Industry partners sought for research

Trent has contracted two staff to enhance the university's partnerships with industry and the private sector, and establish new linkages to secure additional research funding. The positions are funded by a 1999 grant of $191,500 from nserc's Intellectual Property Management Program, and by matching and in-kind funding from Trent. Both work through the Office of Research and Graduate Studies, beginning this month.

Nars Borodczak, industry-university co-ordinator, comes to Trent with a strong background in the sciences, chemical engineering and especially environmental science. He will work from Toronto to attract new industry and government research contracts, establish collaborative research agreements with the private sector, create student internship opportunities with industry and support the creation of Trent spin-off companies.

Borodczak, who has an M.Sc. from Waterloo in water resources engineering, is a former senior assistant director with the water resources branch of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE), and Director of the Niagara Escarpment Commission. With the moe, he directed implementation of water pollution control programs province-wide and established environmental protection regulations dealing regularly with municipal and regional governments and industries.

Leslie Woolcott, whose job title is industry liaison officer, worked previously as campus co-ordinator for the fund-raising campaign. She has a strong background in development work and previous experience with both the United Nations and the Kawartha World Issues Centre.

Woolcott has an MA from Trent in Canadian Heritage and Development Studies. She will help develop Trent's policies and procedures regarding intellectual property (IP), work with faculty in the area of ip management, assist with patents, copyrights and licences, serve faculty in matters related to industrial interactions, research contracts, commercialization of ip and monitor the government-industry research agreements. She will also strive to develop internships and co-op education opportunities with industrial partners.

Borodczak can be reached at (416) 695-2737 and Woolcott in OC 131, 748-1674 (lwoolcott@trentu.ca)

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