Reach out to a Licensing and Business Development Officer anytime or during one of our Office Hours to learn about partnering Cornell technologies with industry sectors and new venture community.
Licensing & Business Development
Business Development & Licensing
Director, Business Development & Licensing
Email: mt439@cornell.edu
Phone: 607-254-4454
Martin leads the business development & licensing team and manages a diverse portfolio of technologies across engineering and physical sciences domains as well as computing and information sciences.
Before joining CTL, Martin was a business development manager for Harman/Becker Automotive Systems in Farmington Hills, Michigan. He was responsible for the strategic employment of new product features in the area of automotive speech dialogue systems, vehicle infotainment, and acoustics technologies. Martin started his career with Harman as an acoustics R&D engineer at AKG Acoustics in Vienna/Austria.
He obtained a Dipl.-Ing. (MS) degree in Electrical and Audio Engineering from the Graz University of Technology in Austria. He is a member of the Licensing Executives Society and the Association of University Technology Managers. Martin has been a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP) since October 2012.
Associate Director, Business Development and Licensing
Email: ayt28@cornell.edu
Phone: (607) 254-5979
Cell: (847)840-5369
Albert is an Associate Director of Business Development and Licensing. His primary focus is on advancing Cornell’s plant variety portfolio and assists in the management of other agriculture-related technologies and supervising outgoing MTAs.
Prior to joining CTL, Albert managed and licensed intellectual property developed by Washington State University faculty for a period of 7 years. Prior to WSU, Albert was a Patent Adviser for almost a decade for USDA-ARS and was based in the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Illinois, and part of the ARS Technology Transfer Office. Prior to joining the Federal government, Albert was in private practice at a boutique IP law firm in Chicago.
Albert obtained his Juris Doctor from DePaul College of Law and is licensed to practice law in Illinois and is a registered Patent Attorney before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Albert is also a USDA Plant Variety Protection Board member.
Associate Director, Business Development and Licensing
Email: mfd65@cornell.edu
Matthieu Dumont is an innovation and technology-transfer leader. He serves as Associate Director of Business Development and Licensing at Cornell University’s Center for Technology Licensing, where he supports commercialization in engineering and physical sciences through strategic partnerships, licensing, and startup formation. Before joining CTL in 2026, he led Department of War technology transfer efforts at TechLink for five years and has held senior roles spanning university technology transfer, intellectual property strategy, and scientific advisory work. He holds a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry and is known for a data-driven, collaborative approach to translating research into real-world impact.
Manager, Business Development & Licensing
Email: mkd32@cornell.edu
Phone: 607-254-4557
Marie Donnelly is a Business Development and Licensing Manager at Cornell University’s Center for Technology Licensing (CTL) in Ithaca, NY. In this role, she manages a diverse portfolio of technologies spanning Food Science, Animal Health, and Medical Technologies, working to bridge academic innovation with commercial opportunities.
Since joining CTL in 2020, first serving as an Innovation Fellow and then as a Business Development and Licensing Associate, she has contributed to licensing many technologies and earned her Certified Licensing Professional accreditation in 2024.
Marie brings valuable startup experience to her role, having spent three years at Zymtronix, a Cornell-based biotechnology startup. There, she demonstrated versatility across research and development, business development, and communications functions. She also led product development research for Agrynex, an agricultural biotechnology spin-out company of Zymtronix.
Her strong technical foundation includes a PhD in Biological and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University, complemented by postdoctoral research at the Energy Biosciences Institute at UC Berkeley. She began her academic career with a BS in Environmental Engineering from UC Riverside, establishing a strong background in both engineering and life sciences that informs her current work in technology commercialization.
Interim Manager, Business Development and Licensing
Email: smw343@cornell.edu
Phone: (607) 255-7162
Sarah Ward is an Interim Manager for Business Development and Licensing at CTL. She manages a diverse portfolio of technologies from the Ithaca campus, with a focus on chemicals and materials, green technologies, and medical devices, working closely with researchers to protect their intellectual property, connect with industry partners, and enable inventions to transition from benchtop to market.
Since joining CTL in 2021 as an Innovation Fellow and continuing as a Business Development and Licensing Associate, she has been instrumental in organizing the CTL portfolio in technology and industry pillars to better market and license Cornell inventions. She has been engaged in a growing number of key licenses and startups.
Sarah holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a B.S. in Chemistry from Texas A&M University. She is a current member of the Association of University Technology Managers.
