Inside Iowa State: Iowa State University

July 25, 2003

Match game

by Debra Gibson
It's not often a Ph.D.-toting geneticist is asked to play matchmaker. On company time.

But these are different times for universities, especially those whose campuses are teeming with potential economic development opportunities for their states. Meanwhile, communities are ripe for the tech transfer shuffle, but someone needs to lead.

So Iowa State has Lisa Lorenzen, director of industry relations and biotechnology liaison. She spends her days hoping to fill the dance cards of so many ISU research projects whose technologies ultimately can boost the economy of a Spencer or a Shenandoah. And recently, she threw her own party, a "research rush," if you will, to show Iowa economic development planners what ISU can bring to the party.

About 75 such hopefuls from across the state attended the economic development open house, touring various university facilities and pursuing partnership opportunities. With ISU's number now in their little black books, this could be the start of something big.