Industry Collaborations Staff Directory

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Christopher Rowe is executive director for industry collaborations in the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, working on the Vice Provost’s team and with the Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization. In this new role, he leads the institution’s efforts to create and expand mutually beneficial industry research collaborations that advance strategic scientific programs, solves industry-relevant research and development challenges, and provides channels to deploy and commercialize new technologies of substantial societal impact. He holds faculty appointments in engineering management and communication of science and technology. Prior to his current role, he served as associate dean for external relations, communications director, and inaugural faculty director for the A. James Clark Scholars Program in the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering.
 
Professor Rowe has authored scholarly papers on first-year engineering education, tech-based entrepreneurship, global engineering education and commercialization strategies for new technologies. He has held leadership positions in the American Society for Engineering Education; is a member of the American Society for Engineering Management, the Council of Engineering Management Academic Leaders, and the Association of University Technology Managers; and completed ABET’s Institute for the Development of Excellence in Assessment Leadership. He holds degrees in biomedical engineering and management of technology from the Vanderbilt School of Engineering and a doctorate in higher education leadership and policy from Vanderbilt’s Peabody College. He has consulted with a wide range of engineering companies, focusing on high-tech startups developing commercialization strategies.

Swapneeta joined the CTTC Industry Collaborations team with the Office of the Vice Provost for Research & Innovation in January 2023 as the Assistant Director for Life Sciences Collaborations. She is responsible for identifying, cultivating, and stewarding partnerships between life science industries and academic departments, schools, and colleges across Vanderbilt University. Prior to joining as the Assistant Director for Life Sciences Collaborations, Swapneeta was a Senior Scientist at the Biological Sciences Department at Vanderbilt University. Swapneeta brings an extensive background in the life sciences to her position, which includes a bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences and competitive training in Clinical and Translational Research from the National Institute of Health (NIH). She has won multiple awards and scholarships for her research and leadership contributions. She has worked with prestigious institutes, including Columbia University and the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Lab. Swapneeta has first-hand experience in innovation commercialization through her life science startups. She won the competitive I-Corps Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF).