Chris is the CTTC Executive Director of Licensing.
Chris Harris joined the Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization in October 2011 and is responsible for leading all licensing activities. Chris received his doctorate in nuclear physics from the University of Virginia in 2001. In 2003, he became a registered U.S. Patent Agent and in 2008 he became a Certified Licensing Professional. He is also an active member of the Association of University Technology Managers and helped create and manage the AUTM TransACT database for deal comps. Chris also provides guest lectures for entrepreneurship classes at Vanderbilt.
We caught up with Chris to learn more about his contributions in the Vanderbilt innovation system.
What inspired you to join the CTTC and lead its Licensing team?
I’ve known Alan Bentley since graduate school and he brought me into the tech transfer world after I graduated with my PhD. We both worked at the UVA Patent Foundation for a number of years, then he left to go to the Cleveland Clinic and I eventually left to go to NREL. When he landed the job at Vanderbilt, he called me up to see if I would be his Director of Licensing. It was a great opportunity for me professionally, but also personally, and I couldn’t resist the urge to “get the band back together again.”
What is the most rewarding aspect of your role?
I really enjoy developing licensing professionals and seeing them grow in their career. It makes me feel proud to see people like Tom Utley and Jody Hankins start here at entry-level positions, develop over time, and then go off to lead licensing operations at companies or other academic institutions.
Can you share a milestone or story from your days at CTTC that still resonates today?
I think one of the things I’m most proud of is building such a strong licensing team that when the pandemic hit and we all starting working from home full-time – such an abrupt change – but we didn’t miss a beat. We continued to evaluate new technologies and negotiate licenses efficiently and effectively. We had such good communication and trust amongst the team that we were able to continue to work so well without face-to-face communication. And it was in that time that we did the license to AstraZeneca for the antibodies that would become Evusheld in just 3 weeks’ time, ultimately saving tens of thousands of lives and bringing in millions of dollars to Vanderbilt.
How do you see the field of technology transfer evolving over the next 5-15 years?
Tech Transfer as an industry seems to be constantly evolving, ever since I’ve been part of it. Our role expands further and further into the daily operations of the institution. What started out as a function to just patent things, evolved into licensing and generating revenue, doing startups, investing in proof of concept projects and then direct investing into those startup companies, and now we seem to be moving more into “business development” – being the industry relationship people for the university. This seems to be the national trend and I expect this will continue and become a regular expectation of our offices.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I enjoy spending time with friends and family, visiting National Parks with my kids, and escaping to cooler, drier climates in the summer. I’m also an avid college basketball fan and have season tickets to the Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball team (although my true love is for my Virginia Cavaliers).