Each year, the University of Tennessee Research Foundation (UTRF) welcomes graduate students into its Commercialization Analyst Program, offering a hands-on introduction to technology transfer at the intersection of science, law and business.
Throughout the internship, commercialization analyst interns work alongside UTRF’s licensing team to help evaluate, market and license innovative technologies developed across the UT System. Their work provides a firsthand look at how university discoveries move from the laboratory to the marketplace while exposing them to intellectual property, entrepreneurship and the commercialization process.
This year, three rising 2L law students from UT Knoxville’s (UTK’s) Winston College of Law are gaining firsthand experience in technology transfer while exploring how their legal education and STEM backgrounds can help bring new innovations to market. Meet Sydney Slaney, Brittany Mauro and Shelby Maier.
Sydney Slaney
For Sydney Slaney, the path to UTK was generations in the making. A fifth-generation Volunteer from Nashville, Slaney earned her undergraduate degree in biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology, along with a minor in Spanish, before pursuing law school at UTK.
Although she entered law school with an interest in intellectual property, Slaney had little exposure to technology transfer before joining UTRF.
“I honestly did not know that this kind of role existed,” she said. “It’s been a great learning experience to not only see how innovations make their way out into the world, but also to be a part of that process.”
Throughout the summer, Slaney has supported a variety of commercialization projects, including outreach efforts for a simulated electronic fetal monitoring application. Working with an innovation that has already progressed through much of the commercialization process has given her a new appreciation for the business side of bringing research to market.
“I’ve always been passionate about how innovations, especially within health sciences, can be used to help people,” she said. “Now I’m learning so much about a different side of this that I never thought I would be involved in.”
The experience has also reinforced her long-term career goals. Rather than changing her interest in intellectual property law, the internship confirmed that she wants to continue combining her scientific background with legal practice.
“I always had the idea that I wanted to go into intellectual property law or patent law,” Slaney said. “Having this experience this summer confirmed for me, ‘Okay, this really is something I want to keep pursuing.'”
Fast Facts
- Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
- Undergraduate degree: Biochemistry and Cellular & Molecular Biology; Spanish minor
- Law school: Rising 2L
- Hobbies: Guitar, gardening, hiking and travel photography
Brittany Mauro
Growing up in California’s Central Valley in a multigenerational farming family, Brittany Mauro developed an early appreciation for agriculture, science and engineering. She earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial and management systems engineering from Montana State University before coming to UTK’s Winston College of Law.
Like many students entering the internship, Mauro knew very little about technology transfer before arriving at UTRF. What attracted her was the opportunity to explore career paths that combine law, technology and innovation.
“I was really drawn to this role because I was curious to know what other types of careers I could pursue with a law degree besides being a lawyer,” Mauro said. “This role’s been super helpful with expanding my horizons.”
For Mauro, one of the internship’s greatest benefits has been gaining experience that extends beyond traditional legal research. By helping evaluate inventions, analyze markets, and identify potential licensing opportunities, she has developed skills that will be valuable regardless of where her legal career takes her.
“I’ve been able to pick up so many marketable skills that I wouldn’t have had an opportunity to grow in a traditional legal internship,” she said. “Those are all skills that will serve me far past whatever role I choose to pursue in the future.”
The experience has also helped hone her career goals by reinforcing her interest in intellectual property and business law.
“This internship has directed me towards the topics I want to further pursue,” Mauro said. “It’s given me a great opportunity to learn more about how intellectual property law, business, and technological innovation all work together.”
Fast Facts
- Hometown: Tulare, California
- Undergraduate degree: Industrial and Management Systems Engineering
- Law school: Rising 2L
- Hobbies: Cooking, community service and mentoring, violin
Shelby Maier
Shelby Maier’s path to UTK was anything but traditional. Originally from San Diego, California, she earned a physics degree from Furman University after beginning her collegiate career as a Division I softball pitcher at the University of Georgia. Before starting law school at UTK, Maier spent two years working at a patent law firm, where she passed the patent bar and became a registered patent agent.
Unlike many commercialization analyst interns, Maier entered the program with firsthand experience in intellectual property. However, most of that experience came from the perspective of outside counsel. She was eager to see what technology transfer looked like from within a university commercialization office.
“I had only ever understood tech transfer from the angle of, ‘They’re our client,’ rather than actually working within the office,” Maier said. “I wanted something that challenged me intellectually and let me get back into science.”
The internship has also given Maier responsibilities she says would have been difficult to find in a traditional legal internship. Rather than observing from the sidelines, she has played an active role in evaluating technologies and supporting commercialization efforts.
“Here, I felt like I was actually making a difference,” Maier said. “I got to actually run the process, and there was trust in the results that I got.”
Beyond the technical experience, Maier says the internship has strengthened her confidence as a communicator. Through marketing technologies to industry partners, she has learned to view every response, even a rejection, as valuable feedback.
“It’s given me a lot more confidence,” she said. “If someone says they’re not interested, that’s okay. That’s feedback, and then you move on to the next opportunity.”
Fast Facts
- Hometown: San Diego, California
- Undergraduate degree: Physics, Furman University
- Law school: Rising 2L
- Hobbies: CrossFit, Drag racing with her dad, softball, hiking and spending time outdoors
After working with UTRF for summer full-time, the students will continue supporting UTRF’s licensing team for 10 hours each week throughout the academic year.
“Every summer, our commercialization analyst interns become valuable members of the UTRF team,” said Kusum Rathore, Vice President of the UTRF Knoxville Office. “Their scientific and legal backgrounds allow them to make meaningful contributions to our licensing efforts while gaining hands-on experience that’s difficult to find in a traditional classroom. Investing in students like these is an investment in the future of technology transfer, innovation and entrepreneurship.”