaboration programs. Previously, Thomas was Global Head of Flavour Ingredient Development and Implementation. Before joining Givaudan 14 years ago he gained experience in various technical roles in the chemical industry. Thomas holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering and an MBA.
Jim Konrad
Jim Konrad joined Northwestern University in 2004 as the Director of Purchasing. He has led the department in its efforts to establish an improved procurement strategy and has helped transform the purchasing environment at Northwestern. He was also actively involved in the development and implementation of NUFinancials. These procurement improvements have resulted in the establishment of streamlined processes, numerous preferred vendor contracts, and millions of dollars in savings. In 2015, Jim became the Executive Director of Procurement and Payment Services, responsible for leading all supply chain related units on campus including purchasing, accounts payable, e-procurement, corporate card, vendor file management, and central receiving. He has also been actively working with internal and external stakeholders to establish an improved business diversity strategy for Northwestern. Prior to joining Northwestern, Jim worked for 16 years as a Buyer and Division Director for the State of Michigan’s central Office of Purchasing. Jim holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration, both from Central Michigan University. He recently served as the Chair of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation Purchasing Consortium and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Evanston Chamber of Commerce.
Ellen Kosik Williams
Ellen Kosik Williams was appointed University Collaborations Manager and Research Associate in January 2015. In this role, Dr. Kosik Williams works to build relationships across Corning businesses and academic institutions to facilitate research programs, create technology synergies, and encourage vibrant research communities in disciplines relevant to Corning’s technology. Ellen joined Corning in 2004 and held various technical roles in the Optical Physics research group, Corning Science & Technology Division. Dr. Kosik Williams’ research interests include optical coatings for displays and the characterization and minimization of display artifacts. She received her Ph.D. from the Institute of Optics, University of Rochester where she studied ultrashort laser pulse measurements and was a visiting researcher at the University of Oxford.
George Langan
George P. Langan is Associate Dean for Research Resources, the Attending Veterinarian, and Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Chicago. In his role as Associate Dean, he directs the Animal Resources Center, the centrally managed core research facilities, and the IACUC and IBC administrative offices. He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Illinois, his residency at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, is board certified by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. He joined the faculty at University of Chicago in 1999.
Lisa Lorenzen
Lisa Lorenzen is the Executive Director of the ISU Research Foundation and Director of the Office of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer OIPTT), focused on technology transfer and economic development. The ISU Research Foundation owns and manages intellectual property on behalf of Iowa State University. The OIPTT markets and licenses intellectual property and negotiates contracts related to sponsored research with industry and manages grant programs related to economic development. Before joining ISU in March 1999, Lisa worked for five years as a computational biologist in the bioinformatics group at Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.
Michael Ludwig
Michael R. Ludwig is Associate Vice President for Research Administration and Director of University Research Administration, a team of more than 25 professionals responsible for grant and contract management, research compliance, and review and institutional endorsement of all applications for sponsored funding, including clinical studies and trials and Material Transfer Agreements. The group also provides sponsored project information services and overall guidance, support, and research administration training.
Keith Marcinowski
Keith Marcinowski is part of the Consumer Foods Research & Development group as a Senior Scientist, Technology Scouting & Innovation, and is responsible for the exploration, identification, and articulation of opportunities and solutions in support of the development of new products and processes. Keith joined the Legal Department at Smucker as a Patent Agent in January 2013. In this position, Keith focused on the preparation of patent applications and procurement of patents for various SBAs, conducted competitive analysis and prior art searches on new ideas, and provided training on various aspects of intellectual property.
Richard Minshall
Richard Minshall, PhD, Director, Research Resources Center and Professor of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, University of Illinois at Chicago Dr. Minshall oversees UIC’s core research facilities and support units essential for many of the basic, clinical and translational research efforts on campus, industry partnerships, and CBC affiliated investigations. Rich’s objective is to enable principal investigators and multidisciplinary research teams to tackle challenging research questions and health-related concerns that result in discoveries with significant societal impact such as bench-to-community cancer research. The long-standing focus of his own research program is to understand the cellular signaling mechanisms of vascular homeostasis and the pathophysiology of endothelial dysfunction associated with cardiovascular disease.
