Rakhi Gibbons has become director of licensing at TLA after 12 years in the tech transfer business at University of Arizona and University of Michigan.

Tech Launch Arizona (TLA), University of Arizona’s commercialisation arm, has promoted Rakhi Gibbons (pictured), to director of licensing from her previous role as associate director for biomedical and life sciences licensing.

TLA will utilise Gibbons’ technical expertise in licensing matters such as marketing, drafting and negotiating agreements.

Her promotion comes on the back of her dedication to TLA and having impressed superiors with her consistent professionalism, mentorship of licensing managers, competence as associate director and ability to confront difficult situations.

The move follows the promotion of Douglas Hockstad, TLA’s former assistant vice-president of tech transfer, to perform more external-facing duties as the division’s vice-president in March 2018.

Gibbons has accrued more than 12 years of tech transfer experience, having started out as a life sciences licensing assistant at Arizona in 2004.

She left to become a licensing specialist at University of Michigan in 2006 and was promoted to a senior role six years later, before returning to Arizona in 2013 to work for the newly-formed TLA.

TLA expects to complete its licensing reshuffle in the coming days by appointing a senior licensing manager for life sciences. The tech transfer office is exploring how to improve its operations and performance ahead of the beginning of the next fiscal year on July 1.

Photograph courtesy of LinkedIn