Interim Manager, Business Development and Licensing
Email: srn62@cornell.edu
Phone: (607) 254-4815
Stephen Nowak is an Interim Manager for Business Development and Licensing at Cornell’s Center for Technology Licensing (CTL), specializing in therapeutic, agricultural, and biotech innovations. He works closely with faculty and students, offering guidance across the technology transfer process to unlock entrepreneurial potential. He focuses on identifying and assessing viable innovations, negotiating agreements, and enabling commercialization outcomes that benefit researchers, industry partners, and the broader community.
Since joining CTL in 2022, first serving as an Innovation Fellow and then as a Business Development and Licensing Associate, Stephen has evaluated and marketed technologies from Cornell inventors, led licensing and commercialization efforts, and fostered relationships with academia, industry, and investors. Stephen’s previous experiences include serving as a scientific analyst for a venture capital firm and as a lecturer at The Catholic University of America, where he developed and taught upper-level courses in Genetics and Physiology.
Stephen holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Clemson University and a B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Arizona. He has completed professional certifications, including Cornell University’s Turning Point Leadership Program and the BioEntrepreneurship Initiative from the SC Johnson School of Management, and is a current member of the Association of University Technology Managers.
Business Development & Licensing Associate for Plant Variety and Research Material
Email: eac293@cornell.edu
Phone: (607) 254-7920
Emily serves as Business Development and Licensing Associate at CTL, where she has been advancing Cornell’s plant innovation ecosystem since March 2022. Focusing on supporting Cornell’s plant variety portfolio, she specializes in intellectual property management for seed-propagated crops, including vegetables and potatoes, as well as the ornamental varieties. Emily works at the intersections of technology transfer and variety development, bridging the gap between Cornell University’s plant breeders and the commercial adoption of their varieties.
In her role, she also manages the outgoing Material Transfer Agreements for both the Ithaca and Geneva campuses, facilitating crucial research collaborations and partnerships.
Business Development and Licensing Associate
Email: tt539@cornell.edu
Phone: 607-262-2593
Tian serves as a Business Development and Licensing Associate at Cornell University’s Center for Technology Licensing (CTL). She leads technology marketing and business development efforts across multiple industry pillars, engages with inventors and industry partners, builds portfolios and supports the Directors of Business Development and Licensing in technology evaluation, commercialization strategy and related agreements. Her work helps advance Cornell technologies from the lab to the marketplace.
Tian first joined CTL as an Innovation Fellow, where she gained hands-on experience in technology evaluation and marketing before transitioning to her current role. She earned her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Cornell University in 2024, with a focus on electrochemical materials and energy storage.
Director, Technology Licensing (WCM)
Email: bjk44@cornell.edu
Phone: (646) 825-2766
Brian is Director of the CTL office in NYC serving the Weill Cornell Medical College. He manages a portfolio of inventions focusing on oncology, metabolic diseases and endocrine disorders.
Prior to joining CTL, Brian served as Director of Intellectual Property for New York University’s tech transfer office. He has also held positions at the University of Minnesota as a Licensing Associate; Heide, Hyde & O’Donnell as a European Patent Attorney; and Smith, Kline & French as a Research Chemist.
Education
- PhD – Organic Chemistry, University of Leicester (Leicester, England)
- MSc – Intellectual Property, University of London (London)
Professional Affiliations
- Member, Association of University Technology Managers
- Member, Licensing Executives Society
Associate Director, Business Development and Licensing (WCM)
Email: djr296@cornell.edu
Phone: (646) 780-8775
Donna has over 20 years of building value in early stage life science technologies—from sourcing emergent technologies to developing strategies for commercialization. She specializes in managing complex scientific and business relationships and leveraging the synergy of cross-functional teams in due diligence and technology assessments, prototype development, and proof-of-concept studies. She has a strong track record in successful outcomes through negotiation and transactions for licensing, sponsored research, and the creation of strategic alliances in pharma, biotech, and academia. Her passion is launching innovative projects into next-generation products for health and wellness care.
Donna received her doctorate in molecular biophysics and biochemistry at Yale University. Instead of pursuing a postdoctoral position, Donna found herself in the start-up world as one of the founders of Physiome Sciences, Inc., the first in-silico drug discovery platform using computational models of cells, tissues, and organs. She later joined the British Technology Group (BTG Plc) as a technology scout where she visited academic institutions across the East Coast searching for biotech projects in the early stages of development. Although she loved the work at BTG, her small son needed more mommy time, so she joined Columbia Technology Ventures (CTV) to be closer to home. Donna managed a portfolio of investigators at Columbia Medical School, working with Noble laureates and world class scientists. She was later recruited to lead the technology development program at Hospital for Special Surgery, which focused on musculoskeletal innovations in orthopedics and rheumatology. Donna recently joined the advisory board of Tohi Ventures as a scientific advisor, and co-founded Nirova BioSense, an emerging enterprise dedicated to the development of optical sensors for real-time detection of ovarian cancer biomarkers.
