Eugene Cochran III

Group Leader, Technology Transfer

Contact

COCHRANER@ORNL.GOV

Bio

Dr. Eugene Cochran is a Group Leader, Technology Commercialization at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) focus is on leading the Technology Commercialization Group responsible for intellectual property (IP) management, IP agreements including licensing, and in-reach and out-reach activities related to technology commercialization.

Cochran has over thirty-two years experience in the field of technology transfer and early-stage venture development. Early in his career, he served as a Director within the Commercialization Group of Research Corporation Technologies (RCT). In this position, Cochran was responsible for the evaluation and commercialization of inventions in several fields including: medical devices, biotechnology, physics, chemistry, materials, and instrumentation. He gained considerable exposure to a broad range of technologies and markets, demonstrating considerable success in licensing patents and starting, early-stage venture companies.

Mid-career, Cochran served as a Sr. Licensing Associate at the University of Arizona's Office For Technology Transfer. While in that position Cochran provided assistance to the faculty in perfecting patent rights, and helping to commercialize university based inventions. Also at the UA, he was an Administrative Director, in a large NSF Engineering Research Center (ERC), the Center for Integrated Access Networks (CIAN). As the Administrative Director, he assisted the Director in the management of an $18.5M multi institution budget.

Cochran holds a PhD in Optical Sciences, as well as MBA in Accounting and Finance. Prior to becoming involved technology commercialization he held past technical science staff positions at IBM, Perkin-Elmer, GCA-Tropel, and WYKO and has over eight years experience in the design and development of optical systems.

He is a senior member or IEEE and Optica (fka OSA), and member of AUTM, LES and FLC.

Professional Experience

Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN,

Group Leader, Technology Commercialization, Partnerships, 2023 - present
Technical Staff Consultant/Sr. Commercialization Manager, Partnerships, 2014-2023

University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ,

Sr. Licensing Associate and Sector Lead Physical Sciences, Office of Technology Transfer, 2010-2014
Administrative Director, Center for Integrated Access Networks an NSF ERC, 2008-2010

Research Corporation Technologies, Tucson, AZ,

Director, Commercialization, 2000-2008
Senior Associate, Commercialization, 1998-2000
Associate, Technology Transfer, 1991-1998

WYKO Corporation, Tucson, AZ,

Senior Optical Engineer, 1986-1991

GCA/Tropel, Fairport, NY,

Optical Engineer, Summer 1985

Perkin-Elmer Corporation, Wilton, CT,

Optical Engineer, 1983-1984

IBM Corporation, East Fishkill, NY,

Pre-Professional, Summer 1982

Education

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, Tucson, AZ

Doctor of Philosophy in Optical Sciences, August 1988
Ph.D. Dissertation Title: Extending the Measurement Range of an Optical Surface Profiler Dissertation Advisor: James C. Wyant, Dean, College of Optical Science, University of Arizona

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, Tucson, AZ