Fellows

Special Advisor, NIH Office of Technology Transfer

Steven M. Ferguson currently serves as Special Advisor at the NIH Office of Technology Transfer where he has worked since 1990.  The biomedical technology transfer program at NIH is one of the world’s largest with a portfolio that includes over 2,000 active licenses with aggregate sales greater than $10B per year that is based upon research that has also generated 48 FDA-approved drugs & vaccines.

A former chemist at the National Cancer Institute and biotech industry product manager, Mr. Ferguson holds Master’s Degrees in Business Administration (George Washington University) and Chemistry (University of Cincinnati) as well as Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry (Case Western Reserve University).

A registered Patent Agent and a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP), Mr. Ferguson has served as faculty and Technology Transfer Department Chair at the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES) Graduate School at NIH and the Biotechnology Industry Organization “BIO Boot Camp”.  He also serves as a business reviewer or advisory board member for the US-India Science & Technology Endowment Fund, Maryland Industrial Partnerships, Maryland Innovation Initiative, Virginia Bio-Life Science Gap Fund, US Department of Education Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program, the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology and the DOD Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program.

He has published extensively in the field of technology transfer and has also received the AUTM President’s Award (AUTM Band), the AUTM Volunteer Service Award, the NIH Director’s Award, the FAES Instruction Award, five “Deal of Distinction” awards and the Frank Barnes Mentoring Award from the Licensing Executive Society, six Federal Laboratory Consortium Awards, and twenty NIH Merit Awards in recognition of his service and activities in technology transfer.

Acting Commissioner for Patents, Office of the Commissioner for Patents, USPTO

Valencia Martin Wallace is the Acting Commissioner for Patents of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). As Acting Commissioner for Patents, Ms. Martin Wallace manages and leads the Patents organization as its chief operating officer. She oversees the agency’s 10,000 Patents employees, including more than 9,000 patent examiners responsible for fostering the country’s innovation system by providing patent protections to inventors as stated in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution.

Ms. Martin Wallace is a graduate of Howard University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, and The George Washington University School of Law, where she earned a Juris Doctorate. She has also received a certificate in Advanced Public Administration from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Public Administration. Ms. Martin Wallace was awarded the Presidential Rank Award.

Executive Director, National Science and Technology Medals Foundation

Dr. Mayowa Awe is the Executive Director of the National Science and Technology Medals Foundation, where she leads the organization’s mission to build inclusive STEM communities. With a focus on supporting undergraduate college students and expanding opportunities for future scientists and engineers, she drives initiatives that inspire curiosity, confidence, and long-term engagement in STEM fields. Previously, as Senior Director of inSTEM at the NSTMF, Dr. Awe scaled a national mentorship network that has empowered hundreds of students to succeed in their academic and professional journeys. Dr. Awe earned her Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Arlington and remains deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of STEM leaders.

Director of the Office of Technology Commercialization and the Chief Commercialization Officer of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

Anthony Pugliese is the Director of the Office of Technology Commercialization and the Chief Commercialization Officer of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In this role, he leads efforts to accelerate the commercialization of innovative energy technologies, strengthen public-private partnerships, and enhance technology transfer across the DOE’s National Labs.

Before joining DOE, Mr. Pugliese held leadership roles in both the public and private sectors. In the private sector, he focused on energy, permitting, economic development, and national security, advising businesses and organizations on navigating regulatory landscapes and advancing strategic initiatives.

In the federal government, Mr. Pugliese previously served as the Chief of Staff at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Along with overseeing the Commission’s daily activities, he led efforts to improve interagency coordination.  He negotiated key Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) promoting efficiencies between several federal agencies, most notably the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in the U.S. Department of Transportation and with the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Prior to his role at FERC, Mr. Pugliese served as the Senior White House Adviser at the U.S. Department of Transportation, where he played a key role in overseeing all aspects of the department, including the various modes and regulatory reform.

AUTM Chair and Director of Intellectual Property and Licensing at The Research Foundation for The State University of New York

Joy Goswami is the Director of Intellectual Property and Licensing at The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (RF-SUNY) and currently serves as Chair of AUTM, the global association for academic technology transfer professionals.

