By Communications staff, Washington State University
A debut lecture series from the College of Arts and Sciences aims to invigorate the innovative spirit of all aspiring Cougar inventors and creators.
The CAS Innovation Leaders Lecture Series will feature experts selected from academic research efforts or U.S.-based industries who have successfully taken transformative research and technological advancements into the common market.
“By sharing first-hand experiences in entrepreneurship and commercialization, we aim to demonstrate how academic research is transformed into societal solutions and marketable technologies,” said Rishi Sharma, CAS Director of Business Development. “We want to connect students, faculty, and staff with visionary leaders who have successfully translated research into real-world impact.”
By sharing first-hand experiences in entrepreneurship and commercialization, we aim to demonstrate how academic research is transformed into societal solutions and marketable technologies.
Rishi Sharma, CAS Director of Business Development
Washington State University
With four planned lectures every academic year, the Innovation Leaders Lecture Series will feature visionary leaders, academic entrepreneurs, and industry innovators sharing their journeys, challenges, and insights with aspiring entrepreneurs at WSU. Speakers will deliver a keynote presentation about their discoveries and the commercialization process they navigated, with a question-and-answer session following each lecture. The program will provide opportunities for researchers and industry leaders to collaborate and exchange ideas, and the lessons shared will be valuable for faculty and students looking to translate research into meaningful action.
“Innovation and collaboration are essential strengths in science and industry,” said CAS Dean Courtney Meehan. “Translating academic research to the marketplace is critical for our faculty and students as we navigate a changing research landscape.”
The first speaker in the CAS Innovation Leaders Lecture Series will be Wassana Yantasee, PhD, professor of biomedical engineering at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), and the founder and CEO of PDX Pharmaceuticals. Yantasee will share her experiences progressing from academic research to entrepreneurship. Her lecture will be held at 4:10 p.m. Monday, Sept. 15, in Fulmer Hall 201 on the Pullman campus. All faculty, students, and staff are invited.