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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - Happy Tech Tuesday. I’m Melanie Morón and today, I’m here at UF Innovate’s annual Standing Innovation event. And joining me today is Jim O’Connell. Jim, thanks so much for joining us and being back on Tech Tuesday.

Great to be back. It’s great to be here.

So, talk to us about your role here at UF.

I am the director of Tech Licensing and the Assistant Vice President for Commercialization. My job is to take the $1.2 billion in research that happens at the University of Florida and get it out for public good and to impact the world.

So, we’re currently here at Standing InnOvation. What’s this event all about?

Standing InnOvation is about recognizing our innovators and the teams that get these things out the door. So, it’s about recognizing the achievements that sometimes faculty spend years and years of their life working to get them out the door.

And what makes this year’s Standing InnOvation so special?

This year, we’re really trying to drill in on the specific innovators and recognize them with individual prizes and recognition, whether it’s patents or licenses. You’ll see some new novel ways of us recognizing the individual innovators.

Talk to us about some innovators who are being recognized today.

Some of the innovators are doing gene therapy, who’ve been out and raised an awful lot of money. Other ones are doing cyclic propylene. So, it really covers a broad spectrum, from healthcare to chemistry.

And lastly, why is it important for these innovators to partner with UF Innovate’s Tech Licensing? Well, first off, they’re required to as part of their employment with the University of Florida. But secondly, we’re number two in the country at doing this. So, they should because we’re very effective at getting things out the door.

Well Jim, thanks again for being back on Tech Tuesday, and congrats on the awesome event.

Great. Great to be here. Thanks.

And that’s another wonderful Tech Tuesday. We hope to see you next week.

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