The Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship provides an array of services and resources for Pitt innovators curious about the innovation commercialization process From determining whether you have an invention that should be disclosed to the Innovation Institute, to intellectual property protection and through to licensing and startup creation, there are programs and resources to help you at every step in the journey.
Our expert staff can connect Pitt innovators to resources both on campus in the region and beyond to help educate them and guide them to early-stage funding opportunities and assistance in launching, accelerating and incubating new ventures and attracting external investment.
We are pleased to introduce Nicole Oshurak as our Director of Inventor Engagement and Outreach. In this role she will work to build bridges between the OIE and its constituent operating units (Innovation Institute, Office of Industry and Economic Partnerships, Big Idea Center and Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence) and Pitt innovators across the University.
Take a minute to get to know Nicole:
Tell us a little about yourself, including your professional experience
This is my second tour through the Pitt ecosystem, and I’m really thrilled to be back! I spent about 5 years working at Magee-Womens Research Institute focused on strategic initiatives and industry partnerships specifically in the women’s and reproductive health space.
While I was at MWRI, I started to realize how quickly the science in those areas was moving, but how slow the associated policy was moving, and how difficult it was to translate this progress into patient care. I decided to go to GSPIA and get a master’s degree in public policy and left MWRI to join Pennsylvania’s statewide trade association for the life sciences, LSPA, as Vice President of State Policy and Public Affairs. There I spent about two years working with legislators on issues ranging from vaccine distribution to biomarker legislation to increasing the R&D tax credit cap in Pennsylvania.
As much as I enjoyed that work, I really wanted to be more focused on the life science ecosystem in Pittsburgh, so I jumped at the chance to join OIE in improving the commercialization efforts at Pitt.
What is your initial impression of the Pitt innovation ecosystem? What has surprised you?
My initial reaction of the innovation ecosystem at Pitt is that it is robust enough to truly transform the Pittsburgh region into the next major life science hub. Pitt is ranked number 3 in NIH funding, which speaks not only to the amount of research taking place here but also the strength of the foundation that our innovation will build upon.
I’d say what surprised me most is Pitt’s commitment to improving the inventor experience. I think that in order to be the best at anything you have to be constantly evaluating what’s working and what’s not. It’s really refreshing to see Pitt’s willingness to acknowledge what works well, but also what doesn’t and move forward with a plan to improve those areas. It’s an incredibly exciting time to join OIE and be a small part of what lies ahead!
How do you view your role as director of outreach? What do you hope to accomplish and how can you serve Pitt innovators?
I view my role here as an entry point to commercialization. If you’re a faculty member or a student and you think that you have something of value but aren’t sure what to do next, I can help to point you in the right direction. We have an amazing team of licensing managers, EIR’s, and partnership experts that can all help to transform the work taking place at Pitt. My goal is to get the word out about how you can engage with them, and even more importantly why you should engage with them. Not only does commercializing your work have significant societal benefits, but Pitt has a robust incentive plan that a lot of faculty here may not even know about. My hope is to increase awareness and engagement around all of that.
What is your message to Pitt faculty and students who might be interested in innovation and entrepreneurship, but don’t know where to start?
Come talk to me! At the very least you owe it to yourself and to your work to know if there is more on the horizon. If you’re not ready for commercialization yet, there are educational pathways like the NSF I-Corps program or even curated content that I can direct you toward to build a better entrepreneurship foundation. At the very least, we can get a gameplan in place or start connecting the dots for your next step.
How can faculty, departments, centers or institutes on campus work with you?
There are a few ways that we can work together. I am always happy to present at faculty meetings and retreats, or simply meet one-on-one and discuss specific technology or potential IP. If educational programming is of bigger interest I’m always happy to discuss those options and help to get faculty, postdocs and students started down that path as well. Reach out to me at noshurak@innovation.pitt.edu.
For Pitt innovators ready to begin their commercialization journey, consider learning about training opportunities available through the NSF I-Corps. Pitt is a member of the I-Corps Interior Northeast Hub, a network 10 universities providing commercialization training through virtual and hybrid short courses offered on a rolling basis throughout the year.
An I-Corps information session will be held on April 11 from 12 to 12:45 p.m.