How does your membership with AUTM support your work as a Commercialization Manager?
AUTM is such a great group of individuals. Every time I get together with AUTM Members, I feel like I am making new friends or reconnecting with old ones. There are very few new problems, and the AUTM community has seen all the old problems. By harnessing the AUTM Network, I can find multiple high-quality solutions to problems that arise in my daily work life. In addition, by just listening to the conversations I increase my knowledge in the TT space.
 
What’s the best advice you ever received?
Say yes to every opportunity that comes your direction. You never know what door might get opened or opportunity presented.
 
How did you get involved in tech transfer?
Like many grad students I had some rough times in graduate school. One particularly bad day, I picked up a Costco job application. Costco pays well, has good benefits and treats their employees well. I kept that application in the drawer of my lab bench and everytime I had a hard day or a bad experiment, I would fill in one more line of that application. The good news is that I defended my PhD before I finished that job application.
 
My grad school experience primed me to the idea of “non traditional” science careers. One day during grad school, I got to meet and chat with a patent agent. I was very interested, until the reality of moving to Alexandria, Virginia hit me. That was a no-go for my family ecosystem.
 
Fast forward a few years and I was working behind the bench at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' Rocky Mountain Lab facility. I got a chance to participate in the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Technology Transfer Ambassador Program. This program opened up the world of tech transfer. It was supposed to be a one-year supplementary program, but six weeks in I applied to transfer my fellowship to the NCI's Office of Technology Transfer.
 
What’s something that has surprised you about your career path, especially with your transition from research to commercialization?
Life doesn't work in linear paths or on your timeline, but the right doors will open when they need to.
 
What do you like most about working with inventors and other tech transfer professionals in your current position?
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) is filled with many talented investigators. Every chance I get to work with someone who is an expert in their field and is interested in explaining their science to me is a gift. At UNC-CH, I’m surrounded by a lot of great, wonderful investors willing to share that gift.
 
Outside of the PIs, I have gotten to work in some really great TT groups, from NCI’s Fredrick Unit led by Jeff Thomas to UNC’s OCT led by Kelly Parsons. Since making the jump, I have experienced some of the best work environments I’ve ever had the pleasure to work in.
 
What does AUTM Membership offer that you can’t get from other organizations, and how has it benefited you?
Where else do you get a chance to nerd out with people about Whereas clauses, think about the impact and protection of AI models, interact with the USPTO and learn how to better negotiate (against your partner)? And that is before lunch.
 
What’s your favorite memory from a past AUTM event?
My favorite memories are always those that involve running into old friends in meeting rooms, hallways or at social outings. People that you haven't seen in a year, but the conversation just picks right up where you left off. People that you’ve only worked with remotely and suddenly sharing a plate of chicken fried rice from a food truck at two in the morning and discussing legacy.
 
What initiatives or programs at UNC are you particularly proud of?
Across my career path I have been gifted with many great mentors, both formal and informal. They have given me advice and imparted wisdom in me over the years. I was recently offered the opportunity to drive the bus on the UNC-CH internship program. I’m so excited to give back, educate tomorrow’s TT incoming class and share some of the great nuggets that have been entrusted to me.  
 
How has your involvement with AUTM’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee influenced your perspective and approach to your work in technology transfer?
Our world is a strong place when everyone has a place in the conversation. Organizations are strong when they are a rich tapestry. That is not just my opinion, the data supports this. I have always worked to bring more people to the table and highlight the quiet voices.
 
What inspires you most about working in technology transfer, and how do you stay motivated to drive innovation and support diverse voices in the scientific community?
As a TT professional, I get the daily opportunity to make the world a better place. Through my job, I get to do that by improving things around me. I get the opportunity to move science out of the lab and see it turned into a realized device, therapeutic or other tangible item that can be used by someone in need. In some instances the use of that device can be life-changing or lifesaving. The zygotes of those technologies come from people with different lived experiences who have different needs and different views. No one person can come up with all the answers, we need to champion the chorus.