Featured Speaker Bio: Michael Sharer

14-Dec-2008 Guest Speaker Michael Sharer, Director, Intellectual Property Management & Commercialization at Western Michigan University. Michael was hired in February, 2005 as the founding Director of Western Michigan University’s (WMU’s) intellectual property management and commercialization (“technology transfer”) function. He is also currently the founding Director of the WMU Research Foundation, which manages WMU’s research contracts with industrial sponsors, in addition to acting as the owner of WMU’s intellectual property (IP). Since 2005, WMU has experienced a 900% increase in IP assets generated and a 600% increase in the number of technologies (IP assets) commercialized.

Prior to arriving at WMU, he had commercialization, program management, and technology management responsibilities at the University of Michigan’s IP commercialization office. Significant accomplishments in this role included negotiating numerous technology commercialization deals with new and existing companies, and playing a key role in causing IP assets generated and technologies “commercialized” to increase by 200% and 500%, respectively.

Michael is also an author of Federal funding proposals, business plans, and peer reviewed journal publications in the fields of IP commercialization and environmental chemistry. He received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University studying the adsorption/desorption kinetics and bioavailability of organic pollutants. After completing his doctoral requirements, he then received a Master’s degree in business from Purdue University.

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