The Business of Science
Our society is becoming increasingly dependent on discoveries as well as forward-thinking individuals who combine their knowledge of science and business to bring new technologies to market. Science entrepreneurs are agents of change. Their “business” is to predict critical societal needs, recognize marketable ideas, and build businesses based on scientific breakthroughs on demand.
In this issue, the College of Science Magazine features our unique joint degree program in intellectual property law. This endeavor will be educating some of the best and brightest young minds who will eventually help bring science to market by offering expert counsel on such issues as patents, trademarks, copyrights, and industrial design rights. Our enhanced joint degree program is a brainchild of Rodney Smolla, dean of the Washington and Lee School of Law and former dean of the law school at the University of Richmond, and enables science majors to pursue a law degree at one of two partnering universities for a J.D. with a specialty in intellectual property. We are pleased and honored to have Kimbley Muller, senior counsel for Shell Oil Company and 1969 alumnus of the college, as one of our first instructors for the program.
Our college proudly includes many strong examples of discoveries that will ultimately lead to global benefits once they are fully developed and can interface with society’s marketplace. Several such examples are featured in this issue of the College of Science Magazine. The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute supports researchers focusing on some of today’s toughest medical challenges: cancer, obesity, falling risks, and treatment and prevention of infectious diseases to name a few. This research is underway by faculty members in several colleges within the university. Discoveries in these areas will ultimately lead to better health around the globe once they are available on the market.
Another example of bringing science to market is the partnership between researchers in the Department of Chemistry and Molsoft LLC who are developing a new class of insecticides to reduce malaria transmission. Once again, this is an excellent example of products developed through scientific research that meet critical world needs.
I have been working closely with Rich Sorenson, dean of the university’s Pamplin College of Business, to develop ways to foster sharing of science and business expertise among faculty and students in our two colleges.
Scientific breakthroughs happen when boundaries are pushed — boundaries of ideas, questions, hypotheses, investigation techniques, and methods of exploration. The vast array of new products and inventions that are developed from pushing these limits will be part of an extraordinary enterprise in the 21st century. We can be proud that the College of Science is at the forefront of this adventure.
Lay Nam Chang
Dean, College of Science
Dean
Lay Nam Chang
Managing Editor/Writer
Catherine Doss
Contributing Writers
Alyssa Haak
Albert Raboteau
Susan Trulove
Liz Crumbley
Cheryl Valentine
Copy Editor
Richard Lovegrove
Photographers
Michael Kiernan
John McCormick
Jim Stroup
Designer
Nathan Skreslet