May 2008 Feature: A Conversation with Lee Fenicle, Director of Creighton Intellectual Resources Management (Part 1)
by Sharyn Alden
Lee Fenicle, who has a background in the business worlds of new product development and marketing as well as a master’s degree in biology, says that heading Creighton Intellectual Resources Management (formerly the Creighton Office of Technology Transfer) “felt like a perfect fit for me when I came on board over a decade ago, and it still does today.” We sat down with the man who is widely recognized as the driving force behind Creighton’s successful technology transfer activities over the last 12 years, and asked him to talk about the benefits of technology transfer in the modern economy, and about the mission of Creighton Intellectual Resources Management. Following is the first installment in a series of conversations with Lee Fenicle.
Q: In general terms, please explain what technology transfer is and how it impacts the world today.
LF: When people think of academic technology transfer, they generally think of licensing technology or starting companies, but actually, the mission of our office is in line with the mission of the university, namely knowledge transfer. A student pays tuition to get filled with knowledge that he or she then takes out at graduation to impact the world in some way. We transfer technologies, special knowledge, belonging to Creighton to benefit the public in some way. Sometimes those technologies are very valuable from a commercial standpoint, but often research tools and similar products have a very limited market potential but can have a huge impact on the state of biomedical research.
Q: What makes Creighton Intellectual Resources Management unique?
LF: Our office is significantly different than many other technology transfer offices, in that our staff members, Associate Director Mary Ann Wendland, Operations Specialist Darlene Golden, and I, are all experienced business people. Specifically, Mary Ann and I have in-depth experience working with medical companies in marketing and new product development, but with backgrounds in bioscience. Ninety percent of our disclosures are connected with medical companies so our understanding of business and medical research gives us an edge.
Q: Why was your office renamed Creighton Intellectual Resources Management, and what benefits will this bring to the university and the world around Creighton?
LF: The name succinctly describes the office as being the front door of the university for business opportunities worldwide. As we continue to grow and expand, we see our office as a resource for endless traditional and non-traditional technology transfer opportunities. For example, because of Creighton’s renowned reputation for research and discoveries, we are in an excellent position to be the research arm for businesses, either to answer specific research questions or to provide regular on-going research, saving the company substantial investment in in-house resources. We held our first annual conference for entrepreneurs, and with Creighton’s fantastic College of Business, we will be doing more to help business get started and be successful. We can provide businesses with consultants and faculty expertise. We can provide guidance and services to businesses interested in hiring students as interns or graduates as employees. The list of services our office can and does provide to businesses on a global stage is tremendous.
Next month in the series: how Creighton research makes the world a better place.