Patent & Copyright Committee

Appointed by the Chancellor

The Patent & Copyright Committee is responsible for reviewing invention disclosures submitted to the university for patenting consideration; evaluating inventions for patentability, as well as scientific merit and practical application; appointing ad hoc technical subcommittees to assist the committee in evaluating inventions; seeking university approval of outside technical assistance in evaluating inventions; determining patent or related property rights or equities held by the university in an invention; providing scientific and technical assistance to approved patent management organizations to achieve the realization of full benefits of university inventions that have commercial potential; seeking initial resolution of campus disputes relating to rights in inventions; and reviewing works of authorship (including computer software) submitted for copyright consideration. Disclosures for patentable or copyrightable material emanating from the Fayetteville campus and the Division of Agriculture shall be administratively controlled by this committee.

The committee shall meet no less than quarterly.

Membership consists of no fewer than eight faculty members, four of whom are appointed from the Division of Agriculture by the vice president for agriculture; and, ex officio, non-voting, the director of Research Support and Sponsored Programs, the president of the University of Arkansas Technology Development Foundation, the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, and the Vice Chancellor for Economic Development.

A chairperson shall be elected from the committee membership.

Committee Members

Trent Roberts, Chair - Faculty representative from Division of Agriculture

Emily McDermott - Faculty representative from Division of Agriculture

Jennifer Acuff - Faculty representative from Division of Agriculture

Caio Viera - Faculty representative from Division of Agriculture

Raj Rao - Faculty at Large representative

Ines Pinto - Faculty at Large representative

Roy McCann - Faculty at Large representative

Susanne Strigler - Faculty at Large representative

Jake Grandy - Faculty at Large representative

Jean-Francois Meullenet - Ex-officio, non-voting - Sr. Associate Vice President for Agriculture

David Snow - Ex-officio, non-voting - President, UA Technology Development Foundation

Margaret McCabe - Ex-officio, non-voting - Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation

Mike Malone - Ex-officio, non-voting - Vice Chancellor for Economic Development