According to a report released last December, UR ranked sixth in the nation for revenues earned in 2002 as a result of faculty research.”These results are absolutely great,” Dean of Faculty Thomas LeBlanc said. “To be ranked sixth in the country for a relatively small school is an incredible testament to the faculty’s productivity. UR reaps the benefits of the faculty’s accomplishments as the revenues are reinvested in the school,” he said.Currently, the revenues are used to hire faculty, purchase new technology for students and aide in research and enrich departments, such as the biomedical engineering department. In order to help facilitate continued faculty research development, the university has invested in the Office of Technology Transfer. This office helps faculty members determine what work requires patents and how to license the developed technology to companies.”The 2001-2002 year was great for us,” Director of the Office of Technology Transfer for the University Mark Coburn said in a press release. “It is especially gratifying to be able to benchmark our licensing success and be ranked again among the top research universities in the nation. It creates an exciting, sustainable process of technology transfer and helps to foster and attract resources to cultivate more innovative research.”Over the past several years the revenues raised through UR’s invention earnings have increased dramatically. Technology transfers earned $3 million in 1999, $13 million in 2000, $29 million in 2001 and $42 million in 2002. The largest revenues were brought in by patents relating to childhood vaccines, office computer technology used around the world and an extraordinarily accurate technique for diagnosing aberrations in the eye. The results of the survey, conducted by the Association of University Technology Managers, were published in the “Chronicle of Higher Education.” The survey looked at 156 colleges and universities. Overall, academic institutions raised nearly $1 billion in patent revenue in 2002, which is a 16 percent increase from 2001.Gift giving success and delightDuring the holiday season, Hillel, Newman Community, Protestant Chapel Community, UR Christian Fellowship and the Religious Roundtable successfully sponsored the annual “Gifts-for-the-Giving Program.”For a week, students manned tables in Wilson Commons distributing gift bags. “Each bag was assigned to a certain age and sex group, ranging from infants to 14-year-olds and mothers,” Interfaith Chapel intern, Religious Roundtable co-chairperson and senior Jen Gertman said.”During the following week students and other members of the university community returned the bags filled with gifts.”The bags, which were donated to community members, Rochester School #17 and the Sojourner House, contained gifts ranging from practical to recreational – some people received necessary toiletries while others received toys.The program was well-supported on campus as well as by members of the community who benefited from the holiday gifts. “The overwhelming generosity the university has shown will benefit needy families,” Administrative Assistant Gloria Colls wrote in a thank you to UR faculty, staff and students. “The Interfaith Chapel and the Religious Roundtable with all its diversity came together to find a common thread in giving during this holiday season,” she said.
Reporting by Jeff Keesing and Alissa Miller.
