Jerry Martin has been named the new associate director of technology transfer and economic development at Missouri S&T. He began his appointment on June 30. 

Martin brings a global perspective to his new role, shaped by a life of international experience in education, language and intellectual property. With his father in the Marines, he grew up moving across the nation, which he says gave him an appreciation for multiculturalism.  

Martin attended Valencia College and the University of Central Florida (UCF), where he earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with a focus on sciences, business, political science and languages. While a political science graduate student at UCF, he went to Kobe, Japan, for three months on a scholarship to study the Japanese language and politics. He later became a corporate trainer for Japanese executives, providing his first introduction to intellectual property. 

He then became an early adapter of online education and earned an MBA in global management through the University of Phoenix, then earned a Ph.D. in education leadership with a focus on self-efficacy. 

“I learned how intellectual property is important both to a company and a nation for economic development and national security,” he says. 

He also earned a law degree from the University of New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce School of Law, which is well known for its focus on intellectual property. 

Martin was previously the senior international officer for Miami University in Ohio for the university’s regional campuses. From there, he worked in technology commercialization at the University of Mississippi. 

“I’ve been following Missouri S&T for a while and have been really impressed with the leadership and the investment in infrastructure. It’s a very exciting time,” he says. “When I was offered this position, I couldn’t have been happier to accept it.” 

Martin says his goals are to become part of the team, help make sure intellectual property is protected, and to boost S&T’s commercialization efforts. 

“My goal is to really increase the commercialization of our intellectual property that’s being developed at S&T,” he says. “That involves working with our departments, research centers and developing good relationships with industry partners to license our intellectual property as we get it secured and protected.” 

Martin encourages anyone with ideas about IP or commercialization to contact S&T’s technology transfer and economic development team at ecodevo@mst.edu or visit the department’s website, ecodevo.mst.edu.  

“The team is ready to work with researchers and staff, or anybody who’s developing an invention, or an idea for one. It’s never too early to reach out,” he says. “We’re always happy to explain the process and we want everybody on campus and in the community to view us as a resource that’s here to support you.” 

About Missouri S&T  

Missouri University of Science and Technology is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to The Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.