Eberhart appointed director of UGA Technology Commercialization Office

Athens, Ga. – Derek Eberhart has been appointed director of the University of Georgia Technology Commercialization Office, under the Office of the Vice President for Research, effective Jan. 1, 2014. He has served as interim director since July.
Through intellectual property licensing and other efforts, TCO serves the UGA community by connecting industry with university expertise and inventions for the public good, promoting economic development, and increasing research visibility. TCO evaluates inventions for patentability and commercial potential, protects intellectual property rights, negotiates all IP-related agreements, and facilitates strategic partnerships with universities, industry, and government. In pursuing these goals, TCO works closely with UGA’s business incubator, the Georgia BioBusiness Center.
Eberhart received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Georgia. He earned his doctorate in genetics and molecular biology at Emory University, where he studied the molecular basis of a common form of mental retardation known as Fragile X syndrome. As an American Cancer Society postdoctoral fellow at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, his research focused on the generation and analysis of mouse cancer models.
Prior to joining UGA in 2008, Eberhart served as director of Alliance and Portfolio Management at Lexicon Pharmaceuticals in Texas, where he was involved in alliance management, technology licensing and business development activities. He managed several of Lexicon’s drug discovery partnerships, including alliances with multiple pharmaceutical and biotech companies, as well as collaborations with federal and non-profit entities.
UGA Vice President for Research David Lee said, “Since joining TCO, Derek has held a series of positions of increasing responsibility, including senior technology manager, associate director of TCO, and interim director of TCO. His performance in each capacity has been outstanding, and as interim director, he has rapidly gained the trust and confidence of faculty inventors, external clients and the TCO staff.
“I am convinced Derek will bring the necessary energy, rigor and goal-setting to the director position, and that he will play a key role in helping to achieve President [Jere] Morehead’s vision of an enhanced university impact on economic development. I look forward to working closely with him in this regard,” Lee said.