Interview with Our 100th Institution

Dan Hussey, Licensing Specialist
University of Texas at Austin
September 9, 2014

KF) What is your role at the University of Texas at Austin Office of Technology Transfer (OTC) and what is the best part about your job?

DH) As a Licensing Specialist, I manage a variety of life science inventions. On a typical week, my time is divided between meeting with inventors, coordinating patent prosecution, and reaching out to companies that may be interested in partnering with us. The best part of my job is the feeling that I am helping accomplish something big. Technologies based on university research have had a large impact on our lives and are shaping the future. Collaborating with the inventors and business leaders who drive this process is very rewarding.

KF) What is one of the biggest challenges you face in your job?

DH) University researchers work on early stage discoveries and are also interested in publishing that work. When seeking patent protection, the best practice is to file before publication. This oftentimes leads to difficult patenting decisions; it is oftentimes hard to decide whether or not to move forward with patent prosecution when there is a great deal of uncertainty at such an early stage.

KF) Why did you decide to pursue a career in academic technology commercialization?

DH) While I was at The University of Pennsylvania, Tomas Isakowtiz spearheaded a Fellows Program that gave students like myself an experiential learning opportunity in technology commercialization. While taking part in this program, I enjoyed the chance to branch out into different fields and work simultaneously on a variety of inventions.

KF) What are some of the benefits you foresee in working with Kerafast.

DH) I expect that Kerafast?s rapidly growing marketplace will provide participating researchers a platform to increase the exposure of their work. Hopefully, this will uncover new applications for their research tools and lead to new collaborations.