FSU welcomes national leader on faculty innovation, entrepreneurship

Florida State University is urging the university’s innovators and entrepreneurs to step forward and apply their talents and resources to boost translational research and move that work from the lab into the marketplace.

FSU President Richard McCullough spoke to a crowd of faculty being recognized for their work in producing patented research and encouraged them to consider further entrepreneurial efforts.

The gathering was also part of a visit to FSU by Rich Carter, a professor of chemistry at Oregon State University, to discuss how the university could include recognition of the work faculty does to create products and private companies in promotion and tenure and encourage more participation in innovation.

“Dr. Rich Carter is a true partner,” said Vice President for Research Stacey S. Patterson.  “He is a national leader in the conversation around innovation and entrepreneurship.”

Carter met with university leadership and faculty members throughout the day.  He argued that most faculty members get into research wanting to have a positive impact on society through their work. Creating new products or companies is one way to do that.

“Remember these impacts are all across your colleges, all across the university,” he told an audience at Conradi Studio Theatre in Williams Building.

In addition to working as a professor of chemistry, Carter is the co-founder of Valliscor, a fluorine-focused chemical manufacturing company. He is also the principal investigator of a National Science Foundation program to facilitate the work universities are doing in the entrepreneurship space and encourage them to incorporate entrepreneurship and innovation into the promotion and tenure process.

Patterson said that the university was excited to work with Carter and others as it continued to enhance the university’s entrepreneurial culture.

“We want faculty, staff and students to really do the things they believe are going to impact society and that really stems from innovation and entrepreneurship, thinking entrepreneurially on how they take their ideas to the market, how those ideas are going to impact people,” Patterson said.  “And that truly is the heart of Florida State University.”

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