We invited Elisabeth Rutledge to tell us about her career as a Licensing Associate for Life Sciences. Here, Elisabeth tells us about her work and how she transitioned from being a PhD student to pursuing a career in technology transfer. She also offers some advice to those who are interested in pursuing this career.
About Elisabeth Rutledge
Elisabeth’s Ph.D. focused on the areas of Development, Stem Cell, and Regenerative Medicine. She currently works at the technology transfer office of the University of Southern California (USC) – USC Stevens Center for Innovation. It aims at translating USC research into products for public benefit through licenses, collaborations, and the promotion of entrepreneurship and innovation. In her role as a Licensing Associate, Elisabeth manages a portfolio across 21 departments with many inventions and patents.
How did you get your current job? Describe the path to your current position.
As I wrapped up my PhD, I was seeking ways of acquiring experience in a non-laboratory setting. I began volunteering at the USC Stevens Center for Innovation. After several months, I joined their internship program, which provided a structured learning experience while also assisting the licensing team with marketing and licensing efforts. During my internship, a position opened for a Life Sciences Licensing Associate. With encouragement from the staff, I applied for the position and was eventually hired.
What is a usual day/week at your job position?
I am responsible for managing a diverse group of university departments to promote and enable the commercialization of their technologies. During a usual week, I assess new inventions, market technologies to companies, negotiate licenses, and facilitate patent prosecution for intellectual property protection. I interact with USC researchers, patent attorneys, biomedical companies, and other offices within the university to direct and support these activities.
From your experience, what does a company/institution look for in candidates applying to your job position?
From my experience, tech transfer offices are looking for candidates with a strong scientific, legal, and/or business background. As a graduate student, it can be difficult to get any exposure to the legal or business sectors. I would highly encourage students interested in tech transfer or other related fields to look for opportunities that can provide that experience, whether that is through internships, relevant classes/programs offered at your institute (or elsewhere), etc.
What skills have made you and others in your field successful? Were there any unexpected skills that you needed to learn?
I’m very new to this field, so I still have much to learn! One important skill that I am learning is how to navigate the language within licensing agreements and patent applications. I was completely unfamiliar with both of these types of documents, each of which has its own unique format with specific guidelines and requirements for their context. I’ve received a tremendous amount of support and help from the USC Stevens team to understand these documents in order to effectively work with them.
What advice do you have for the current graduate students looking into work in this job position?
I encourage you to reach out to your institute’s own tech transfer office to ask for any opportunities for getting involved with them. Additionally, setting up informational interviews with tech transfer professionals can provide you some insights into their day-to-day tasks, what they like and don’t like about the job, and their own career journey. There are also several organizations that promote technology transfer, such as AUTM and LES (Licensing Executives Society), that have materials and courses to educate yourself on the field.
Interview by Pankajam Thyagarajan
Get into Technology transfer in Life Sciences
- Penn State’s technology transfer office would be hosting a stall at the upcoming Life Sciences Symposium to discuss their activities!
- Innovation: The big idea of technology transfer