Associate Director, Business Development and Licensing (WCM)
Email: jaj268@cornell.edu
Phone: (646) 814-4218
Dr. Jeffrey Anson James has over 15 years of experience helping academic institutions to commercialize their early-stage inventions. Prior to joining the Center for Technology Licensing at Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM), he was associate director for licensing at the Penn Center for Innovation, University of Pennsylvania, where he managed commercialization activities in the life science space. He has also held positions as licensing manager at both the University of Virginia and Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. James received his doctorate in biomedical sciences from the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, and from there, moved on to complete his postdoctoral studies at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Later, as a licensing and patenting associate at the NIH, he cultivated his passion for helping to translate nascent inventions into commercially viable products and has worked in the field ever since. Dr. James’ goal is to work with faculty and industry to catalyze and facilitate productive interactions that lead to commercial success.
Associate Director, Business Development and Licensing (WCM)
Email: lss248@cornell.edu
Phone: (646) 825-3932
Dr. Louise Sarup is an associate director, Business Development and Licensing at Weill Cornell Medicine. Prior to joining CTL, Dr. Sarup was based in Singapore where she was head of business development and licensing for D3 (now EDDC), a drug discovery and development group based at A*STAR. Some of her previous roles include corporate development manager at S*BIO Pte Ltd. (Singapore), an oncology-focused biotech, vice president of business development at Paramount Biosciences (London), where she was responsible for in-licensing drug development assets and director (licensing) at Cytiva, a global life science company. Dr. Sarup has also worked for leading life science and health care communication agencies and UCL Business, the commercialization company of University College London.
Dr. Sarup earned her Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering from University College London, MSc in Biotechnology from Nottingham Trent University, and B.Eng (Hons) in Chemical and Process Engineering from Newcastle University.
Associate Director for Innovation and Commercialization, Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar ((WCM – Qatar)
Email: mwz9@cornell.edu
Phone: (646) 814-4907
Mina Zion is the associate director for innovation and commercialization for the Weill Cornell Medicine campus in Doha, Qatar (WCM-Q). In this capacity, he oversees the broadening of the research enterprise in Doha by leading external research alliances with global partners across North America, Middle East and North Africa and the EU.
Prior to joining Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar, he was the corporate relations officer and interim president of Sentrimed Corporation, a university founded clinical stage biotech company that develops therapeutic drug candidates for targeting oral squamous cell carcinoma. In this role, he was responsible for identifying and negotiating a portfolio of licensing, partnership and manufacturing agreements, in addition to leading corporate fundraising and overseeing multiple c-suite and board appointments. Mr. Zion assumed similar roles at the University of Pennsylvania, at the University of Southern California and was the founding executive director of the Rowan University Office of Technology Commercialization, where he successfully led an effort to attract leading biotech partners to the region to engage in sponsored research, startup and licensing opportunities. Earlier in his career, Mr. Zion was an innovation scout at BASF Venture Capital and a Thomas G. Labrecque Scholar at JPMorgan Chase.
Mr. Zion received his Juris Doctorate from Rutgers University School of Law where he studied pharmaceutical, administrative and patent law. He holds a B.S. in Chemical and Biological Engineering from New York University Polytechnic Institute.
Manager, Business Development and Licensing (WCM)
Email: jamie.brisbois@cornell.edu
Phone: (646) 921-4743
Dr. Jamie Brisbois is a manager, business development and licensing based in New York City. In this role, he collaborates with Weill Cornell Medicine innovators to identify, market, and license life sciences technologies.
Prior to joining the Center for Technology Licensing in 2021, Dr. Brisbois worked as a consultant with ClearView Healthcare Partners, a boutique healthcare consulting firm based in Boston. In addition, he served three years as a fellow with Columbia Technology Ventures (CTV), the technology transfer office of Columbia University.
Dr. Brisbois received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Columbia University, where he helped develop a scalable signaling language for engineering multicellular communication in the laboratory of Dr. Virginia Cornish. He holds a B.A. in Chemistry, Biochemistry, and French from Lawrence University (Appleton, WI), where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Dr. Brisbois partners with innovators from the departments of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, and Pharmacology.
