LSU Names Innovation & Technology Commercialization Director

BATON ROUGE – The LSU Office of Innovation & Technology Commercialization has named its new director, technology licensing and commercialization veteran Spencer Rogers.

Rogers was previously associate director of technology transfer at Brigham Young University, which had one of the nation’s most successful tech transfer offices. While there, Rogers successfully negotiated over 100 license agreements representing hundreds of inventions and patent portfolios.

“Spencer has more than 25 years of experience in technology commercialization and business development. He holds multiple patents and has started and run several small businesses. He knows first-hand what it takes to shepherd an invention from concept to reality. His experience and leadership will help LSU accomplish even greater achievements in innovation,” said Andrew Maas, the associate vice president for research – LSU Office of Innovation & Ecosystem Development. Maas oversees the Office of Innovation & Technology Commercialization.

At BYU, Rogers evaluated and licensed internal intellectual property assets, identifying and valuing commercial opportunities, negotiating license agreements, and managing patent portfolios. He shared his expertise with faculty and students in business relationships, contract negotiations, intellectual property protection, marketing, licensing, and entrepreneurship. He also provided advice on the role of licensing and intellectual property in business.

Rogers has also served as CEO of half a dozen companies, whose products ranged from business-to-business software as a service platform for human resources and a portable woodburning stove – both of which he invented -- to an automated payment processing system and tech transfer commercialization.

“Nothing matches the thrill of making a discovery and then seeing it become a real product,” Rogers said. “I’m excited about working with LSU innovators to help them move their inventions from the lab to the marketplace.”

About LSU Innovation

LSU Innovation works with the LSU research community to facilitate the evaluation, protection and licensing of intellectual property created at LSU. LSU Innovation also focuses on establishing, developing and growing technology-based startup companies. This work maximizes the university's impact on the intellectual, economic and social development of Louisiana and beyond. LSU Innovation helps LSU entrepreneurs and the community through the evaluation of their discoveries and ideas, mechanisms for protecting their innovations, marketing and industry negotiations for intellectual property and licensing and other agreements.