Charles D’Agostino (pictured) will vacate his position as executive director of Louisiana State University incubator and commercialisation arm Business and Technology Center (LBTC) in December 2018 after three decades in the post, the Advocate reported yesterday.
D’Agostino is expected to be succeeded by David Winwood, current assistant executive director of Louisiana State’s Innovation Park and associate executive director of its Pennington Biomedical Research Center.
Winwood came to Louisiana State from nonprofit tech transfer organisation Association of University Technology Managers, where he started as vice-president for advocacy in 2012 before being promoted to president three years later.
D’Agostino’s has led LBTC since its founding in 1988, some 16 years after he had received an MBA from Louisiana State in chemistry and business. He later expanded his responsibilities, becoming assistant executive director of the Innovation Park when that facility was constructed in 2005.
LBTC was formed as a partnership between LSU, Greater Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce and state-owned infrastructure arm Lousiana Public Facilities Authority.
The unit includes an incubator for small businesses and Louisiana State’s tech transfer office.
While deciding it is an apt time to “move on”, D’Agostino still plans to conduct consulting for unspecified research parks while spending more time at home with his family.
