By: Crystal Carter
Texas A&M Innovation Team Shares Highlights from the 2025 AUTM Annual Meeting
Texas A&M Innovation licensing and operations team members recently attended the 2025 AUTM Annual Meeting, joining more than 2,000 tech transfer professionals from around the world for the largest gathering of its kind. Hosted at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, this year’s meeting celebrated AUTM’s 50th anniversary with unmatched networking, engaging education sessions, and milestone reflections on the future of innovation.
The annual event brought together leaders in academic technology transfer to exchange ideas, strengthen industry partnerships, and explore new strategies to support innovation ecosystems. The Texas A&M Innovation team was well represented, with attendees serving as panelists, short course participants, and first-time participants while sharing both fresh perspectives and longstanding contributions to the field.
Insights from a First-Time Attendee
Francisca Patcha, Reporting Coordinator at Texas A&M Innovation, attended AUTM for the first time and found the experience invaluable.
“It was an incredible and insightful experience for me as a first-time attendee of the AUTM conference,” said Patcha. “As someone working in Innovation Operations focusing on data reporting and good data management practices, I gained valuable knowledge on preserving data integrity in Tech Transfer Offices. It was fantastic to connect with experts, gain insights into tech transfer, and explore the latest trends shaping innovation. I left inspired and excited to bring back these new ideas and best practices to my team—to drive more effective innovation workflows.”
Patcha participated in sessions that emphasized the importance of clean, actionable data in technology commercialization and the evolving role of analytics in innovation management.
Longstanding Leadership in Mentorship
Stewart Davis, Senior Licensing Manager at Texas A&M Innovation, is a seasoned AUTM attendee and continues to make a lasting impact through the AUTM Mentorship Committee, where he has served for nearly a decade.
“I have been an active member of the AUTM Mentorship Committee for about 10 years,” Davis shared. “Both I and Michael Dilling of Baylor College of Medicine conduct a five-session Licensing 101 webinar for the AUTM mentees every year. In addition, I mentor one or two mentees during each yearly cohort. It is a very rewarding experience.”
Davis’ continued mentorship reflects the commitment of Texas A&M Innovation to growing the next generation of technology transfer professionals and expanding the reach of academic innovation.
Delivering the Latest in Tech Transfer Know-How
This year’s conference covered a wide range of cutting-edge topics, including:
- Navigating industry-university collaborations
- Protecting artificial intelligence and software-based inventions
- Supporting inclusive innovation ecosystems
- Building stronger bridges between faculty researchers and commercialization offices
Attendees left equipped with productivity-boosting tools, new strategic insights, and a deepened sense of community within the field of innovation management.
Looking Ahead
As AUTM turns 50, the conference reminded attendees of how far the tech transfer profession has come—and the exciting opportunities still ahead. Texas A&M Innovation looks forward to contributing to that future by continuing to advance the translation of research into real-world impact.
