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    • Kathy Nugent

      Kathy Nugent, Ph.D.

      Associate Vice President, Executive Director (205) 996-2556
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    •  Karthik Gopalakrishnan

      Karthik Gopalakrishnan, Ph.D.

      Director of Licensing and New Ventures (205) 975-9443
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Neelima Agarwal

      Neelima "Nilu" Agarwal

      Director of Admin & Fiscal Affairs (205) 975-6068
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Shawnda Jones

      Shawnda Jones

      Executive Assistant (205) 934-9911
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    •  Karen Bernard

      Karen Bernard, Ph.D., MAc. 

      Senior Licensing Associate (205) 934-8826
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Audrey Brown

      Audrey Brown, J.D.

      Licensing Associate (205) 996-7578
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Nadia Cantu-Medellin

      Nadia Cantu-Medellin, MS, MBA

      Project Analyst (205) 996-2538
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Diptiman Chanda

      Diptiman Chanda, Ph.D., MSPH

      Licensing Associate (205) 934-7871
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Helena Christine

      Helena Christine, J.D.

      University Counsel (205) 996-6636
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Francis "Wink" Crittenden

      Francis "Wink" Crittenden, Ph.D.

      Licensing Associate (205) 975-6851
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Amanda Dove

      Amanda Dove, MBA

      Business Development Analyst (205) 996-4740
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Anita Estis

      Anita Estis

      Financial Associate(205) 934-7868
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Birthe Franck-Petersen

      Birthe Franck-Petersen

      Communications Student Assistant This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Amy Jones

      Amy Jones

      Marketing Manager (205) 934-2838
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    •  Patrick J. Murphy

      Patrick J. Murphy, Ph.D.

      Goodrich Endowed Chair for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (206) 486-5163
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Aisha Nabegu

      Aisha Nabegu

      Program Manager (205) 996-7298
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Rubin Pillay

      Rubin Pillay, Ph.D.

      Chief Innovation Officer – Heersink School of Medicine (205) 934-8830
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Jimmy Pham

      Jimmy Pham

      Business Development Intern (205) 934-9911
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  • Innovate Fellows are graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who help the Harbert Institute team manage the newest inventions on campus while also exploring careers within technology transfer. Fellows are tasked with performing market, prior art, prior art and patent analyses to assess the commercial merit of new inventions. Their research also identifies competition and potential industry partners. With the large volume of invention disclosures received by the office each year, the Innovate Fellows are a key component to our workflow and allow the office to make quick, informed decisions. To learn more about the Innovate Fellows program, email Project Analyst Nadia Cantu-Medellin at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

    Current Fellows

    • Samuel Bharti

      Samuel Bharti

      Innovate Fellow

    • Sachin Budhathoki

      Sachin Budhathoki

      Innovate Fellow

    • Caila Coyne, M.S.

      Caila Coyne, M.S.

      Innovate Fellow

    • Amr Elhamamsy

      Amr Elhamamsy, M.S.

      Innovate Fellow

    • Stevan Fairburn

      Stevan Fairburn

      Innovate Fellow

    • Suman Karki

      Suman Karki, Ph.D.

      Innovate Fellow

    • Cailin Kellum

      Cailin Kellum, MBA

      Innovate Fellow

    • Shia Vang

      Shia Vang

      Innovate Fellow

    • Ashton Weber

      Ashton Weber

      Innovate Fellow

    • Riley Yager

      Riley Yager

      Innovate Fellow

    • Govardhan Yalavarthi

      Govardhan Yalavarthi

      Innovate Fellow


    Past Fellows

    Shyam Bandari, Ph.D.

    Shyam Bandari, Ph.D.

    Reena Beggs, Ph.D.

    Reena Beggs, Ph.D.

    Sajina G.C.

    Sajina G.C.

    Thaddaeus Kwan, Ph.D.

    Thaddaeus Kwan, Ph.D.

    N’Toia Maynor, Ph.D.

    N’Toia Maynor, Ph.D.

    Tejeshwar Rao, Ph.D.

    Tejeshwar Rao, Ph.D.

    Sami Refai

    Sami Refai

    • Kathy Nugent

      Kathy Nugent, Ph.D.

