Intellectual Property (IP) Office Hours and Lunch

Intellectual Property (IP) Office Hours and Lunch with Licensing Associate Tom Ferguson, PhD , from the UMass Amherst Technology Transfer Office.

IP Office Hours: November 15, 1pm to 5pm, LSL S485A
Intellectual property (patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets) is foundational to research-driven and technology-based new ventures. The UMass Amherst Technology Transfer Office helps faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows protect inventions and other intellectual property created in the course of their research. Make an appointment to meet with Tom Ferguson to discuss whether something you are working on could be the basis of a patent or copyright filing, the status of ongoing efforts, or to explore ideas for creating IP based on your research and know-how. Request an office hours appointment: Office hours appointments are available beginning at 1pm. To request a slot, send an email with the subject “Requesting an appointment for IP Office Hours on Nov 15” to Joann Chauvin (jchauvin@umass.edu) specifying the time(s) you are available. Appointment will be allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis.

IP Lunch: November 15, Noon-1:00pm, LSL S485
Bring your lunch and curiosity for a lively discussion with Tom Ferguson, PhD, Licensing Associate from the UMass Amherst Technology Transfer Office. We will cover general questions on intellectual property and how the UMass Amherst Technology Transfer Office helps campus inventors and innovators. This is a great opportunity to ask questions! Coffee and seltzer provided. Register for lunch (required, space is limited): https://forms.gle/RpL8AoGagbVjaoQ77

About Tom Ferguson
Tom Ferguson, PhD, is a Licensing Associate in the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he is primarily responsible for commercializing inventions in engineering and computer science. Prior to joining the TTO in 2017, Tom was Chief Technology Officer for Third Power Inc., a NY start-up company developing large-scale energy storage technologies. At Third Power Tom led both technology and business development efforts, and worked with major utility companies including Con Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Previously, Tom was a Postdoctoral TechBridge Fellow at the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems. At TechBridge he led programs sponsored by ExxonMobil, DSM and Shell to identify and accelerate promising clean energy startups. He also serves as a mentor for several startup accelerator programs in the Northeast.

Tom received his Bachelor’s degrees in Physics and Astronomy from Vassar College, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Earth & Environmental Engineering from Columbia University. His graduate research focused on a novel alkali thermal treatment method to convert biomass into high-purity hydrogen for distributed energy generation. At Columbia Tom also gained experience in university technology transfer by serving as a fellow with Columbia Technology Ventures. His responsibilities included evaluating Columbia inventions in the physical sciences and developing marketing strategies to attract licensees and corporate research sponsors.

Friday, November 15, 2019 - 12:00pm to 5:00pm
Location
LSL S485