Brian Kraft
Brian Kraft, technology licensing associate, began working in the Office of Intellectual Property Administration (OIPA) in August, 2005. In his joint appointment with OIPA and the WSU Research Foundation (WSURF), he is involved with intellectual property protection and licensing, covering a wide range of functions. His responsibilities include; assessing invention disclosures, working with patent attorneys on application filings, marketing technologies, and negotiating licenses.
Brian is a Washington native and holds undergraduate degrees from Central Washington University in biology and chemistry, and obtained his Ph.D. in chemistry (inorganic and analytical specializations) from Indiana University. After graduate school, Brian worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Utilizing a combination of classic microbiology and advanced imaging methods, he worked on a diverse set of projects ranging from soil microbiology to structural inorganic chemistry.
Brian believes that university technology managers are central to demonstrating the value and utility of university research. Universities represent a vast untapped resource where basic research can be perused without concern for the bottom line. This intellectual freedom is what allows for great discoveries. While not all university projects can become commercialized, some prove to be of great value. In a day and age where corporate R&D budgets are decreasing, the university has become ever more important as an engine for innovation and discovery. Federal, state, and private funding fuel this engine and it is Brian’s role to move those valuable technologies out of the university thereby enhancing the visibility of the institution, facilitating economic development, and providing funding for future discovery.
