Technology transfer is no longer the sole focus of a university’s economic development strategy. These days, institutions of higher learning are placing a similar emphasis on improving the technical talents of their graduates to meet the needs of employers and initiatives that improve the surrounding region’s overall quality of place.
On Nov. 13, two of Indiana University’s top experts in this field — Assistant Vice President for Economic Development David Gard and Tony Armstrong, president and CEO of the Indiana University Research and Technology Corp. — will take part in a session that addresses these shifts and how universities are approaching them from an organizational standpoint.
At the upcoming annual meeting of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities in Austin, Texas, Gard will chair a panel discussion titled “Organizing for Economic Engagement: Structural and Coordination Approaches.” The discussion will take place from 10:45 a.m. to noon on Nov. 13 as part of a joint session of APLU’s Commission on Innovation, Competitiveness and Economic Prosperity (CICEP) and its Council on Research (CoR).
Armstrong will be among five panelists taking part in the session. The others include:
- Jim Rankin, vice provost for research and economic development, University of Arkansas;
- Maura Donovan, executive director, Office of University Economic Development, University of Minnesota;
- Sharon Paynter, interim director of public service and community relations, East Carolina University;
- Daniel Pullin, dean, Price College of Business, University of Oklahoma.
Gard is currently serving a three-year appointment as CICEP secretary. CICEP is one of seven APLU commissions and helps university presidents, chancellors, provosts, senior research officers and other key staff plan, assess and communicate their institutions’ work in local and regional economic development.
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