April 07, 2008

Three attend technology managers conference

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Three business and technology professionals from Southern Illinois University Carbondale recently participated in the Association of University Technology Managers Annual Conference held in San Diego.

Kyle L. Harfst, director of technology and enterprise development and interim executive director of the Southern Illinois Research Park, and Jeffrey K. Myers, senior technology transfer specialist in Research Development and Administration attended from the Carbondale campus. Also attending was Robert M. Patino, director of technology transfer at the School of Medicine in Springfield.

Nearly 2,000 participants heard presentations on a number of topics from high-profile speakers, covering everything from valuation techniques of technologies to executing licensing agreements. Speakers included Ira Flatow, science correspondent for National Public Radio; James C. Greenwood, president of Biotechnology Industry Organization; and Joseph Siino, senior vice president of Yahoo! Inc.

The three men also viewed some of the latest technological advances in life sciences and physical sciences during the convention's Innovation Showcases. The physical science presentation by Dr. Jeremy G. Turner, a part-time faculty member in surgery at the SIU School of Medicine, was a special pleasure. Turner, in collaboration with Michael Kinder, president of Hamilton-Kinder Behavioral Testing Systems in Poway, Calif., developed a prototype testing device and software to objectively measure tinnitus. A patent is pending for the device.

The Association of University Technology Managers, best known by the acronym AUTM, is a non-profit organization with more than 3,500 members encompassing intellectual property managers from more than 300 universities including SIUC, research institutes and teaching hospitals along with numerous businesses and government organizations.