SUBJECT:

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Technology Transfer Alan Paau

Alan Paau, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Technology Transfer, has announced that he will be leaving UCSD at the end of December 2006 to assume a new position as Vice Provost for Technology Transfer & Economic Development at Cornell University. In his new position, he will have responsibility for all technology transfer activities at Cornell's School of Medicine in Manhattan and the general campus in Ithaca, New York.

While we understand that this is an excellent opportunity for Alan, we regret losing his expertise, leadership and knowledge of the technology transfer enterprise. Alan Paau's leadership over the last 9 years in accelerating the lab-to-marketplace process has been exceptional. Since its inception just 12 years ago, UCSD's Technology Transfer & Intellectual Property Services (TechTIPS) office has generated more than 500 active U.S. patents, over 490 active license agreements, and more that 100 start-ups based on UCSD research. Within the UC system, UCSD is now second only to UCSF in the number of U.S. patents secured. A recent global study by the Milken Institute examining technology transfer activities in higher education ranked UCSD as one of the most productive universities in the world in terms of publications and patent activity in biotechnology.

University-industry partnerships have been paramount to UCSD's success as an incubator of innovation and new technologies, and TechTIPS, under the leadership of Alan Paau, has played a significant role in this success. In turn, this success has helped fuel what has become one of the largest and most productive technology sectors in the country, providing major economic, commercial, and healthcare benefits to the San Diego region and beyond.

In the coming weeks, we will be initiating a national search for Alan Paau's replacement. Jane Moores, Assistant Director for Life Science Licensing has agreed to serve as acting director in the interim. Please join me in thanking Assistant Vice Chancellor Paau for his significant contributions to UCSD's technology transfer efforts, and in wishing him the best of luck in his new position at Cornell University.

Arthur B. Ellis Vice Chancellor - Research