Business Development and Licensing Associate (WCM)
Email: ig285@cornell.edu
Phone: (646) 814-6459
Dr. Ivan Gando joined the Center for Technology Licensing at Weill Cornell Medicine as a business development and licensing associate in 2023. In his role, he supports the team’s technology commercialization efforts.
Prior to joining the team, he gained experience in technology transfer by participating in the Mount Sinai Innovation Partners internship program as a business development fellow, where he completed didactic coursework on academic technology transfer and then, as a selected participant, gained immersive, hands-on experience.
Dr. Gando obtained his Ph.D. in Biomedical Science from New York University Grossman School of Medicine, where he worked on translational drug discovery efforts targeting ion channels across various therapeutic areas in Dr. William Coetzee’s laboratory. He earned his B.A. from New York University, with studies in Biochemistry, Mathematics, and Anthropology.
Business Development and Licensing Associate (WCM)
Email: ib342@cornell.edu
Phone: (646) 814-4606
Iris Bica joined the CTL at Weill Cornell Medicine in the NYC office as a Business Development and Licensing Associate in November 2022. In this role, she assists the CTL@WCM team with identifying, assessing, and marketing their portfolio of life science technologies.
Before joining the team, Iris gained experience in business development and technology transfer at Tulane University’s Office of Intellectual Property Management and CancerTools.org, the reagent arm of Cancer Research UK. Iris holds a BS in Cell and Molecular Biology from Tulane University.
Technology Transactions Associate and MTA Coordinator (WCM)
Email: toman@cornell.edu
Phone: (212) 516-4657
Bruce Toman started working at CTL in 2000 and managed a portfolio of inventions, devices, and research tools, mostly in the CNS space, before leaving CTL to join a startup in 2016. He returned as a consultant, working on a diverse range of specific projects for the licensing officers and handling outgoing MTAs for WCM.
Manager, Scientific Scouting
Email: james.bellush@cornell.edu
Phone: (646) 825-3681
Dr. James Bellush is a manager of scientific scouting for the Business Development and Licensing team at Weill Cornell Medicine. In this role, he helps to continually expand the pipeline of Weill Cornell innovations by sourcing and developing research projects with high commercial translation potential. Dr. Bellush is also responsible for identifying external funding opportunities, research collaborations and strategic alliances with industry and academic partners.
Prior to joining the Center for Technology Licensing in 2024, Dr. Bellush worked as a venture associate with RTW Investments, a full-life cycle health care investment firm based in New York. In this role, he was responsible for the sourcing, scientific diligence and preclinical development of assets for RTW portfolio companies. Dr. Bellush has drug development experience across a range of therapeutic areas which include cardiovascular, neurological and rare disease.
Dr. Bellush received his doctorate in Molecular Biology from Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, where he used genomics approaches to study how chromatin structure influences DNA replication and transcription dynamics during C. elegans embryogenesis (lab of Dr. Iestyn Whitehouse, Memorial Sloan Kettering). He holds a B.S. in Biology from Moravian University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Manager, Alliance Management PICI at Weill Cornell Medicine
Email: mak522@cornell.edu
Phone: (646) 688-5576
Dr. Monica Kolinsky is the manager, alliance management PICI. In this role, she supports Weill Cornell Medicine scientists who participate in the collaboration between the institution and the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and serves as the primary liaison to manage intellectual property matters pertaining to the consortium.
Prior to joining Weill Cornell Medicine, she worked as a corporate lawyer at Wiggin and Dana LLP in Connecticut where her practice focused primarily on life sciences and biotechnology transactional matters including licensing, corporate partnering and other technology transfer transactions. She also provided intellectual property-related support for due diligence matters, mergers and acquisitions, and litigation. In addition, Dr. Kolinsky worked at Grimes & Yvon LLP in New York, where she prepared and prosecuted patent applications in the areas of life sciences and biotechnology and negotiated agreements related to intellectual property. She was previously a licensing officer for Medical Research Council Technology (now known as LifeArc) in London, England and an associate and technology specialist at the law firm WilmerHale in New York.
Dr. Kolinsky holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, and she earned her J.D. from New York Law School. She received her B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Moravian College.
Technology and Venture Initiatives & Engagement
The Technology and Venture Initiatives & Engagement (TVIE) team is responsible for engaging a diverse audience through programs that range from funding to educational initiatives. TVIE coordinates the relationship with early-stage investors and angel groups, ensuring a continuous support cycle for Cornell’s IP-driven startups.
