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Meet Our Staff
| Billy B. Houghteling Director 919-515-7199 billy_houghteling@ncsu.edu |
Mr. Houghteling received his BS in Biology from Siena Heights University and a MS in Plant Molecular Biology from Ball State University. Prior to joining NC State's OTT, Mr. Houghteling was a Research Scientist at Biolex, Inc (a NC State start-up company), and served as a Laboratory Operations Manager at The UNC-CH Neuroscience Center and the Washington University School of Medicine. As Director, Mr. Houghteling has strategic and operational responsibilities for all technology transfer activities at NC State. In addition, he also provides technology development and intellectual property management services in the areas of life science, biotechnology, agriculture, and textiles. Under Mr. Houghteling's leadership, the OTT has achieved substantial growth in technology transfer performance and established a reputation as one of the leading technology transfer programs in the nation. |
Marie Blanchard Executive Assistant to the Director 919-515-7199 |
Ms. Blanchard received her BA in Sociology with a Criminal Justice option from North Carolina State University. She has over 24 years service at NCSU. Prior to joining the OTT, Ms. Blanchard served as the Executive Assistant to the Director in the Credit Programs & Summer Sessions office. In addition to her duties as Executive Assistant, Ms. Blanchard also serves as the Intellectual Property Committee administrator. |
| Robert Whitehead, Ph.D. Associate Director 919-515-7199 robert_whitehead@ncsu.edu |
Dr. Whitehead has a Ph.D. in Toxicology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a BS in Biochemistry and Biology from Virginia Tech. Prior to joining NCSU, he was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Integrated Science and Technology at James Madison University. Dr. Whitehead manages the negotiation and processing of Material Transfer Agreements, Confidential Disclosure Agreements, and Licensing and Option Agreements. In addition, he promotes the commercial development of intellectual property in the areas of Biotechnology and Life Science. |
| Terry Bray, Ph.D. Sr. Licensing Associate 919-515-7199 terry_bray@ncsu.edu |
Dr. Bray earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a M.S. in Chemistry from Georgia Tech, and a B.S. in Chemistry from Mercer University. Prior to joining the OTT, he was a faculty member at the University of Alabama at Birmingham with appointments in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Center for Biophysical Sciences and Engineering. Dr. Bray’s background includes experience in chemistry, engineering, biotechnology, and as a faculty inventor. |
Kelly B. Sexton, Ph.D. Sr. Licensing Associate 919-515-7199 |
Dr. Sexton earned a Ph.D. in Molecular Pathology from the University of California, San Diego and a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Georgia. Dr. Sexton completed her postdoctoral studies at Stanford University where she was awarded a fellowship from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Prior to joining OTT, she completed an internship at the Stanford Office of Technology Licensing. Dr. Sexton has a strong technical background in cellular and molecular biology, enzymology, biochemistry, and chemical biology and manages the commercial development of intellectual property in the areas of Biotechnology and Life Science. |
Cheryl L. Junker Licensing Associate 919-515-7199 |
Ms. Junker received her B.S. in Ceramic Engineering from Alfred University and her J.D. from Franklin Pierce Law Center. Prior to joining the OTT, she interned with the Office of Intellectual Property Counsel at Deka Research and Development in Manchester, NH and with the office of MacDonald, Illig, Jones and Britton in Erie, PA. Ms. Junker has a strong technical background in ceramics, glass engineering, chemistry and materials science, as well as experience in patent and trademark law. |
Zhenyan Yan, Ph.D. Licensing Associate 919-515-7199 |
Dr. Yan received a Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from the University of Michigan, where her graduate work focused on molecular mechanisms of plant steroid hormone signaling. Prior to joining the OTT, Dr. Yan completed an internship at the Office of Technology Transfer, University of Michigan. Dr. Yan has a strong technical background in molecular biology, cell biology, developmental biology, biochemistry, genetics and plant biology. At the OTT, Dr. Yan is responsible for managing intellectual property related to Plant Variety Portfolio, Biotechnology, and Agriculture and Life Sciences. |
| Xianhua "Wendy" Kong, Ph.D. Licensing Associate 919-515-7199 wendy_kong@ncsu.edu |
Dr. Kong earned a Ph.D. in Physics from North Carolina State University and a B.S. in Applied Physics from the University of Science and Technology of China. Prior to joining the OTT, Dr. Kong conducted her postdoctoral research in nanotechnology jointly at NCSU and Duke University. She became a Licensing Associate in the OTT after completing a three month internship. Dr. Kong has a strong technical background in materials science, nanotechnology, chemical engineering, and biophysics. Dr. Kong manages the commercial development of intellectual property in the areas of Physical Sciences. |
| Jeffrey Bissette Assistant Director, Business & Licensing Compliance 919-515-7199 jeffrey_bissette@ncsu.edu |
Mr. Bissette earned a BA in Business Administration at North Carolina State University in 1992. Prior to joining the OTT, he worked as a Contract Negotiator for industry funded research agreements in the Office of Sponsored Programs and Regulatory Compliance Services. As Assistant Director for Business and Licensing Compliance, Mr. Bissette manages the OTT's government reporting and licensee diligence.
