MSU Research Foundation’s Jeff Smith Re-elected to National Research Parks Board of Directors
Jeff Smith, Director of Research Parks at the Michigan State University Research Foundation, has been re-elected to the board of the Association of University Research Parks (AURP), a global non-profit organization promoting innovation, commercialization, and economic growth through university, industry, and government partnerships in research parks, innovation districts, and technology hubs.
Jeff Smith, Director of Research Parks at the MSU Research Foundation, has been re-elected to the board of the Association of University Research Parks (AURP).
TUCSON, AZ – Jeff Smith, Director of Research Parks at the Michigan State University Research Foundation, has been re-elected to the board of the Association of University Research Parks (AURP). AURP is a global non-profit membership organization that represents university-based research parks, innovation districts, technology hubs, and the entrepreneurial companies supporting the growth and development of dynamic communities of innovation.
“There are very few organizations like AURP that tie technology-based development with university-related commercialization efforts, which are invested in the community to help raise the economic level of activity around it,” Smith said.
AURP promotes innovation, commercialization and economic growth through university, industry, and government partnerships. The majority of AURP's membership consists of university, governmental, not-for-profit and private organizations interested in the development and operation of research-related technology projects.
“Involvement with AURP gives us a front row seat to where the economy is heading,” Smith continued. “It helps us understand what our peers are doing and keeps us on the forefront of national trends in university-based tech ecosystems.”
As an at-large member, Smith will also serve on the executive committee, along with Officers:
PRESIDENT: Erin Koshut, Executive Director, Cummings Research Park
VICE PRESIDENT: Allison Madden, MBA, Corporate Secretary and Director of Operations, University of South Florida Research Park
TREASURER: Mark Romney, Senior Vice President, Blue Rise Ventures
SECRETARY: Harry Brislin, CEO & Executive Director, Real Estate Services & Asset Management, University of South Alabama (USA) Technology and Research Park
AT-LARGE: Amy Adams, Executive Director, Institute for Biohealth Innovation, George Mason University
AT-LARGE: Jeff Smith, Director of Research Parks, Michigan State University Research Foundation
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT: Leah Burton, Principal Industry Consultant for Higher Education, SAS Institute
"The 2024 Board of Directors and Officers forms a dynamic community of innovation leaders, dedicated to steering the growth trajectory of our AURP network," said Vickie Palmer, AURP CEO. "With fresh collaborative strategies and enhanced member services, the AURP Board responds to the evolving needs of our membership community. These volunteer leaders actively propel the initiatives of our prominent Association, addressing member trends that fuel tech commercialization and job growth, ultimately influencing positive transformations in regions and lives."
According to AURP, more than 700 research, science and tech parks and innovation districts are in varying stages of development worldwide. University research parks or innovation districts are environments designed to attract and retain science and technology companies and talent in partnership with sponsoring research institutions. These include universities, as well as public, private and federal research laboratories. Research parks enable the flow of ideas and spur innovation from collaboration between universities, federal labs, and non-profit R&D institutions and companies located in the research park or the surrounding region.
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About the Michigan State University Research Foundation
The Michigan State University Research Foundation was established in 1973 as an independent nonprofit committed to the commercialization of cutting-edge technologies invented by MSU faculty, staff, and students. Today, the MSU Research Foundation is focused on enhancing research, encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship, and facilitating economic growth at MSU and across the state through its subsidiary organizations—Spartan Innovations, Red Cedar Ventures, and Michigan Rise Pre-Seed Fund III—and its Research Parks. Learn more at msufoundation.org
About AURP
AURP, a 37-year-old, not-for-profit international member-driven organization with offices in Tucson, AZ at the University of Arizona Tech Park and in the Washington, DC area at the University of Maryland Discovery District, focuses on creating communities of innovation and education for research parks both operating and planned, plus innovation districts, regional tech hubs, incubators, accelerators and the businesses that support the research park industry. AURP and its membership promote research, institute-industry relations and innovation districts to foster innovation and to facilitate the transfer of technology from such institutions to the private sector. Learn more at aurp.net