Director, Technology and Venture Initiatives & Engagement
Email: lci2@cornell.edu
Phone: 607-254-4547
Lynda leads the Technology and Venture Initiatives & Engagement (TVIE) team at CTL, driving technology commercialization, venture development, and strategic engagement. She spearheads programs, marketing, and business development efforts, aligning CTL’s initiatives to maximize impact. Lynda also oversees the Ignite Gap funding series—spanning Ignite Innovation Acceleration, Ignite Fellow for New Ventures, Ignite Startup Projects, and Ignite Intern for Startups. She also works on implementing a Seed Fund, fueling investment in Cornell and regional startups. She works closely with Cornell research-led startups, providing strategic guidance and resources to support their growth and success. She forges high-value partnerships with investors and industry leaders to strengthen the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Before stepping into her current role, Lynda served as Assistant Director of Technology Initiatives & Outreach and as Outreach & Corporate Engagement Manager at CTL. Prior to joining CTL in 2014, she managed a startup softlanding program at Genopole, a Paris-region biopark focused on synthetic biology, gene, and cell therapies. She also facilitated transatlantic research collaborations as Deputy Attachée with the French Consulate in Boston and worked as a biopharmaceutical analyst at LexisNexis Analytics in Paris.
Lynda holds a bachelor’s in Immunology and Microbiology and master’s degrees in Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry (University of Bordeaux Segalen) and Management of Technology & Innovation (University of Paris Dauphine). She is currently pursuing an Executive MBA in Healthcare Leadership at Cornell University.
Manager, Innovation Outreach
Email: kvb24@cornell.edu
Phone: (607) 254-4639
Kris is responsible for supporting the planning and execution of CTL outreach activities across Cornell’s campuses. She coordinates signature events, meetings, webinars, info and training sessions, showcases, and special events. She helps generate awareness of CTL’s mission and services while encouraging activity growth through attention to participant interest and satisfaction. She supports CTL’s programming, including the Ignite Cornell: Research Lab to Market series, CTL Practicum, Women Innovators Initiative, and other related programs.
Kris joined CTL in January 2022. Prior to joining the team, Kris worked in management and administration for live theatre, specializing in the production of large events and creative program development in hundreds of venues across the United States, most notably in NYC. Additionally, Kris taught in the Performing Arts Department at SUNY Cortland for six years.
Kris received her BS in Communication Theory from the Millersville University of Pennsylvania and her MS in Nonprofit Arts Administration from Le Moyne College in Syracuse.
Manager, Technology Acceleration and Venture
Email: abd99@cornell.edu
Phone: (607) 254-5545
Dr. Aaron Delahanty serves as the Technology Acceleration and Venture Manager within the Technology and Venture Initiatives & Engagement (TVIE) group at the Center for Technology Licensing (CTL), a role he assumed after initially joining as a Venture Fellow in 2022.
In this role, Aaron manages the programs under the Ignite gap funding series, including Ignite Innovation Acceleration and Ignite Fellow for New Ventures, to advance technologies and support the creation of new ventures. His work fulfills part of the office’s mission to support the University’s innovators and entrepreneurs in identifying, protecting and commercializing new technologies. He works closely with the Business Development and Licensing team to identify projects and intellectual property with high potential for commercialization and provides ongoing support for initiatives related to new ventures and startups.
Prior to joining CTL, Aaron held various positions in business development, engineering, venture capital, and private equity, and in technology translation. Dr. Delahanty is a published author, multi-time founder, patented inventor, and has contributed to the research and development of a variety of consumer, biomedical and semiconductor-based products.
Aaron received his Ph.D. in Biophysics from the Katholieke Universiteit of Leuven. He holds an MSc in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Glasgow and a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Communications
CTL communications leads strategic messaging and storytelling efforts that highlight Cornell’s impact in technology commercialization, innovation, and entrepreneurship. From managing digital content and newsletters to supporting campaigns and branding, the team works across units to elevate visibility, engage key audiences, and promote the university’s research-driven contributions to society and industry.
Manager, Communications
Email: vbt6@cornell.edu
Phone: (607) 255-9475
Veronica leads strategic communications and marketing efforts for the Center for Technology Licensing (CTL). In this role, she develops and implements campaigns that elevate the visibility of Cornell’s technology commercialization, from promoting initiatives and programs with internal stakeholders to showcasing groundbreaking innovations, licensed startups, commercialization milestones, and the inventors behind them. Her responsibilities encompass digital communications, brand development, content strategy, website management, and performance reporting, all aligned to support CTL’s goals across its various units.