With nearly two decades of experience across Johns Hopkins University, the University of Delaware, and now SUNY, Joy has built an internationally respected career in research commercialization, startup creation, and industry engagement. A USPTO-registered Patent Agent and Registered Technology Transfer Professional (RTTP), he has played a critical role in launching over 30 startup companies and advancing the commercialization of innovations spanning therapeutics, diagnostics, smart devices, AI-driven platforms, and sustainable materials. Joy has led successful partnerships with global companies such as Amazon, BASF, AstraZeneca, DuPont, Waters Corporation, and Siemens, catalyzing translational research and co-development ventures.

Deputy Vice President and Counsel for Government Relations and Public Policy, Association of American Universities

Kate Hudson serves as the Deputy Vice President and Counsel for Policy and Federal Relations, her portfolio includes intellectual property, technology transfer, open and public access, data privacy, and copyright issues. In addition, she supports AAU’s policy and federal relations work in areas that require legal expertise, such as tax issues related to research, labor and employment, research security policy, higher education Title IX issues, and other regulatory matters important to America’s leading research universities. Kate also leads AAU’s General Counsels (GC) constituent group and Intellectual Property & Tech Transfer Task Force. She is a former federal agency attorney, serving at the Government Accountability Office, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and the U.S. General Services Administration as senior counsel.

AUTM/ Immediate Past Chair (2024)

Andy’s activities have taken him from an engineering startup where he built a company from two to 14 employees to academic roles in both university and research foundation settings. 

Currently, Andy manages a team within the University of Texas Discovery to Impact supporting Intellectual Property Management, Licensing, Business Development, Collaborative Research, and Legal Strategies.

Prior to his role at UT Austin, Andy was the Associate Vice President for Research over the office Innovation and Ecosystem Development where he was responsible for all technology commercialization, small business support, incubation, acceleration, and SBIR/STTR activities of the LSU Flagship campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. At LSU, Andy was the Principal Investigator for a $160M NSF Engine award, Future Use of Energy in Louisiana (FUEL), brought together 65+ partners across the state and over 165 individuals during the ideation, planning, development and submission process. In addition to the $160M from the NSF, Louisiana Economic Development committed $67.5M to support the program.

Andy has been involved in the AUTM Valuation Committee as a Member since 2015 and the Chair from 2016 to 2020.

Director of Communications & Strategic Engagement, Zannino Engineering, Inc.

Denise Zannino Childree, Ph.D. is Director of Communications & Strategic Engagement at Zannino Engineering, Inc., where she advances business development through client-focused proposals and materials, strengthens brand visibility across events and digital platforms, and expands the firm’s presence through community activities and engagement.

Denise previously spent a decade at the U.S. National Science Foundation, first as a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow and later as a Science Policy and Communication Analyst in the Office of Legislative and Public Affairs. At NSF, she coordinated multi-stakeholder teams and directed high-profile initiatives. She received multiple NSF Awards for her leadership in communications and cross-agency initiatives.

Executive Vice President for Selection and Recognition, National Inventors Hall of Fame

Rini Paiva is the Executive Vice President for Selection and Recognition, National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF). In this role, she oversees the annual Inductee Selection process for the NIHF, working with a wide-ranging group of experts in science, technology, engineering, intellectual property, and history to ultimately recognize the world’s foremost patented inventors for their life-changing and innovative work. In addition, Paiva facilitates the Collegiate Inventors Competition (CIC), which brings recognition to the country’s outstanding college students who create the technologies that shape the future. Both the NIHF and the CIC are dedicated to recognizing and fostering invention, creativity, and entrepreneurship. Paiva also provides oversight for the NIHF Museum in Alexandria, Virginia, which features the life-changing Inductees of the NIHF and demonstrates the power of intellectual property and innovation. Also integral to her work is encouraging NIHF Inductees to be involved in the organization’s education programs, Camp Invention and Invention Project, so that they may serve as inspiration, encouragement, and examples to younger generations. With the National Inventors Hall of Fame since 1995, Paiva is an authority on the topic of U.S. invention.

Director Emeritus, Smithsonian Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention & Innovation

Arthur P. Molella, Ph.D., was the founding director, now emeritus, of the Smithsonian Institution’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation at the National Museum of American History. He received his Ph.D. in the history of science from Cornell University and a Doctor of Science, honoris causa, from Westminster University, U.K (2005). At the National Museum of American History, he served variously as curator of electricity, chairman of the Department of History of Science and Technology, and assistant director for History. At Johns Hopkins University, he has served as Senior Lecturer, Dept. History of Science, and currently Lecturer M.A. in Museum Studies, On-Line, Advanced Academic Programs. He was head curator of the Smithsonian’s Science in American Life exhibition, co-curator of the international exhibition, Nobel Voices. He has published and lectured widely on the history of science, invention, technology, and modern technological culture. His most recent books include Places of Invention (Smithsonian, 2015),  World’s Fairs on the Eve of War (Pittsburgh, 2015), World’s Fairs in the Cold War (Pittsburgh, 2019). In addition to serving on the Executive Advisory Board of the National Academy of Inventors, he is on the board of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame. He received the 2020 Leonardo da Vinci Medal of the Society for the History of Technology, the international society’s highest award.