Richard Muisener
Richard Muisener is the Business Technology Scout for North America within Evonik’s Corporate Innovation group. Within this role, Rick fosters the systematic development and expansion of network links with academia, government, and industrial enterprises within the region that hold promise as useful cooperation partners for Evonik globally. Rick has more than 15 years experience with multinational companies as a scientist and a leader of innovation programs and global multidisciplinary teams. Rick holds a Ph.D. in Polymer Science from the University of Connecticut and earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University.
Sacha Patera
Sacha Patera is Senior Managing Director of Corporate Relations at Dartmouth College. As a research development professional, she brokers university-industry collaborations that enable academic innovation, translation, and entrepreneurship. Sacha is co-author of “Five Essential Elements of a Successful Twenty-First Century University Corporate Relations Program” (NACRO, 2011). Sacha was part of a startup that sent protein crystallization experiments onto the Soviet Space Station MIR. She is passionate about societal diversity and the professional development of scientists. Sacha holds a biochemistry BS from McGill University, a chemistry PhD from Brandeis University, and a business executive education certification from Northwestern University.
Mark Ralph
Mark Ralph is a member of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Business Development and Licensing team, responsible for leading contract negotiations and alliance management of collaborations with academic partners and enabling technology companies. Mark has over 10 years of experience identifying, evaluating and executing relationships with strategic outsourcing, biotechnology and academic partners. In addition, Mark has held strategic financial roles in the planning and management of budgets in the marketing and discovery research organizations.
Whitney Riley
Reporting to the Vice President for Research, Whitney leads a central team focused on elevating the quality and quantity of IU’s industry-academia partnerships. He and his team collaborate with colleagues on each IU campus to build substantive, mutually beneficial, and meaningful partnerships that include combinations of research, recruiting, philanthropy, joint commercialization, and the like.
Jeff Schmidt
Jeff Schmidt is the Global Communications Lead for the Office of the CTO at Lam Research. He’s responsible for building the communications function and creating new opportunities for university / industry engagement. Previously, he worked in Europe and the US for more than 20 years and led large-scale change and engagement initiatives for Global Operations, Communications, Marketing and Human Resources in companies like eBay, Hewlett-Packard, Quantum and Texas Instruments.
Jackie Serviss
Jackie helps connect professors and companies to develop collaborative research and commercialization projects in the fields of aerospace, defense, and manufacturing. This includes helping to match interests, identify appropriate government funding, and facilitating agreements and contracts for collaborative projects. Jackie has 15 years of professional multidisciplinary experience, managing large scale projects with international, cross-functional teams, including the development of a data acquisition system for testing gas turbines and the design of a personal jet. Jackie has a mechanical engineering degree from Carleton University, an MBA from the University of Ottawa, and is a registered Professional Engineer.
Keith Spencer
Keith has broad ranging experience having worked in academia, biopharm, large pharma and the charity sector. He is a chemist by training having earned his first degree at St. Andrews before doing a Ph.D. with Professor Sir Jack Baldwin at Oxford and subsequently taking up a post doc position with Professor Gary Molander at U Penn.
He is a co-founder of an anti-viral company (Viral Ltd) and more recently worked as Senior Business Development Analyst for the Wellcome Trust investing in a diverse range of healthcare technologies across academia and industry in areas from cancer to Ebola. He has now joined GSK as Director of Academic Liaison and looks after GSK’s relationships and contracts with the academic sector in the USA and beyond.
Cynthia Sweet
Cynthia Sweet serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Economic Partnerships, and is responsible for operations and strategic direction for corporate engagement and economic partnerships. She has 13 years of experience in central administration for academia, and a total of 23 years of experience in economic and business development for public and private sectors. Prior to joining Pitt, Cynthia was the Associate Vice President for Corporate and Government Relations at West Virginia University, and before that she was with University of Wisconsin-Madison Office of Corporate Relations. She has a M.S. degree in planning and international economic development from University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a B.A. degree in economic development from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota.
Leigh Thompson
Academic positions: Professor of Management & Organizations, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 1995 – present Executive Director: Kellogg Team and Group Center Director: Constructive Collaboration Executive course Director: Leading High Impact Teams Executive course Director: High Performance Negotiation Skills Executive course Director: Negotiating in a Virtual World on-line Executive course.
Wendi Yajnik
Wendi Yajnik is the Head of Research and Development at Sanofi. She has previously worked at Partners HealthCare and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, serving in research and innovation positions. Wendi received her BA from Farleigh Dickinson University, and her postgraduate degrees from New York University.
