Vice Provost of Intellectual Property and Industry Relations Kathryn Atchison to Step Down

UCLA Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

To:  Deans, Directors, Department Chairs, and Administrative Officers

Dear Colleagues:

Professor Kathryn Atchison has informed Chancellor Gene Block and me of her intention to step down from her current position as Vice Provost of Intellectual Property and Industry Relations on June 30, 2011 in order to play a different role within the Office of the Provost. I am grateful to Kathryn for her important work with the Office of Intellectual Property and Industry Sponsored Research (OIP-ISR), and I am pleased and appreciative that she will now turn her considerable talents to expand on UCLA’s ability to generate and develop innovative programs on campus, nationally, and worldwide. As Vice Provost for New Collaborative Initiatives, Kathryn will work closely with the academic units and vice chancellors to increase and facilitate the establishment of creative collaborative programs.

Kathryn became UCLA’s first Vice Provost of Intellectual Property and Industry Relations, serving on a part-time, interim basis starting in January 2005 and assuming full-time duties at the request of former Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Daniel Neuman in June 2006. Under Kathryn’s leadership, UCLA has made great strides in technology transfer nationally and internationally. Today, we have a portfolio of approximately 1800 inventions, close to 600 active U.S. patents and another 600 foreign patents. Our 280 active license agreements represent a five-fold increase compared to 2001. UCLA faculty’s technologies now serve as the foundation for commercialization for over 100 companies. Last year, UCLA received $35 million in royalty and fee income plus patent reimbursement revenue, a sum that has doubled in six years. In addition, thanks largely to Kathryn’s vision and persistence, in March 2009 UCLA opened a technology incubator in the CNSI building that shows promise as an important means of nurturing UCLA startup companies as well as providing students with experiential education in entrepreneurism.

Kathryn has also made significant contributions to UCLA in the international arena. As our international presence has strengthened, she has been proactive in managing and protecting UCLA’s intellectual property and in sharing her expertise around the world. Working closely with the International Institute, she has developed policies and processes for establishing international agreements and collaborations, in order to protect the interests of our campus while enabling a wide range of partnerships.

Throughout this time she has remained an active scholar and practitioner in the School of Dentistry. Her recent research with colleagues in the Schools of Dentistry and Public Health focused on the impact of changes to dental education to strengthen community-based dental education and cultural competency. Under NIH-sponsorship, Kathryn completed and has recently been refunded for additional research on health literacy. She further served a term as President of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Effective July 1, OIP-ISR will move to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, reporting to Vice Chancellor James S. Economou. The staff have performed their challenging jobs with a high level of professionalism, competence and success, and our goal is to enable their continued effectiveness through a smooth transition.

Please join me in extending appreciation to Kathryn for her many accomplishments to date and for those that will undoubtedly follow.

Sincerely,

Scott L. Waugh
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost