UT Dallas Magazine - Winter 2012 - (Page 23)

Research impacts our daily lives in many ways. Whether you are purchasing a new product, reading a company press release or taking medicine for a cold, you can bet that research played a significant role in bringing that item to you—the consumer. Dr. Rebecca Files Assistant professor of accounting in the Naveen Jindal School of Management The best moment is when a baby, toddler, child or adult hears sounds through a cochlear implant for the first time. Whether an individual’s initial response is awe, fear, confusion, disappointment, excitement or relief, it is a moment worth cherishing—one that reflects thousands of hours of research from hundreds of scientists and clinicians to make this one moment possible. Dr. Emily Tobey Professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and holder of the Nelle C. Johnston Chair in Early Childhood Communication Disorders Venture Development Center Spurs Big Ideas Entrepreneurially minded researchers at UT Dallas now have a home. The newly opened Venture Development Center is a dedicated facility housing spinoff companies affiliated with the University. The 8,000 square feet of offices and lab space will facilitate the launch of enterprises founded on technology developed at UT Dallas by students and faculty. Currently, nine companies occupy the facility. “This will provide space for startups that is both economical and close to campus,” said Robert Robb, associate vice president for technology commercialization at UT Dallas. “Early stage enterprises are limited in their financial resources. We want to help by providing space both convenient and inexpensive for technology development.” The Dallas/Fort Worth region’s track record in attracting new investments David E. Daniel (center) cut a ribbon, signifying the formal opening of and venture capital for innovative research and technology offers plenty of the Venture Development Center in October 2011. room for growth. UT Dallas is working to raise the profile of the area by directly supporting development of new, marketable technologies. “Many startup companies begin in academia, with new inventions attracting the interest of potential investors and partners,” Robb said. “The ultimate goal of our startup facilitation program is to bring UT Dallas’ commercially viable innovations to the marketplace that will in turn create jobs in the area.” In Fiscal’10, UT Dallas had 64 invention disclosures, 38 patents filed, eight licenses or options and five startup companies. Research spending leapt more than 25 percent from $65.8 million in Fiscal’09 to $82 million in Fiscal’10. “Our spinoff companies account for nearly 20 percent of total startups in the UT System in 2009,” Robb said. “And our numbers are expected to grow.” In the end, the quality of the startups created will provide the best indication of the success of the program, Robb said. “Although we’re just beginning, several high-quality startups have spun off from the University, and providing this incubator is expected to increase the visibility of our companies and thus enhance their success.” Vice President for Research Bruce Gnade (left) and UT Dallas President The University of Texas at Dallas Winter 2012 23

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of UT Dallas Magazine - Winter 2012

UT Dallas Magazine - Winter 2012
Contents
On Campus
From the Lab
Arts and Culture
Courtside Success
Athletics
Research Is Teaching
Town and Gown
In Your Footsteps: An Alumni Perspective
Alumni Notes
In Memoriam
Hindsight

UT Dallas Magazine - Winter 2012