Veronica joined CTL in January 2022. Prior to Cornell, she served as a marketing and communications specialist at UF Innovate, the technology commercialization office at the University of Florida, where she gained extensive experience in the tech transfer space.
She holds a BA in Communications and Advertising and a MS in Marketing Management from the Central American Technological University (UNITEC) in Honduras.
Intellectual Property Management
This team focuses on managing patent application and prosecution, IP information, relationship with outside counsel and government reporting.
Director of Intellectual Property
Email: wdp48@cornell.edu
Phone: 607-254-4502
William (Bill) is the Director of Intellectual Property (IP). He joined CTL in June 2019 to lead the team of IP Officers and the IP service group, to oversee Cornell IP, and to support CTL’s licensing and business development functions.
Prior to joining CTL, Bill Pegg practiced in large law firms as an intellectual property attorney for 20 years, helping to protect the intellectual property of numerous large and small corporations, both foreign and domestic, premier educational institutions and start-up companies. Bill’s practice included preparation and prosecution of patent applications and trademark applications, building and managing patent portfolios, transactional work, client counseling, mergers and acquisitions, and litigation support. Bill is admitted to practice before courts including the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States.
Bill’s expertise encompasses a variety of technologies including, but not limited to, biometric devices and systems, security and access management systems, solid-state devices, semiconductor processing, software, telecommunications (e.g., wireless technology, near field communications, etc.), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, instrumentation and control systems, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, robots and nanorobots, autonomous vehicles, automotive systems (e.g., control systems, V2V and V2X technology, driver assist technologies), medical devices, smart textiles and performance garments, composite materials, microfluidic devices, and haptic devices. Bill also possesses expert level knowledge in computer systems and cyber-security and is one of a small number of attorneys earning CISSP certification by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium ((ISC)2).
Education
- JD, Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Chicago-Kent College of Law
- BS, Mechanical Engineering, Rutgers University College of Engineering
Patent Management
Senior Intellectual Property Officer, Life Sciences (Ithaca)
Email: eim28@cornell.edu
Phone: (607) 254-4514
As Senior Intellectual Property Officer, Dr. Eugene (Gene) Masters works closely with inventors and the CTL Business Development and Licensing team to evaluate new technologies submitted to CTL. Gene strategically secures, manages, and maintains intellectual property protection to maximize value for licensing and new venture formation.
Gene is a registered patent attorney and has worked in private and corporate patent practice and technology transfer for over 10 years. Gene’s expertise encompasses domestic and foreign utility patents, design patents, plant patents, plant breeder’s rights, trademarks, and know-how in the fields of molecular diagnostics, chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, food science, nutraceuticals, water treatment, lab-on-a-chip, genetic engineering, and mechanical devices.
Prior to practicing patent law, Gene was trained as a biochemist specializing in structural biology, utilizing the techniques of protein X-ray crystallography. His doctoral work focused on structural studies of the proteasome in complex with activator complex. His postdoctoral training centered on therapeutic targets in M. tuberculosis.
Gene received his PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Utah and JD from Brigham Young University.
Intellectual Property Officer, Physical Sciences (Ithaca)
Email: zz458@cornell.edu
Phone: 607-254-5229
Zoe is the Intellectual Property Officer (IPO) at Cornell University’s Center for Technology Licensing (CTL). She manages IP-related activities, including patentability analysis, patent applications, and prosecutions, and collaborates with the CTL business development and licensing team, inventors, and external patent attorneys to align IP protection with commercialization strategies and maximize the value of intellectual property.
Zoe has over 10 years of experience as a registered patent agent. She has a broad academic and research background spanning engineering, computer science, chemistry, and biology. Zoe joined Cornell as a Patent Manager in 2016. At CTL, she manages inventions across a range of technology areas, focusing on advanced manufacturing and automation, chemicals and materials, digital and information technology, electronics and computing, energy and environment, and optics and imaging. Prior to joining CTL, Zoe worked as a patent analyst at Cardinal Intellectual Property, where she conducted patent searches and examinations of PCT applications, prepared PCT/ISA reports for the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and performed patentability and invalidity analyses for law firms, universities, and companies across a wide range of technologies.
