UK Research is pleased to announce that Ian D. McClure, J.D., LL.M. has accepted the position of Associate Vice President for Research (AVPR), Innovation and Economic Impact. This new position represents an increased emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurial activity as part of the university research strategic plan. 

In this position McClure will lead UK Research’s efforts to translate UK discoveries for the public good, seek equitable returns on UK intellectual property (IP), develop innovative approaches to develop, fund and support opportunities for near-stage research, seek grant funding to enhance UK’s investments in innovation, and expand industry and other collaborative research programs with UK Research and in the state more broadly. 

McClure was executive director of the UK Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) where he oversaw the University’s innovation, intellectual property, and startup portfolios. He grew the staff from three members to its current 25 (including full-time, fellows, and student workers), and enhanced the number of programs to assist faculty, staff and student innovators. As a result, UK’s commercialization and entrepreneurship activity has reached highest-ever levels through the OTC, growing significantly in annual inventions (100% increase), patents (400% increase), licenses (350% increase) and startups (50% increase) compared with 2016.  

McClure is also a principal investigator (PI) or co-investigator on five grants — including awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute for General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), and the Economic Development Administration. He is chair-elect for AUTM (the global non-profit association for technology transfer professionals at research institutions worldwide), chair of the Ohio Valley Affiliates of Life Sciences (OVALS), a co-founder of the EnRICH program, and a co-founder of Kentucky Commercialization Ventures (KCV), a state-funded program to provide services to universities in the state that do not currently have dedicated IP and tech transfer resources.

“I am thrilled to be continuing this important work for UK in this new elevated role, highlighting the innovation and entrepreneurial culture that has so much potential at UK," McClure said. "The strong support from AVPR Rodney Andrews, VPR Dr. Lisa Cassis, and President Capilouto has made our successes to date possible, and I am excited about the future of UK’s innovation enterprise and the impact it can have on Kentucky, the region, and the world.”

Please welcome Ian McClure to this important new position and work with him to grow innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of Kentucky.