WKU Innovation Leader Connects with National Innovation Community at AUTM Conference

Dr. Jenni Redifer

Dr. Jenni Redifer, associate provost for research and professor of psychology at Western Kentucky University, recently attended the annual AUTM Conference with support from the KCV GOAL Fund. The conference provides opportunities for professionals in technology transfer and research commercialization to share ideas, learn from peers and explore emerging trends.

The KCV GOAL Fund provides financial support to faculty, staff and students from partner institutions seeking professional development opportunities that strengthen innovation and commercialization efforts. By helping cover travel and related expenses, the fund enables recipients to gain new perspectives, build valuable networks and bring insights back to their campuses and organizations.

"The availability of GOAL funding solidified my decision to attend the national AUTM meeting. Bringing information about new developments and best practices in tech transfer back to WKU will benefit our faculty and student innovators, as well as staff in the Office of Research & Creative Activity."

Can you tell us about how you learned about the GOAL Fund opportunity and who helped connect you to it?

I am the KCV Champion for Western Kentucky University and Kayla Meisner mentioned it during one of our regular meetings. I previously attended AUTM’s Essentials course and found it extremely helpful, so I jumped at the chance to go to another AUTM event.

Kayla helped me apply for GOAL funding, and Maranda Russell was a huge help in making travel arrangements.

What did you gain from the conference that will impact your work?

I connected with many experts in the tech transfer field and learned a ton about supporting faculty through the commercialization process. The AUTM Conference was incredibly informative about everything from using technology to automate portions of the intellectual property process to keeping up with federal regulations. I am also participating in the AUTM mentoring program, and the annual meeting was an opportunity for all mentors and mentees to meet in person.

Why is it important to attend professional opportunities such as the ATMAE Conference?

The availability of GOAL funding solidified my decision to attend the national AUTM meeting. Bringing information about new developments and best practices in tech transfer back to WKU will benefit our faculty and student innovators, as well as staff in the Office of Research & Creative Activity. Successful commercialization of intellectual property at WKU will have scientific and economic benefits in Kentucky and beyond.

What are your next steps?

At WKU, we are implementing professional development opportunities for our campus community and streamlining our intellectual property practices, with the help of KCV. We expect this to lead to more intellectual property commercialization and expanded support for our innovators.