Bob Wise, who served for more than 20 years as a member of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh science faculty, has recently joined WiSys Technology Foundation as its first regional associate.
Wise will focus outreach and development efforts on three UW System comprehensive campuses in central Wisconsin and the Fox Valley region: Oshkosh, Stevens Point and Green Bay. He also will work with the two-year UW colleges in those regions.
“By bringing our first regional associate on board we’re going to deliver stronger, more focused services to those vital campuses,” said Arjun Sanga, executive director of WiSys.
In his new role Wise aims to educate faculty, staff and students about WiSys, the foundation that patents and manages inventions coming out of the UW System. He will be on-site weekly to meet with faculty, assess their research programs and identify opportunities for WiSys support.
“Bob’s role goes beyond teaching stakeholders about intellectual property and tech transfer,” said Ray Cross, president of the UW System. “He’s tasked with promoting a culture of entrepreneurship on three campuses with a rich tradition of innovation.”
Wise, a longtime professor of biology, has served on the UW Oshkosh Faculty Development Board and as a member of a UW System applied research grant program. He also has served as a reviewer for the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture and a multinational agricultural R&D fund.
Each campus sees the initiative’s potential and has enthusiastically embraced Wise’s new role.
“We are thrilled to be a part of this exciting initiative, and we welcome the chance to work with an individual of Bob’s caliber to leverage research and innovation here at UW-Green Bay,” said Gary L. Miller, chancellor of UW-Green Bay. “This enhanced partnership will provide our research-oriented faculty with greater opportunities to connect with the business community, turning technology into jobs for the betterment of our region and the great state of Wisconsin.”
“Bob’s presence on our campuses each week demonstrates a commitment from WiSys to support commercialization of research and development efforts,” said Bernie L. Patterson, chancellor of UW-Stevens Point. “We look forward to working with him to advance patent opportunities for the intellectual property our faculty, staff and students are developing to enhance economic growth in Wisconsin.”
“We are confident that Dr. Wise’s collaborative efforts will help establish synergistic relationships between our faculty and university corporate partners,” said Lane Earns, provost of UW Oshkosh. “The strategic relationship between UWO and WiSys will unite advancements in innovation and technology to further our goal of creating foundational programs that assist with regional job creation.”
In addition to Wise, WiSys recently welcomed Jennifer Cook on staff to serve as associate director. In this role Cook will help lead technology transfer operations across the UW System. She also will manage the student ambassador program and other outreach efforts to promote research and collaboration across system campuses.
About WiSys Technology Foundation
WiSys Technology Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) supporting organization of the University of Wisconsin System. WiSys supports 11 four-year universities, 13 freshman-sophomore UW College campuses and statewide UW-Extension to identify innovative technologies and bring them to the marketplace.
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