Press
Releases
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 2003 |
|
Martha
Connolly Named Director of the University of Maryland's
Maryland Industrial Partnerships Program
COLLEGE
PARK, Md. -- Dr. Martha J. Connolly's career has
been one of firsts.
She
was the first woman to graduate from the Johns Hopkins
University's biomedical engineering
doctoral program. She was among the first class of co-eds
at Stevens Institute
of Technology. She was the first biotechnology representative
for the Maryland
Department of Business and Economic Development, and now she is the first woman to lead the
university's
Maryland Industrial
Partnerships (MIPS) Program.
"Dr.
Connolly brings tremendous capability to the MIPS program,"
said Dr. Herbert Rabin, director of the university's
Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute, the parent
organization
for MIPS. "She's been a technology leader
with impact not only in State government, but in industry
and
the university community as well. We have every reason
to believe that Dr. Connolly will propel MIPS to yet
higher levels in fostering successful university research
projects
that make Maryland companies more competitive."
Dr.
Connolly knows Maryland. As the pioneer for DBED's
biotechnology initiatives in 1997, she spearheaded
the efforts to promote Maryland as a leader in that sector.
"We
understood back then that biotechnology was an integral
part of the new economy in Maryland," Connolly
explained, "but
we had to find ways to measure how we were doing,
take inventory of what we had, and then find ways
to market
ourselves and grow."
Maryland's
leadership position as a biotech state suggests her efforts
succeeded. According to Ernst & Young's
2002 Global Biotechnology Report, Maryland now
ranks third in the nation for its number of biotechnology
companies,
and is home to MedImmune--the fifth-largest
biotechnology company in the world.
Dr.
Connolly knows academe. As a faculty member and director
of an independent research laboratory
at
the University
of Maryland, Baltimore, she worked on funded
research from both the National Institutes
of
Health and
the American Lung Association in the area of
cardiovascular systems
physiology and bioengineering. She also authored
37 full-length, peer-reviewed publications
in those areas.
As a technology transfer specialist at UMB,
Dr. Connolly handled a portfolio of intellectual
properties for
the university's health sciences campus.
Dr.
Connolly knows industry. She directed business
development activities at EntreMed Inc.,
a publicly-traded biopharmaceutical
company, and she also co-founded the start-up
technology development/commercialization
firm Clairus Technologies
Inc.
With combined unique experience in industry,
the government, and academia, Dr. Connolly
plans to
elevate MIPS as
one of the State's top technology initiatives.
"MIPS
is one of the most viable programs in Maryland for early-stage
technology commercialization," said
Connolly. "We
want to raise the awareness of our program
across the board, since it has already
had a significant impact on the State
economy, as well as continue its course
in spurring the latest cutting-edge innovations."
MIPS
offers matching funds for collaborative research and
development between any company
in the State
and faculty
from any University System of Maryland
institution. Projects have to be technology-based
and
carry high commercial
potential. MIPS projects require company
matching funds—which
augment university project costs.
MIPS-funded
projects have helped companies solve
vital technical problems and
create revolutionary technologies,
including MedImmune's Synagis
product, which prevents a prevalent
respiratory disease in pre-mature
infants, Hughes Network Systems' DIRECWAY
satellite Internet product, Black & Decker's
ultra-efficient masonry drill bits,
and Martek Bioscience's top-selling
additive for infant formulas. The
program has supported more than
680 faculty-company research and
development projects since its inception
in 1987,
infusing $119 million in funding
into the State's technology
development efforts. MIPS' $24
million in contributions have been
matched by
$96 million of private
sector investment from Maryland
companies.
In
post-project impact reports, companies have attributed
over $300 million
in sales as direct
results of MIPS
projects.
MIPS
is a program of the A.
James Clark School of Engineering's Maryland Technology Enterprise
Institute (MTECH), whose mission is to enable technology
commercialization, strengthen
companies, and catalyze new ventures
in
Maryland. For
more information about MIPS, please visit http://www.mips.umd.edu.
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