Zoe holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, a Master’s in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and both a Master’s in Biochemical Engineering and a B.E. in Bioengineering from Zhejiang University. She is also registered as a patent agent with the USPTO.
Intellectual Property Officer, Biomedical Sciences (WCM)
Email: ecb233@cornell.edu
Phone: (646) 814-5857
Eric Bryant is an intellectual property officer for Cornell University’s Center for Technology Licensing. He holds a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering from New York University (NYU), a Juris Doctor from New York Law School, and is a registered patent attorney.
Mr. Bryant joined the Center for Technology Licensing May 2022, and he works closely with the Weill Cornell Medicine business development and licensing team to execute on intellectual property strategy, review submitted invention disclosures, and manages domestic and foreign patent filings and patent prosecution. Prior to joining Cornell University, Mr. Bryant practiced as an intellectual property attorney and as in-house IP counsel managing health care-focused IP portfolios. Mr. Bryant’s expertise encompasses a variety of technologies including, but not limited to, diagnostics tools and methods, pharmaceuticals, controlled release therapeutic devices, respiratory devices, surgical tools, biological technologies and nanotechnology.
IP Services
Intellectual Property Services Manager
Email: mms67@cornell.edu
Phone: 607-254-4622
Michelle manages Cornell’s Intellectual Property Services group to ensure all IP applications are properly filed, prosecuted, and maintained. She coordinates the efforts of Cornell, CTL, and a variety of external legal resources to accomplish broad protection of Cornell’s inventions, trademarks, and copyrights. Budgetary control is also part of her responsibilities.
Previously, Michelle served as an administrative assistant with the Office of Sponsored Programs at Cornell University.
Education
- BS — Organizational Management, Keuka College (Keuka, NY)
- AAS — Business Administration, Cayuga Community College (Auburn, NY)
Intellectual Property and Governance Assistant
Email: skg87@cornell.edu
Phone: (607) 254-2898
Stephanie is the Intellectual Property and Governance Assistant at CTL. She is responsible for disclosures (birth to grave), funding compliance reporting, and annuities. Prior to joining CTL, Stephanie worked with another university as an administrative assistant for their tech transfer department after having worked as a patent secretary at a boutique IP firm and a general practice firm.
Intellectual Property Assistant
Email: rew258@cornell.edu
Phone: 607-254-4490
Renee is the Intellectual Property Services assistant at CTL. She is responsible for maintaining all of Cornell’s Intellectual Property within a specialized database that tracks all aspects of the patent application’s life cycle. Renee also assists with gathering formality documents and preparing formal letters.
Prior to joining CTL, Renee working as a real estate administrator for a general practice law firm in Cortland NY.
Education
- BS – Political Science, State University of New York at Cortland
- Post Bachelor’s Paralegal Certificate, Tompkins Cortland Community College
Contract & Finance
This team focuses on financial accounting services, contract services and royalty distributions. Reach out to a Finance & Operations expert during one of our Office Hours to follow up on innovation and license status.
Director for Contract & Finance
Email: yl2677@cornell.edu
Phone: 607-254-4496
As the Director for Contracts & Finance at CTL, Yalverton leads financial operations and contract management, directing agreement compliance, revenue collection and distribution, budget planning, and equity-holding management, among other activities. He supervises a team of finance and contract professionals to support tech transfer.
Yalverton has more than 20 years of experience driving strategic financial management, operational excellence, and high-impact team leadership in tech transfer. Before joining CTL in 2016, Yalverton held progressive leadership positions at Columbia Technology Ventures, where he developed deep expertise in technology commercialization, corporate accounting, and tax strategy.
He earned his Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Management with an Accounting specialization from Cornell’s SC Johnson College of Business. Committed to institutional advancement, Yalverton serves on Cornell’s Employee Assembly Finance & Budget Board and contributes to the broader technology transfer community through his active participation in the AUTM Operations Committee.
Contract Services
Contract Manager
Email: rlm436@cornell.edu
Raelene Mellott joined the Center for Technology Licensing in May of 2023 as the Contract Manager. She manages the contracts team that supports agreements for IP management and licensing functions for the office.
Prior to Cornell, Raelene was a License Compliance Specialist for the Office of Technology Management at The Pennsylvania State University. There, she was responsible for the agreement data management, material and performance compliance enforcement, the distribution of licensing revenue, and developing revenue projections for management financial forecasts. She also has extensive investment management experience from her many years as an Accountant for Trinity Investments, a division of Oppenheimer-Funds. Raelene holds a BS in Accounting from the Pennsylvania State University.
