CTTC was pleased to be the local champion and sponsor of the Association for University Technology Managers (AUTM) Central Region Meeting in Nashville this week. In addition to showcasing our great city, the conference featured workshops on a variety of topics of interest to the profession, such as career development, foreign patent filing strategy, creative technology marketing, and structures for supporting startups. Other highlights included the inaugural “Fishbowl Fights” pitch competition, a “Lunch with Industry Experts”, and a plenary session on the crossroads of the music business and technology transfer. Attendees were able to network with colleagues at other universities, industry representatives, investment professionals, and intellectual property attorneys.
CTTC contributed heavily to the meeting in a variety of ways. Alan Bentley was featured in a plenary session on the delicate balancing act of performing the core function of technology transfer while also contributing to a wide range of economic development activities. Rigved Joshi was featured on a panel describing federal funding programs, and Hassan Naqvi spoke about the life of a case manager in technology transfer. Tom Utley provided tips on positioning drug technologies for licensing in a session moderated by Jody Hankins. Hassan Naqvi and Jody Hankins served as site chairs for the meeting and helped conference attendees experience Nashville’s unique culture.