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9486 in the collection
Power struggle under way at A&M: Regents to meet Monday to consider future of top executives.
You may think you have enough to worry about without considering the machinations of higher education in Texas. But take a look at this shocker. It has to make the rest of us wonder about commercialization projects at our universities. And note at the end the link to the one country in Europe where there's no capital gains tax.
By Ralph K.M. Haurwitz
Ten years ago, Texas A&M University adopted a strategic plan intended to propel it to greatness. The plan's 12 "imperatives" included "enlightened leadership" by officials of the College Station campus, the A&M System and the system's Board of Regents.
Achieving such leadership remains a work in progress. Recent events and disclosures reveal a power struggle involving system Chancellor Mike McKinney, campus President Elsa Murano, the regents, the faculty and, to some extent, Gov. Rick Perry.
In the latest development, the regents announced Friday that they would meet Monday to consider reassignment, discipline or dismissal of top system and campus employees, which could include the president and chancellor.
The meeting comes a little more than a week after the A&M System released personnel records to the American-Statesman and other news organizations revealing a deep divide between McKinney and Murano. The release followed McKinney's comments that combining his job and Murano's could save money and that his approach to governing is heavy on following the regents' directives and light on committees and lengthy review.
As chancellor, McKinney is the chief executive of the system, which includes the College Station campus, eight other universities, a health science center and seven state agencies.
Apparently worried that Murano could be shown the door, a group of top researchers and Faculty Senate leaders at A&M issued an open letter Friday saying that the school's standing as one of 60 top-tier universities in the nation is at stake.
"What talented administrator or faculty member would move to an institution where decisions are made unilaterally, disagreement is viewed as disloyalty and transparency is not valued?" they wrote.
Rod Davis, a spokesman for the system, said he could not comment on personnel issues.
McKinney's most recent performance evaluation of Murano — and her response to it — amount to a bare-knuckle brawl in the usually staid academic arena.
The chancellor gave the president low marks for honesty, decision-making, integrity and other attributes, and said that she does a "very poor" job of carrying out board decisions with which she disagrees. He added this handwritten comment about her decision-making:
"Too slow. Is very inclusive. ... Should work WITH faculty, not FOR."
Murano, in a 10-page typed response, said the review is "ludicrous," "besmirches my character" and is "not based on facts."
"Allowing constituents to provide their input on important issues — to have a seat at the table — is what enlightened governance is all about," she wrote.
In a separate document submitted to McKinney in advance of her review, Murano said that system officials have sometimes bypassed her in working out agreements with faculty members or private companies to commercialize scientific advances.
Such scientific initiatives have been a particular interest of Perry's, and his influence in policy and personnel at his alma mater and the A&M System is considerable.
Not only did Perry appoint all nine regents, but McKinney is a former chief of staff for the governor. Guy Diedrich, vice chancellor for federal relations and commercialization, is also close to Perry. Mark Ellison, associate vice chancellor for economic development, is a former director of the state's Emerging Technology Fund, a pet project of Perry's.
Perry also had a hand in recruiting Brett Giroir, a former official of the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, to the position of vice chancellor for research. And retired Lt. Gen. Joseph Weber, the vice president for student affairs, has been friends with Perry since they were classmates at A&M.
Some faculty members say the governor's influence has led to excessive emphasis on research that can be commercialized as opposed to basic research. Some also express concern about a Perry-flavored program under which faculty members can receive bonuses of up to $10,000 based on evaluations by students. Critics say that amounts to a one-dimensional view of teaching and smacks of consumerism. McKinney established the program after such bonuses were touted at a May 2008 summit on higher education organized by Perry.
Asked to comment on the various A&M matters, Allison Castle, a spokeswoman for the governor, said: "The governor appoints the Board of Regents to do what is best for the system, the universities, the students and the taxpayers. The governor continues to encourage our universities in their ongoing efforts to commercialize research.
"The governor is pleased that the Legislature reauthorized funding for the Emerging Technology Fund, which helps to recruit some of the brightest researchers in the world to our universities and in turn commercialize that research, creating jobs and economic development in the state."
A poll of faculty members found that 85.5 percent of those responding oppose combining the jobs of chancellor and president, said Robert Bednarz, a geography professor and speaker of the Faculty Senate. The Senate has called on the regents to meet regularly with a faculty committee and has prepared a draft resolution that urges regents to consider the views of faculty members and other university constituencies before making decisions.
"We are a tier-one institution," said R. Douglas Slack, a professor of wildlife and fisheries sciences and a former Faculty Senate speaker. "If you look at the governance at any of those schools, the presidents have autonomy over decision-making within the school. That's where the power struggle seems to originate: over who would have power to define positions and who would get positions."
Faculty members and students haven't always been happy with Murano since she was named sole finalist for president in December 2007. They criticized her for offering Weber the vice presidency of student affairs without consulting with students. She rescinded the offer, gathered input and then moved to hire him.