Contract Services Representative
Email: kmt74@cornell.edu
Phone: 607-254-4683
Kimberly is a Contract Services Representative. Her main duties include assisting the Senior Administrator for Contract Services in the management and compliance of CTL’s contracts, including agreement entry, reminding our licensees of upcoming obligations and following up on any outstanding obligations.
Senior Administrator for Contract Services
Email: des33@cornell.edu
Phone: 607-254-4457
Danielle is the Senior Administrator in the management of all of CTL’s contracts, including docketing of new agreements and monitoring of active agreements to ensure compliance.
Danielle joined CTL in September 1998 as an Administrative Assistant and quickly expanded her responsibilities. She was promoted to the new position of Licensing Assistant where it was her responsibility to assist the Technology Commercialization and Liaison Officers with managing and licensing their patent portfolios. She moved to Contact Services in August 2007 as the Contract Services Administrator, and was promoted in 2014 to Senior Administrator for Contract Services with the support of a junior member of the group.
Prior to joining CTL, Danielle, a native of Canada, worked for 10 years as an Office Assistant for a sewer and water main wholesale/retail company where her main responsibility was Accounts Receivable management.
Financial Services
Finance Manager
Email: as2554@cornell.edu
Phone: (607) 255-7648
Ania joined the Center for Technology Licensing (CTL) as Finance Manager in January 2025. In this role, she manages royalty distributions, develops specialized accounting procedures to support IP activities, and ensures the accuracy and integrity of financial data. Ania also leads the accounts payable and receivable team, streamlines workflows, produces detailed performance reports, and implements operational improvements to enhance efficiency across the team.
Prior to joining CTL, she worked at the OVPRI Finance and Budget Office, where she managed multimillion-dollar grant-funded projects, focusing on budget oversight, financial compliance, and reporting.
A Summa Cum Laude graduate of Wells College, Ania holds a Bachelor of Science in Business. She leverages her analytical expertise and leadership skills to drive operational excellence, ensuring the ongoing success of CTL’s financial operations.
Administration
Ithaca
Office Manager
Email: cef98@cornell.edu
Phone: 607-254-4486
Camila Fuhr Diel is the Office Manager of the Center for Technology Licensing (CTL) at Cornell University. She manages data collection, reports and surveys to support office metrics and for internal and external stakeholders, and coordinates major IT projects for new tools and upgrades for the office. Camila is responsible for organizing the office’s key business meetings in IP and marketing to ensure on-time completion. She manages office procedures, serves as the HR liaison, organizes office events and works closely with the Executive Director to recognize CTL employees.
Camila holds a bachelor’s degree in law from Brazil and a Master of Laws degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Before joining CTL in January 2020, Camila worked at South Dakota State University as a Sponsored Program Specialist and Licensing Coordinator at the Office of Technology Transfer and Commercialization. Camila’s tech transfer experience also includes a 2-year term as Patent Coordinator at a venture capital firm located in Brookings, South Dakota.
Administrative Assistant
Email: ef467@cornell.edu
Elanore provides administrative support to the Center for Technology and Licensing (CTL) at Cornell University. In addition to maintaining and organizing office operations, she assists the Ithaca team and Director with scheduling and clerical needs.
Elanore holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Slippery Rock University. Prior to joining CTL in January of 2025, she worked for a specialized pet care business in Pittsburgh, PA where she discovered a passion for positive training. She also worked at Bank of New York Mellon for five years specializing in foreign exchange operations and corporate trust.”
Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM)
Office Manager
Email: acheng@cornell.edu
Phone: (212) 516-3270
Annie Cheng is the Office Manager at the Center for Technology Licensing at Weill Cornell Medicine. In addition to managing activities related to the office’s daily operations, she handles attorney invoices and patent reports. She also works closely with WCM inventors to complete formal papers.
Prior to joining the Center for Technology Licensing, Annie worked at GE Medical Systems as a mechanical engineer. She received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Administrative Assistant
Email: bjm279@cornell.edu
Phone: (646) 849-4194
Brenda DeWitt is the administrative assistant of the Center for Technology Licensing at Weill Cornell Medicine. She supports the New York City team with all administrative tasks including office operations and procedures, scheduling and correspondence. She returns to Weill Cornell Medicine after three years. Previously, she worked at Weill Cornell Medicine as an administrative assistant in the Department of Surgery’s Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery. Prior to joining Weill Cornell Medicine Enterprise Innovation in 2022, Ms. DeWitt also worked at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