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Roberta Terry |
Mrs. Terry received her Bachelors of Business Management from Warner Southern College. Mrs. Terry has over ten years experience in finance and compliance. Prior to joining the OTT, Mrs. Terry worked as a Fiscal Manager in the Contracts and Grants unit of North Carolina State University where she handled State and Federal Contracts and Grants. As the Senior Financial Manager, Mrs. Terry's current duties include royalty distribution as well as financial reporting compliance.
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Melicia M. Ryles Financial Manager 919-515-7199 |
Mrs. Ryles received her AAS in Business Administration with a focus in Accounting from Hardbarger Junior College of Business. Mrs. Ryles brings over 15 years of extensive experience in finance and collections to the OTT. Prior to joining North Carolina State University, Mrs. Ryles was employed with Cigna HealthCare as the Delinquency Coordinator where she developed and implemented strategic collection procedures for the Research Triangle area. As the Financial Manager for the OTT, Mrs. Ryles' current duties include managing accounts receivable and collections within the University's established policies. |
| Warren "Gerry" Sasser Agreements Manager 919-515-7199 gerry_sasser@ncsu.eduu |
Mr. Sasser received his Bachelors of Business Administration from Memphis State University as well as a Masters of Business Administration from Campbell University. Prior to joining the OTT, Mr. Sasser worked as Director of Research Programs Services for the College of Textiles. As Agreements Manager, Mr. Sasser manages and negotiates all miscellaneous agreements for the office including Material Transfer Agreements, Confidentiality Agreements, Interinstitutional Agreements and Collaborative Research Agreements.
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Kevin Johnson |
Mr. Johnson serves as a document associate performing a variety of duties including informational input into the OTT's Knowledge Sharing Database System (KSS). He interacts with department directors, managers and other associates to compile information to prepare monthly and annual reports. Mr. Johnson manages the uploading of patent documentation, invention disclosures, agreement summaries and IP correspondence into the KSS system.
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Carla Moore Documents Coordinator and Imaging Specialist 919-515-7199 |
Ms. Moore earned a BS degree in Merchandising from East Carolina University as well as a Paralegal degree from Johnston Community College. She has seven years of experience within the pharmaceutical industry publishing/editing and managing documentation for the non-clinical and general manufacturing areas of GlaxoSmithKline and Diosynth. As the Documents Processor, her duties include archiving of all patent correspondence and associated documentation, including project management of electronic conversion.
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| Ken Holland Administrative Services and Federal Compliance Specialist 919-515-7199 ken_holland@ncsu.edu |
Mr. Holland's responsibilities include serving as first point of contact for the technology transfer program, process management of government compliance, coordinating all incoming and outgoing departmental correspondence, document and file research as needed and management support of the office including serving as departmental LAN Tech. |
The mission of the Office of Technology Transfer is to move academic discovery to the marketplace resulting in new products, processes, and companies while maximizing the impact of academic research and forging new partnerships to tackle 21st century issues. |
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