Erle Nye, a former chairman of the A&M regents who currently chairs the investment company managing endowment funds for the A&M and University of Texas systems, said the dust-up in Aggieland is troubling. "I trust and I hope that it is resolvable," he said.
rhaurwitz@statesman.com; 445-3604
from AboutTown Press , Sept. 1, 2008
Guy Diedrich, A&M's Technology Innovator
By Rebecca Watts
. . . "The discovery of new innovations is a very difficult and painstaking process," Diedrich said. "It takes brilliance for researchers to distinguish themselves among their peers – and it is the mission of the OTC to make sure those discoveries with market potential reach consumers and benefit society. The most enjoyable part of this job is working with remarkable researchers that have devoted their lives to discovery."
The OTC office aids start-up ventures through licensing to industry partners or by establishing the venture as a business. According to their website, the office received 153 invention disclosures, filed 88 U.S. patents, was issued 25 U.S. patents, and granted 57 licenses and options in 2007. The office operates under the Texas A&M System’s land-grant mission to improve lives through research and make that research available to the public. StarRotor Corp.; MacuCLEAR; Synfuels International, Inc.; Plantacor, Inc.; Eclipse Sciences, Inc.; Texas EnteroSorbents, Inc.; Terrabon, LLC; and Qixar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. are just a sampling of the companies getting the helping hand they need.
Drawing on his past and leaning on his entrepreneurial intuitiveness, Diedrich helps those researchers make their technology a marketable commodity that could very soon have an impact on the public. Terrabon has already broken ground on a site here in the Brazos Valley, MacuCLEAR and Plantacor are planning to enter clinical trials early next year, and StarRotor is already selling their revolutionary air conditioners.
from MacuClear
Guy Diedrich
As vice chancellor for technology commercialization since 2005, Guy Diedrich directs an effort to bring technologies created by Texas A&M University system researchers to market. He was formerly president of Austin Technology Ventures and CEO of GRA, Inc. Diedrich received his bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and is currently pursuing a Ph.D.
from> Senate Higher Education Subcommittee/Senate Finance Higher Education Subcommittee, July 23, 2008 [pdf file]
by Guy Diedrich
. . . Recently several universities in Texas took the bold step of including commercialization of research discoveries as a consideration in tenure decisions
-- adding to the established criteria of teaching and research. At Texas A&M, this
has resulted in a 27% increase in the number of invention disclosures to the
Office of Technology Commercialization over last year. Just as important, we
have seen an increase in the number of disclosures from tenure track
researchers-- a group that normally would not have engaged our office until
tenure was earned. In addition, we will be changing our System mission
statement, subject to Board of Regents approval in the coming weeks, to read,
"The mission of The Texas A&M University System is to provide education,
conduct research, commercialize technology, offer training, and deliver services
for the people of Texas and beyond Texas through its universities, state
agencies, and health science center". These efforts, among others, are intended
to provide the foundation for changing the research culture itself. Of significant
importance was the creation of the Emerging Technology Fund which you funded
--and thank you for doing so-- in order to bring industry and universities
together for the purpose of taking our best discoveries to market. The ETF helps
bridge the gap between the lab and start-up companies hungry for innovations.
from Technology Transfer Tactics
Great Ideas for Improving Faculty Outreach and Enhancing Researcher-TTO Relations
It’s a tough job, on top of everything else you have on your plate — BUT IT CAN AND MUST BE DONE. That’s why Technology Transfer Tactics’ Distance Learning Division has recruited Guy Diedrich, Vice Chancellor for Federal Relations and Commercialization with The Texas A&M University System, to help you overcome faculty resistance, enhance researcher communication and education, and build critically important, positive relationships with your most important resource — your inventors. Join us for this audioconference program:
from> Great Ideas for Improving Faculty Outreach and Enhancing Researcher-TTO Relations
You’ll learn how Mr. Diedrich was headhunted from the commercial sector to revitalize Texas A&M’s technology commercialization program. He’ll reveal how he gained the buy-in needed from both administrators and faculty — and how he revived the TTO through intensive public relations efforts, customer service initiatives, and educational outreach programs. This program is brimming solid takeaways that you can implement immediately.
Your Expert Instructor
Guy Diedrich is the Vice Chancellor for The Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) responsible for federal relations, economic development and technology commercialization. The Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) commercializes the most promising intellectual properties resulting from the $620 million dollars of annual research funds awarded to the nine universities, seven agencies and health science center that comprise the Texas A&M System.
from Role of the Texas Life Science Center for Innovation and Commercialization
The Texas Life Science Center (TLSC) advises the State of Texas on ETF life science funding applications
from Texas A&M’s Use of Tech Commercialization As Basis for Awarding Tenure Gains Traction
from
A&M Professor launches start-up company-- MacuClear
from Vice Chancellor for Federal Relations and Commercialization
from Technology Commercialization update
from. WalloniaTech (located in Belgium where there is no capital gains tax.)
— Ralph K.M. Haurwitz
American-Statesman
2009-06-13
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/06/13/0613aggies.html
INDEX OF OUTRAGES
Pages: 380
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