Lisa is speaking with Dr. Stephanie Miller on this episode of Tech Transfer IP. Stephanie is the Executive Director of Technology Transfer & Research Park Initiatives at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU). Stephanie joined ERAU in May 2013 to establish the university’s first technology transfer office, enabling university research results to become real-world products. In this capacity, Stephanie evaluates ERAU inventions for commercialization potential and markets those assets to the industry for licensing, development, and production. In her newest role as the Executive Director of Technology Transfer and Research Park Initiatives, Stephanie manages operations at the Embry-Riddle Research Park, including the MicaPlex Technology Business Incubator.
Stephanie speaks about her tech transfer journey and her position at ERAU, which is the world’s largest fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace. She shares about the research they do, why she wanted to start a tech transfer office, and the challenges of running such a small office. She also shares a story of when she experienced scope creep and how she reacted.
Listen as Stephanie shares how her office vetts invention disclosures, how they decide what to file full applications on, and how they decide which ones to convert. Stephanie also shares what she would have done differently when she first started in tech transfer if she knew then what she knows now.
Stephanie discusses some challenges her office faces, why she believes organizations like AUTM are beneficial to small offices like hers, and how she feels about credentialing. We finish up with Stephanie sharing what she would wish for if she had three wishes for ERAU.
In This Episode:
- [02:35] Welcome to the show, Stephanie!
- [02:53] Stephanie shares how she got into tech transfer.
- [05:20] She speaks about her journey to ERAU.
- [05:52] Listen, as Stephanie discusses some research they do at ERAU.
- [07:13] Stephanie talks about starting the tech transfer office and the challenges of running such a small office.
- [10:24] Have you experienced any scope creep, and if so, how did you deal with it?
- [12:45] Stephanie shares how many inventions are disclosed to her office each year and how many of those they file on.
- [13:21] Stephanie discusses how her office vetts invention disclosures, how they decide whether to file fully drafted applications and which ones to convert.
- [15:46] Do you file mostly US filings, or have you done foreign filings also?
- [17:50] Stephanie speaks about what she would have done differently when she first started out if she knew then what she knows now.
- [19:46] Stephanie talks about some of the biggest challenges her office faces.
- [21:41] They don’t have any unique programs for women inventors or inventors.
- [22:13] Stephanie discusses how beneficial organizations like AUTM are and why.
- [23:17] Stephanie shares her insights into credentialing.
- [24:56] Getting more staff would be Stephanie’s first wish if she had three wishes for ERAU; listen as she shares the other two.
- [27:10] Thank you so much for being on the show!
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