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.
