DURHAM, N.H. - University of New Hampshire Office for Research Partnerships and Commercialization (ORPC) recently celebrated the success of five faculty and staff members whose research resulted in 8 patents over the last two years and the recognition of plant geneticist J. Brent Loy, who received the university's inaugural Innovator of the Year award.

"We're a $150 million research organization that's ready to engage," said ORPC Executive Director Marc Sedam. "We want the technology developed at UNH to get used to help keep jobs in the state. The work that is being done here is crucial to the future of the state's economy."

Provost John Aber added that the office "is a mechanism for making what we do useful to the rest of the world."

The goal of the ORPC is to promote and advance the use of UNH's intellectual assets to improve the university's academic standing and relevance, attract high quality faculty and students, engage the business community, create local well-paid jobs, and generate revenue. Just last year the office increased royalties by 27 percent and invention disclosures were up 36 percent.

"Commercializing UNH's intellectual capital is a key component driving the relevance of our university in town, region, state and increasingly the world," said President Mark W. Huddleston. "The university can and should be the primary engine for sustainable economic growth in the state and region."

Recognized for working with the office to get patents for their work were Yvon Durant (three patents related to his spinoff company Itaconix), Glen Miller (related to his research in nanotemplates and nanoelement assembly), Stacia Sower (creation of research tools), William Hersman (two patents related to his spinoff Xemed), and Brian King for his work with UNH's Space Science Center.

"This is an incredible achievement for the university but we can and must do more," said Sedam. "Our research should generate 50-60 disclosures a year and our FY12 goals include getting at least 25 disclosures from the faculty, creating at least two spinoff companies, and supporting and promoting the InterOperability Lab.

In addition, J. Brent Loy was awarded the university's inaugural Innovator of the Year Award for his research program and impact on UNH's commercialization efforts. A plant breeder whose work has resulted in more than 50 new varieties of tomato, squash, pumpkins, gourds and melons sold in seed catalogs throughout the world, Loy is responsible for 50 percent of the university's cumulative royalties -- $1.1 million since 1999. Sedam also announced the award would be named after Professor Loy in future years.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.

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Photographs to download: /unhtoday/sites/default/files/newsroom/img/Loy.jpg

Caption: L to R: Provost John Aber; Jan Nisbet, senior vice provost for research; Maria Emanuel, licensing manager with the Office for Research Partnerships and Commercialization (ORPC); J. Brent Loy, professor of plant biology; and Marc Sedam, executive director of the ORPC, celebrate Loy being recognized as the university's Innovator of the Year. Photo Credit: UNH Staff Photographer: Lisa Nugent