Contact

Patrick Reed, RTTP

Executive Director

Patrick E. Reed, RTTP, Executive Director of the IP Exchange at Auburn University, has spent the entirety of his career on the advancement of academic innovation.  Formerly working solely in traditional academic technology transfer, he recognized the importance of “feeding the top of the funnel” and made industry partnering a strong focus of his efforts to promote university translational research.  Patrick earned a Master’s of Science degree in biotechnology from the Kellogg Center for Biotechnology at Northwestern University and has worked in the technology transfer offices at the LSU AgCenter, Georgia Tech, LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, and Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

Tyler Adams, JD

Director, IP Agreement Negotiations and Technology Transfer

Tyler J. Adams, J.D. serves as the Director, Intellectual Property Negotiation & Technology Transfer of IPX at Auburn University. In this role Adams provides senior level knowledge and insight in the management, control, and commercialization of intellectual property (IP) created by Auburn University; reviews, drafts, negotiates, and closes IP related agreements on behalf of the University; and identifies and resolves risks in contractual terms and conditions not conforming to AU policy or governing regulations.

Adams previously served as the Contract Officer for Auburn University and has more than a decade’s worth of experience negotiating and entering into agreements on behalf of the University. He is skilled in navigating state and federal regulations along with Auburn University policy and providing legal and business counsel to university administrators and entering into contracts and navigating other complex business decisions.

Adams hold bachelor’s degrees from Auburn University and a Juris Doctorate from Mississippi College School of Law.

John Eric Miller, JD, MBA

Senior Negotiator, IP Agreements

John Eric joined IPX in July 2023. He negotiates a variety of agreements with entities around the world. These primarily include non-disclosure and material transfer agreements. He also reviews and consults on intellectual property and confidentiality language in contracts for departments across campus.

Prior to joining IPX, John Eric graduated from Samford University – Cumberland School of Law with a joint JD/MBA. He is a licensed attorney and active member of the Alabama State Bar. John Eric is a 2019 alumnus of Auburn University.

Troy Brady, PhD, CLP

Director of Commercialization

Troy is the Director for Commercialization for IPX, working with the licensing team to move innovations toward the market. In addition to evaluating and protecting Auburn intellectual property, Troy promotes academic technology transfer across campus, works to identify and engage development partners, and negotiates licenses in the best interest of the inventor, the technology, and Auburn University.

Troy received a PhD in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from Iowa State University and trained both as a Postdoctoral Researcher of Retrovirology and Gene Therapy and as a Fellow in Technology Transfer at the University of Pennsylvania.  He is also a Certified Licensing Professional and Patent Agent.

Frank Norris

Senior Licensing Officer

With academic training in physics and mathematics, Frank’s initial professional experience was in medical facility IT management and database design for evaluating medical and surgical device performance. He subsequently worked in business development and project management in the medical device industry, specializing in devices for blood purification and the treatment of organ failure.

His career in academic technology management began as a Licensing Manager at the University of Utah in 2005. He moved to a Senior Licensing Manager position at Ohio State University in 2013 and from there came to Auburn in December of 2023. Frank has extensive experience in every aspect of technology commercialization in diverse areas including biomedical, chemical, material, and tissue engineering, as well as the fields of cardiology, oncology, neurology, and organ transplantation. In addition to licenses to established companies, Frank has been the lead on licenses to many startup companies, including faculty startups.

Misty Schwieker

Administrator, Patents

Misty joined Auburn University in September 2004. She is an Intellectual Property Paralegal and holds a Specialized Associates of Science in Court Reporting. Her responsibilities include providing direct support to the IAC Associate Directors and Licensing Officers regarding patent filings, maintenance, and communication with outside counsel. She also provides general staff and administrative support to the office at large.

Angela Torbert-Motley

Administrator, Technology Transfer

Angela joined IPX in 2015, bringing with her over 25 years of executive-level experience in administrative leadership. Her roles have included Office Manager for the President of Tuskegee University, Assistant to the City Manager for the City of Tuskegee, and Director’s Assistant with the City of Auburn. In her current capacity, Angela is responsible for preparing financial documents, such as processing invoices, royalty payments, and monthly purchasing card reconciliations; as well as managing budget transfers; acting as the departmental HR liaison; facilitating the execution of ACR/OCR agreements; and overseeing calendaring and event coordination. Angela also provides comprehensive administrative support to IPX staff.

Melanie Baker

Administrator, Government Compliance

Melanie joined Auburn University’s IPX in August 2017.  She holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy and Justice with a concentration in Legal Studies from Auburn University at Montgomery and an Associate in Science from Southern Union State Community College.  Through her courses at Auburn University at Montgomery, she became an ABA-certified paralegal. Her duties include managing the intellectual property reporting obligations that result from the University’s sponsored research and seeing that all reporting is done in accordance with federal and state laws, guidelines, and agreements.

David Roberson

Financial Operations Manager

Samantha Harms

Agreements Administrator