Staff Bio's

Patricia Bzdek joined the OTC Cook/NJAES Office with an Administrative background in January of 1991. She’s held positions in successful retail and pharmaceutical companies. With over 15 years of varying industry experience, Pat is a welcomed team member whose professionalism is demonstrated through her exceptional support to staff, faculty and industry. Should you have any procedural questions regarding Cook/NJAES’s IP, Patent or Agreement Database, please contact Pat.

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Lori Dars has been a part of the OTC team since 2001. She came to the department with over 15 years experience in marketing and business communications, having worked in financial services and insurance as a marketing manager. She received her BA degree in Communication from the University of Delaware and earned her MBA from Rutgers. Lori produces the OTC annual report and other communication pieces to publicize the department and technologies available for licensing. In addition, she handles biomedical marketing – including researching, identifying and contacting potential commercial partners. Lori is also responsible for the content of the OTC website and provides marketing and communication guidance to Rutgers newly created BEST Institute.

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Jill Frankenfield joined Rutgers in the position of Contract Negotiator for Industrial Research Agreements. Previously, Jill was affiliated with the University of Maryland, College Park, where she worked in the Office of Research Administration and Advancement as a Senior Contract Administrator. She received her BA in Journalism from the University of Maryland and a MS in Management from the University of Maryland, University College and is a Certified Research Administrator through the Society of Research Administrators.

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Robert Gruetzmacher, Ph.D., CLP leads Physical Sciences and Engineering Marketing and Business Development in the Office of Technology Commercialization. He has a Ph.D in Chemistry and was a NIH Post-Doctoral Fellow in Biomaterials Macromolecular Science at Case Western Reserve University. He recently retired from DuPont where he most recently was responsible for university-company relationships. His work experience is varied and includes business management, R&D in physical, engineering and biological sciences, IP management, licensing and management of university collaborations.

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Dorian Grumet

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Wael Hanna graduated from New Jersey City University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting. Wael offers Rutgers a diverse background, which includes a strong focus in retail and sales. His affinity to numbers has won him an opportunity in January of 2000 to join the OTC team. Any inquiries regarding financial reporting, attorney billings, and license revenue distributions should be directed to Wael.

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Yair Harel has more than 25 years of experience in various aspects of business and technology commercialization. He has been involved in international projects, industrial and technology marketing and sales, mergers and acquisitions, and technology licensing. In 2002 he joined Rutgers’ Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) as Associate Director, Ventures & Operations and is involved with licensing, initiating and supporting the creation of new ventures, initiating and developing special projects, providing assistance to Rutgers’ existing portfolio companies in their business development activities, and improving OTC’s general operations. Yair served several years in the Israeli Air Force and then received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. He also received an MBA from Columbia Business School. Yair worked several years at Arthur Young & Company (now Ernst &Young) as Associate Director in its Merger & Acquisitions Group.

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Christopher Izzo is the OTC patent counsel. Chris is an alumnus of Cook College and received his JD from Seton Hall University School of Law. He has technical expertise in the areas of Biochemistry, Food Science and Technology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, and Biotechnology. Chris has held technical positions at Devro, Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, and Bristol Myers Squibb, and has previously worked as a patent attorney at the law firm of Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland & Perretti, LLP. He has worked with the staff of OTC, faculty and university inventors as a patent attorney since the spring of 2003.

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Marian Monahan is the Corporate Contracts Grant Assistant and one of the original team members of OTC. Since the department’s inception in 1989, Marian has contributed to its growth by offering continuing support to the faculty, staff and current Associate Director, and Contract Negotiator of Corporate Contracts. The processing and review of Material Transfer and Confidentiality Agreements, and general Corporate Contracts support questions should be handled through Marian.

Leon Segal, Asst. Director, Licensing and Technology, SEBS has broad experience in technology commercialization, licensing, collaborations; intellectual property strategic management; acquisitions and joint ventures; R&D management; strategic business and technology planning; venture capital programs; market research and new market development; and technology startup business management. Technology experience includes nutraceuticals/food; medical/pharmaceuticals; specialty agriculture; polymers; composite materials; electronic materials; photovoltaics; nano-materials and advanced technologies. Leon has worked in all world regions, including developed and emerging countries. He has held positions including Director, Business Development  AlliedSignal Engineered Materials (now Honeywell); and similar positions at Church & Dwight Co. and Rohm and Haas Co. Leon has degrees in chemical engineering from The Cooper Union School of Engineering (B.E.), Northwestern University (M.S.), and Polytechnic Institute of NY (PhD), and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He has 23 issued US patents.

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Charles Wyckoff joined Rutgers in March of 1992 and is Associate Director, Industrial Agreement Negotiations. Chuck was certified as a commercial contracts manager by the TMSA and is a NCMA certified federal contracts manager. Before joining Rutgers, he spent over twenty years in the high-technology, aerospace & defense and information systems industries where he served in various management positions overseeing the contracts, marketing and support operations.

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Thomas Zambito is our Contract Negotiator for Industrial Research Agreements. He is a graduate of Georgetown University as well as New York Law School where he earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. Tom worked for 16 years in the contracting organizations of AT&T Corporation, Lucent Technologies, and Telcordia Technologies where he led teams in projects for year 2000 code compliance and assignment of contracts to spin-off companies. His corporate experience included negotiating software development agreements as well as professional services contracts with an emphasis on intellectual property issues.

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