National Medal of Technology and Innovation Recipient, National Medal of Science Recipient, National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductee, David H. Koch Institute, Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Robert S. Langer is the David H. Koch Institute Professor at MIT (there are 13 Institute Professors at MIT; being an Institute Professor is the highest honor that can be awarded to a faculty member). He has written more than 1,400 articles. He also has over 1,300 issued and pending patents worldwide. His many awards include the United States National Medal of Science, the United States National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the Charles Stark Draper Prize (considered the engineering Nobel Prize), Albany Medical Center Prize (largest US medical prize), the Wolf Prize for Chemistry and the Lemelson-MIT prize, for being “one of history’s most prolific inventors in medicine.” Langer is one of the very few individuals ever elected to the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Engineering ,the National Academy of Inventors and the National Academy of Sciences.

University Professor & Albert and Wilda Van Dusen, Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Connecticut, NAI Fellow

Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D. is the University Professor and Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Connecticut. A surgeon-engineer-scientist, he is Professor of Chemical, Materials, and Biomedical Engineering at UConn. He serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering, at UConn Health. He earned his B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University, his M.D., Magna Cum Laude, from the Harvard Medical School, and his Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Laurencin has produced seminal research and technologies on nanotechnology and tissue regeneration, polymer/ceramic systems for bone regeneration, and biomaterials for soft tissue regeneration. Dr. Laurencin is a pioneer of the field of Regenerative Engineering. He received the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award, and the National Science Foundation’s Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation Grant Award for this field. For his work he has received singular honors including the American Association for the Advancement of Science Philip Hauge Abelson Prize given ‘for signal contributions to the advancement of science in the United States’, the Simon Ramo Founder’s Award from the National Academy of Engineering and the Walsh McDermott Prize from the National Academy of Medicine. He is the first in history to win all three of these awards. Dr. Laurencin is a world leader in invention and innovation, and he is the recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, America’s highest award for technological achievement, award by President Barack Obama in ceremonies at the White House.

Director of Research Policy, Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU)

Cooke works with the senior research officers of the APLU Council on Research to develop understanding and strategy in response to federal government policies and regulations affecting research and innovation programs and to share information and best practices for the administration of university research operations. Previously, Dr. Cooke was selected as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellow and worked at the National Science Foundation. He provided program analyses for the strategic visioning of the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), an NSF program designed to address the nation’s geographic diversity of R&D spending. Dr. Cooke’s academic experience includes researching the growth of massive, star-forming galaxies over cosmic time using images and spectra from ground- and space-based telescope facilities, such as the Hubble Space Telescope. He also has a passion for science communication, having worked in the U.S. Space and Rocket Center educating the public on the value of the space race and public investment in R&D. Dr. Cooke earned his Ph.D. in Astrophysical Sciences and Technology from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Vice President for Research, University of Georgia, Harbor Lights Endowed Chair, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, AAAS-Lemelson Invention Ambassador, NAI Fellow

Karen J.L. Burg, Ph.D. was named Vice President for Research in 2021. She holds the Harbor Lights Chair in Small Animal Studies in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia (UGA). Prior to joining UGA, she served as vice president for research and professor of chemical engineering at Kansas State University. Honors to Karen include the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the inaugural Swiss AO Research Prize, recognition as an American Association for the Advancement of Science-Lemelson Invention Ambassador, an American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, an American Council on Education Fellow, an American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering Fellow, a Biomedical Engineering Society Fellow, an International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering Fellow, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology TR Young Innovator, a National Academy of Inventors Fellow, and a US Department of Defense Era of Hope Scholar. Karen is the inventor of record of eight issued patents, with licenses serving as the foundation for a thriving diagnostics company. Karen served as a member of the United States delegation for the 2017 Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Hyderabad, India and as alumna ambassador for the 2019 GES in The Hague, The Netherlands