School:University of Georgia

Picture above: A leader in innovation and economic engagement, UGA was designated as an Innovation & Economic Prosperity University by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), the nation's oldest higher education association!

Click here to see UGA University Innovation Fellow Student Priorities

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Promoting Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship

• Campus-wide
  • Student Industry Fellows Program
  • Innovation Bootcamp through Innovation Gateway
  • New Materials Innovation Center
  • Student Center for Entrepreneurship (Studio 225)
    
  • UGA Idea Accelerator Program
    Experiential Learning  
    
    
• Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication
• New Media Institute
• TedxUGA
• Cannes Creativity Festival Study Abroad
  Lamar Dodd School of Art & Design
  • Million Dollar Class
    
  • Arts Careers and Entrepreneurship Day
    
  • Arts Career Entrepreneurship Space (ACES)
• Terry College of Business
  • Society of Entrepeneurs
  • UGA's Next Top Entrepreneur
  • UGA Idea Accelerator Program
  • Entrepreneurship and New Venture Formation
  • Innovative Business Projects
  • Innovation Management
  • Interdisciplinary certificate in Entrepreneurship
  • MBA with a Concentration in Entrepreneurship
  • Entrepreneurship Courses
    
  • Entrepreneurs and Innovation Summit
    
• ​College of Engineering
  • Entrepreneurship for Engineers and Scientists
  • Senior Design
    
  • Innovation and Discovery Challenge Clusters
• ​College of Family & Consumer Sciences
  • Social Entrepreneurship
• Four Athens (Non-UGA resources)
• Athens Hatch (Non-UGA resources)
• Hackyard Athens (Non-UGA resources)

Encouraging Faculty Innovation and Entrepreneurship

• The Georgia BioBusiness Center (GBBC): The BioBusiness Center works with startups based upon UGA developed research and recruited companies with research and technology ties to the University of Georgia.
• The Georgia Research Alliance (GRA): The Georgia Research Alliance expands research and commercialization capacity in Georgia’s universities to launch new companies, create high-value jobs and transform lives.
• The Office of Research: The office designed the Faculty Innovation Fellows Program to support faculty who want to engage in commercialization and product development.
• The College of Education: The College of Education works directly with the Office of Information Technology to give faculty the opportunity to enhance their teaching skills through the Innovation in Teaching Technology (ITT) Faculty Academy.
• UGA Research Foundation (UGARF): This foundation is responsible for managing intellectual property, technology transfer, and commercialization of research discoveries made by UGA faculty and staff. They work with faculty to protect and license their innovations and innovations.
• Innovation Gateway: The Innovation Gateway facilitates the transfer of technologies developed at the university into the marketplace. They offer support in patenting, licensing, and forming startup companies based on UGA research.

Actively Supporting the University Technology Transfer Function

• Purpose: The University of Georgia (UGA) plays a vital role in supporting the technology transfer function through its Innovation Gateway. This platform serves as a bridge, linking the UGA community with the industry, to harness university expertise and inventions for societal benefit, economic growth, and enhancing research visibility. Central to this effort is the University of Georgia Research Foundation (UGARF), responsible for managing all intellectual property within the institution. Among its core functions are the assessment of technology disclosures for their patentability and commercial viability, the protection and maintenance of intellectual property rights, and fostering technology marketing and partnership opportunities. Additionally, the Innovation Gateway handles critical aspects like compliance for licensed technologies and providing support for early-stage funding prospects. For faculty, educational resources are available through streamlining research collaborations, ensuring proper material transfer and confidentiality stipulations.
• Proponents:

• The Georgia BioBusiness Center (GBBC): The Georgia BioBusiness Center works with startups based upon UGA developed research and recruited companies with research and technology ties to the University of Georgia.
• The Technology Commercialization Office (TCO): This office focuses on commercialization of new research and products. It also supports the Innovation Gateway, which serves the UGA community by connecting industry with university expertise and inventions for the public good, promoting economic development and increasing research visibility.
• The Technology Commercialization Office (TCO): helps promote UGA's research mission, both domestically and internationally, licensing, outreach and a robust internship program.
• The University of Georgia Research Foundation (UGARF): This foundation is responsible for administering all intellectual property at The University of Georgia. The functions include: evaluating technology disclosures for patentability and commercial potential, intellectual property prosecution and maintenance (patents, trademarks, plant variety protection certificates, copyrights, or trademarks) on university technology, technology marketing and partnering, manage compliance issues for licensed technology company formation and identification of early-stage funding opportunities, receiving and distributing license income, faculty education on startup, patenting and technology commercialization processes.

