Dartmouth Names New Director of Technology Transfer

Dartmouth has named Nila Bhakuni director of technology transfer in the Office of Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer. She will manage intellectual property originated at Dartmouth, lead the effort to commercially license discoveries in science and technology at the College, and bring innovative projects to the entrepreneurial market.

The Office of Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer executive team at the DEN Innovation Center and New Venture Incubator, from left, are Trip Davis ’90, executive director; Tillman Gerngross, Thayer School of Engineering professor and associate provost; Jamie Coughlin (standing), director of entrepreneurship; and Nila Bhakuni, the new director of technology transfer. (Photo by Lars Blackmore)

Bhakuni comes to Dartmouth from Rice University in Houston, where she was director of the office of technology transfer. Under her guidance, the office helped create as many as three startups a year, developed $13 million in industrial-sponsored research contracts, and facilitated 1,500 patents and patent applications.

“We are thrilled to have someone with Nila’s background and passion join us in shaping the future of Dartmouth technology transfer,” says Tillman Gerngross, Thayer School of Engineering professor, biotech entrepreneur, and associate provost for the Office of Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer in the Office of the Provost.

“Her experience in working with faculty and facilitating changes in policies and practices will help us execute on our vision to bring discoveries to market that have a positive impact on society,” Gerngross says.

Bhakuni has an MS in mechanical engineering from Ohio State University and an MBA in marketing and strategy from Carnegie Mellon University. She has worked as an engineer at Alcoa Inc., and has served as a technology transfer officer at Harvard University. She began work at Dartmouth on July 1.