Richard Chylla, PhD, CLP, RTTP 
When and how did you find your way into tech transfer?
Tech transfer is a second career for me. I had 20 years of industry experience as a researcher, research executive, and business development executive. I was looking for a change and I saw an advertisement at the University of Michigan (U-M) looking for someone with industry experience, a background in IP, and contract negotiation. It was a good fit and I applied.
What had you been doing prior to making the leap?
I was a Global Manager of Business development for one of the resin divisions at BASF in Michigan.
Why did you make the leap?
I was ready for a change and the tech transfer work sounded very appealing. I loved the idea of being close to cutting-edge technology in a variety of fields. The pay in tech transfer was significantly lower than what I was making in industry, but I was fortunate to be at a stage in my life and career where salary was not the primary consideration.
Tell us about the state of tech transfer at the institution you joined.
University of Michigan OTT was a strong office led by Ken Nisbet and Robin Rasor. They quickly showed me the ropes in university tech transfer. I liked the team very much.
What was your vision of tech transfer back then?
I originally thought that the monetary aspect of licensing would be the most important, but I quickly realized that it was more about creating impact with the technology and helping faculty realize their vision for their research.
What were some of the issues you faced in the early days?
Because of the size of the office and the fact that I was an experienced manager, I inherited a portfolio of 500 technologies on week one in the office. Clearly I had to find a way to tackle the backlog.
What were some of your early successes?
Meeting with faculty, talking with them about their research and their inventions, and showing that I was generally interested in their research and committed to being helpful.
Some of your early failures?
I think it was about 10 months before I landed my first license agreement. I guess that was not very long, but it seemed forever to me at the time.
What was faculty’s attitude to tech transfer back then?
It depended. If they had a bad experience with tech transfer years ago, they tended to have a long memory. But U-M was hiring many new faculty at that time and most of them came to the university with a familiar background and good attitude about tech transfer.
When did you start to get involved with SUPA / AUTM?
Robin Rasor encouraged me to join AUTM and attend the Annual Meeting when I joined the office in 2009.
When did you start volunteering with AUTM?
I first volunteered with AUTM as one of the consultants on the project to support burgeoning TTOs in Chile. I had a lot of prior industry experience in working internationally and this assignment was a great fit. I still keep in touch and occasionally consult with colleagues who work in Chile.
Your first Leadership position?
When I was elected to serve as a Director-at-large on the Board in 2016.
Your first Board position?
Director-at-large in 2016.
Who was on the Board with you?
Dave Winwood, Mary Albertson, Fred Reinhart, John Perchorowicz, Nicole Honoree, Alison Campbell, Doug Hockstad, Rebecca Mahurin, Teri Wiley, and James Zanewicz.
What were Board meetings like back then?
The Board was in the midst of the transition from the former structure with VPs with individual responsibilities, to a strategic board with Directors-at-large. In general, I was impressed with the quality and efficiency of the Board meetings. They were run professionally and all Board Members were encourage to have a voice.
What were some of the issues the Boards you were on wrestled with?
In no specific order, the role of the AUTM Foundation, the expansion of the committee of Women in TT to a broader one on DEI in tech transfer, the decision to pursue servicing the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC), the decision and plan to launch AUTM independent from a management service organization (i.e. Kellen), the rebrand of AUTM logos.
What are the biggest changes you’ve seen in the profession since you entered it?
The breadth of the profession has increased from one focused primarily on IP protection and licensing to one on all aspects of research stewardship and creation of impact from university innovation.
What is the biggest challenge on the horizon you see for our profession?
I worry about the commitment of presidential administrations and the American public to the funding and support of basic science and commitment to keeping the U.S. as a leader in the development of science to improve the quality of life.