      Associate Vice President, Executive Director (205) 996-2556
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    •  Karthik Gopalakrishnan

      Karthik Gopalakrishnan, Ph.D.

      Director of Licensing and New Ventures (205) 975-9443
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Neelima Agarwal

      Neelima "Nilu" Agarwal

      Director of Admin & Fiscal Affairs (205) 975-6068
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Shawnda Jones

      Shawnda Jones

      Executive Assistant (205) 934-9911
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    •  Karen Bernard

      Karen Bernard, Ph.D., MAc. 

      Senior Licensing Associate (205) 934-8826
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Audrey Brown

      Audrey Brown, J.D.

      Licensing Associate (205) 996-7578
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Nadia Cantu-Medellin

      Nadia Cantu-Medellin, MS, MBA

      Project Analyst (205) 996-2538
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Diptiman Chanda

      Diptiman Chanda, Ph.D., MSPH

      Licensing Associate (205) 934-7871
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Helena Christine

      Helena Christine, J.D.

      University Counsel (205) 996-6636
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Francis "Wink" Crittenden

      Francis "Wink" Crittenden, Ph.D.

      Licensing Associate (205) 975-6851
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Amanda Dove

      Amanda Dove, MBA

      Business Development Analyst (205) 996-4740
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Anita Estis

      Anita Estis

      Financial Associate(205) 934-7868
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Birthe Franck-Petersen

      Birthe Franck-Petersen

      Communications Student Assistant This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Amy Jones

      Amy Jones

      Marketing Manager (205) 934-2838
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    •  Patrick J. Murphy

      Patrick J. Murphy, Ph.D.

      Goodrich Endowed Chair for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (206) 486-5163
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Aisha Nabegu

      Aisha Nabegu

      Program Manager (205) 996-7298
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Rubin Pillay

      Rubin Pillay, Ph.D.

      Chief Innovation Officer – Heersink School of Medicine (205) 934-8830
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • Jimmy Pham

      Jimmy Pham

      Business Development Intern (205) 934-9911
      This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  • Innovate Fellows are graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who help the Harbert Institute team manage the newest inventions on campus while also exploring careers within technology transfer. Fellows are tasked with performing market, prior art, prior art and patent analyses to assess the commercial merit of new inventions. Their research also identifies competition and potential industry partners. With the large volume of invention disclosures received by the office each year, the Innovate Fellows are a key component to our workflow and allow the office to make quick, informed decisions. To learn more about the Innovate Fellows program, email Project Analyst Nadia Cantu-Medellin at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

    Current Fellows

    • Samuel Bharti

      Samuel Bharti

      Innovate Fellow

    • Sachin Budhathoki

      Sachin Budhathoki

      Innovate Fellow

    • Caila Coyne, M.S.

      Caila Coyne, M.S.

      Innovate Fellow

    • Amr Elhamamsy

      Amr Elhamamsy, M.S.

      Innovate Fellow

    • Stevan Fairburn

      Stevan Fairburn

      Innovate Fellow

    • Suman Karki

      Suman Karki, Ph.D.

      Innovate Fellow

    • Cailin Kellum

      Cailin Kellum, MBA

      Innovate Fellow

    • Shia Vang

      Shia Vang

      Innovate Fellow

    • Ashton Weber

      Ashton Weber

      Innovate Fellow

    • Riley Yager

      Riley Yager

      Innovate Fellow

    • Govardhan Yalavarthi

      Govardhan Yalavarthi

      Innovate Fellow


    Past Fellows

    Shyam Bandari, Ph.D.

    Shyam Bandari, Ph.D.

    Reena Beggs, Ph.D.

    Reena Beggs, Ph.D.

    Sajina G.C.

    Sajina G.C.

    Thaddaeus Kwan, Ph.D.

    Thaddaeus Kwan, Ph.D.

    N’Toia Maynor, Ph.D.

    N’Toia Maynor, Ph.D.

    Tejeshwar Rao, Ph.D.

    Tejeshwar Rao, Ph.D.

    Sami Refai

    Sami Refai

Our People By the Numbers

100+


Years of UAB employment combined

13


Full-time team members

5


UAB grads on HIIE staff

7


Innovate Fellows in 2023

13


Innovate Fellows Since 2019

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