Facilitating University-Industry Collaborations

• UGA Office of Research: The Office of Research encourages and supports innovative interdisciplinary research, scholarship and creative activities. Industry members can sponsor research, engage start ups, access research services, and license technologies and digital images. 
• UGA Office of Economic Development: The mission of the Office of Economic Development is to extend the resources of the university to help Georgia and beyond prosper, working every day to improve the quality of life for Georgians. Based in Atlanta, the office serves businesses and communities throughout the state. Established in 2013, the office enhances the university's role in industry collaborations.
• Downtown Connector: UGA Office of Economic Development link to reach potential industry partners in the area.
• Innovation Gateway: Innovation Gateway fosters a network of industry, economic development, and university partners, amplifying its ability to develop new products and companies based on the university resarch. Since 2015, new invention disclosures and licensing revenues are up 30 percent, startup projects have increased 40 percent, and more than 20 startup companies have been launched. 
• Food Product Innovation & Commercialization Center: Created by the Department of Food Science and Technology in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the center forms a strategic alliance with external marketing, technology, and engineering groups to help food companies take a new product from conception, through consumer research, formulation, prototyping, shelf-life analysis, and market launch.
• New Materials Innovation Center: With support from the U.S. Department of Commerce, UGA has created a center which fulfills the local and regional need for a large-scale testing facility for new materials being developed by entrepreneurs, startups, and researchers. 
• Corporate Connect: Corporate Connect is a program to connects UGA Student Veterans with companies and organizations that desire to hire veterans. 

Engaging with Regional and Local Development Affairs

• UGA Office of Economic Development: The mission of the Office of Economic Development is to extend the resources of the university to help Georgia and beyond prosper, working every day to improve the quality of life for Georgians. Based in Atlanta, the office serves businesses and communities throughout the state. Established in 2013, the office enhances the university's role in industry collaboration
• Purpose: The mission of this office is to extend the resources of the university to support economic prosperity in Georgia and beyond. They work on improving the quality of life for Georgians by collaborating with businesses and communities throughout the state.
  • UGA Office of Community Relations: The Office of Community Relations at UGA functions to build strong partnerships and links between the University and the Athens-Clarke County community, government, businesses, neighborhoods, non-profit organizations and community leaders and individuals.
  • Purpose: This office is responsible for building strong partnerships and connections between the university and the Athens-Clarke County community. They collaborate with government entities, businesses, non-profit organizations, and community leaders to foster positive relationships.
  • UGA Public Service & Outreach: UGA is a national leader in university outreach with faculty, staff and students in all of UGA’s schools and colleges contributing to Georgia’s short- and long-term prosperity. In addition, eight Public Service and Outreach units focus specifically on serving Georgia.
  • Purpose: UGA is recognized as a national leader in university outreach. Faculty, staff, students, and alumni from all UGA schools and colleges contribute to Georgia's short- and long-term prosperity through various outreach activities from the booming city of Atlanta to rural areas as well.
  • Proponents:
    • Archway Partnership
    • Carl Vinson Institute of Government > PROPEL (Planning Rural Opportunities for Prosperity and Economic Leadership) program, which strives to guide low-income rural cities and counties through a six-step model to develop and implement a plan to advance their rural economies.
    • J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development
    • Marine Extension Service/Georgia Sea Grant
    • Office of Service-Learning
    • Small Business Development Center
    • State Botanical Garden of Georgia
    • UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel
    • RISE > creating community for UGA's rural students.

  UGA University Innovation Fellowship Leadership Circle (Links to Member Wiki Pages)

  • Guy Gober (Current)
  • Sejal Khanna (Current)
  • Taral Patel (Current)
  • Chiamaka Uwagerikpe (Current)
  • JeDawn Gaither (Graduated)
  • Chelsea Johnson (Graduated)
  • Ariel Scholl (Graduated)
  • Avital Wulz (Graduated)
  • Adam Suskin (Graduated)
  • Fernando Cruz (Graduated)
  • Heather Huynh (Graduated)
  • DJ Bradford (Graduated)
  • Gregory Wilson (Graduated)
  • T. Stan Gregory (Graduated)
  • Shalin Jyotishi (Graduated)
  • Kevin James Wu (Graduated)
  • Aditya Muralidhar (Graduated)

  Related Links

  • Student Priorities Wiki
  • UGA Homepage
  • Innovation Gateway
  • College of Engineering
  • College of Business
  • New Media Institute
  • FourAthens
  • UGA IEEE
  • Office of Sustainability
  • Office of Research
  • Office of Community Relations
  • Office of Public Service and Outreach
  • Link to Launched Fellow Presentation

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  Related links

  ▼ University of Georgia

  ► University of Georgia (2013 Fall cohort)

  ► University of Georgia (2013 Spring cohort)

  ► University of Georgia (2014 Fall cohort)

  ► University of Georgia (2014 Spring cohort)

  ► University of Georgia (2015 Fall cohort)

  ► University of Georgia (2015 Spring cohort)

  ► University of Georgia (2016 Fall cohort)

  ► University of Georgia (2016 Spring cohort)

  ► University of Georgia (2017 Fall cohort)

  ► University of Georgia (2017 Spring cohort)

  ► University of Georgia (2018 Fall cohort)

  ► University of Georgia (2018 Spring cohort)

  ► University of Georgia (2019 Fall cohort)

  ► University of Georgia (2023 cohort)

  ► University of Georgia (2024 cohort)

    School:University of Georgia

    Priorities:University of Georgia Student Priorities

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