Register for the UK Women Innovators Network Conference: ‘Empowering Women’
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 18, 2024) — The University of Kentucky Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) is hosting its annual UK Women Innovators Network (UKWIN) conference next week.
This year’s conference focuses on the theme "Empowering Women: Leveraging Tech Transfer & Entrepreneurial Resources for Innovation Commercialization.” The event will take place 3-5 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, in Ballroom 212A of the Gatton Student Center.
The UKWIN program has a mission to increase the number of UK women who participate in innovation. This conference offers opportunities for UK and Lexington women to connect, network and learn from one another.
“Empowering women in innovation is not just about breaking barriers, it’s about reshaping the future. I hope that people will join us in celebrating the strength, creativity and leadership of women driving change in the world of innovation,” said OTC Director Taunya Phillips.
The keynote speaker is Almesha Campbell, Ph.D., the assistant vice president for research and economic development at Jackson State University (JSU) and past chair of AUTM, “the non-profit leader in efforts to educate, promote and inspire professionals to support the development of academic research.”
Campbell designs and manages programs around innovation, technology transfer and commercialization to broaden the participation of underrepresented minorities in these areas. She also co-led the development of the JSU Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and created the JSU Innovation Fellows Program.
Kendra Stenzel, Ph.D., OTC’s commercialization manager for medical devices, will serve as the panelist moderator for the event.
The panel includes Janine Barnett, perinatal research assistant director in the College of Nursing; April Fernando, Ph.D., associate director of the Center for Innovation in Population Health in the College of Public Health (CPH); Michelle Fernando, CPH operations director; and Angela Gutierrez Echeverri, Ph.D., UK Superfund Research Center (SRC) liaison and a postdoctoral trainee.
Anyone interested in attending the event can register online here.
About OTC
The Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) mission is to advance innovation that makes a difference. OTC supports the university’s strategic plan by committing to help build Kentucky’s innovation ecosystem and collaborate with industry partners worldwide; work cooperatively with innovators to strategically assess, protect, and license early-stage technologies; and to cultivate entrepreneurship and co-create new technology startups.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.