MESSAGE FROM OUR DIRECTOR
Wayne Swann
I am pleased to report that FY 2025 was another successful year for the Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) We were able to meet or exceed our record goals relating to intellectual property and licensing, and the Office continued to serve as a strategic partner with other administrative units towards helping Morgan attain the Carnegie R1 research designation.
As our growth continued at a moderate rate, we maintained our numbers in new IP Disclosures (innovations), New U.S. Patent Applications, Start-up Companies and Tech Transfer Agreements. Our noteworthy achievements this FY included our continued reign as the #1 HBCU in issued U.S. Patents, recorded our 19 start-up company and filed another 35 U.S. Patent applications. Also, continuing a trend established in FY 2021, MSU has remained steadfast in new IP Disclosures with one new innovation being received every 10 days!
OTT’s proactive in-reach programs, led by our Innovation Works (I-Works) Initiative, has continued to make a difference throughout the university, with 14 Awards to faculty/staff across 10 departments and six Schools, Colleges, and Divisions
In FY 2025, OTT published the fifth issue of its Innovation Works Newsletter and recognized the 2024 Innovation of the Year awardees, continuing its tradition of recognizing and rewarding innovation at Morgan. OTT also hosted the Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC), Baltimore Region Tech hub site visit of select MSU innovation labs and partnered with TEDCO to host a Lunch and Learn event to share information about the Maryland Innovation Initiative (MII).
As the University continues its work towards attaining R1 designation by 2030, the OTT Team has led a number of initiatives in achieving this goal. We partnered with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Science Magazine on an awareness campaign highlighting Morgan research centers and shaping the narrative of Morgan as a well-respected, well-recognized and well-rounded institution. We’ve also begun tracking Morgan’s Science and Technology Capabilities and Skills (SATCAS) among faculty and students with the development of our SATCAS database, and have categorized all of Morgan’s innovations
The progress made by the University in the technology transfer arena would not be possible without the strong support of Morgan’s leadership, university-wide engagement at the department level, experienced OTT staff, and of course, our many innovators. Continued progress in Morgan’s innovation ecosystem will benefit the City and State and lend gravitas to Morgan’s designation as "Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University."
INNOVATIONPORTFOLIO
260+ Innovations (IPDs)
One New IPD every 10 days - a 10% increase over our 5-year average
>30% Include Student Innovators
>90% Minority Inventor
34 Different Department/Units
OFFICEOFTECHNOLOGYTRANSFER University In-Reach Programs
Through OTT’s strategic In-Reach Programs, the office engages individuals, departments and colleges/schools to identify and document university innovations; provide informational presentations to departments/units; and assist with the development of technology transfer plans for campus units
President Wilson and GBC Committee members leaving CBEIS to continue their tour of Morgan Innovation Labs.
In partnership with Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), OTT also hosted a Lunch & Learn about the Maryland Innovation Initiative (MII). MII Leadership shared information about funding opportunities and past Morgan participants shared their experience and insights as well.
In addition, the office released their newsletter, Innovation Works, which featured Dr. Birol Ozturk of the School of Computer, Mathematical and Nature Sciences. His feature story highlighted his innovation driver of helping the greater good and creating things that benefit society as a whole, while making a difference in the lives of everyday people.
Innovation of the Year (IOY) Awards
The Office of Technology Transfer hosted the Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC), Baltimore Region Tech hub site visit (August, 2024) to various innovation labs on campus.
GBC leadership engaged with and heard brief presentations from innovators from varying disciplines after a welcome address and remarks from President Wilson. The site visit was included as a stop on the committee’s tour of partner institutions in the region.
The Seventh Annual Innovation of the Year awards were held on April 7, 2025 in the University Student Center. The annual celebration recognized Morgan innovation that continues to lead to noteworthy accolades in intellectual property disclosures, startup companies, published patent applications and issued patents.
2024 Award Season Recipients
Intellectual Property Innovation Awards
Information Science Awardee
Method to Assess Green Infrastructure
Dr James Hunter, Ida Yanou
Life Science Awardee
Fast Growth and Low-Salinity Maryland Oysters
Dr. Ming Liu
Physical Science Awardee
Microbial Wastewater Fuel Cell (MFWC) for Renewable Energy
Dr Dong Hee Kang, Dr Enrique Pajardo
Community Innovator Awards
Instructional Innovator of the Year
Dr. Letitia Williams
Associate VP and Dean of Students, Division of Student Affairs
Staff Innovator of the Year
Craig Bullock
Career Specialist, Center for Career Development
Student Innovator of the Year
Yulai Yang
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Patent Awardees
Supply Chain Management Instructional Board
U S Patent #11,705,017
Dr Ziping Wang
Systems and Methods for OFDM Performance Enhancement on Frequency Selective Fading Channels
U.S. Patent #11,716,236
Dr. Richard Dean, Dr. Tasmeer Alam
System and Method for Stormwater Utility Management
U.S. Patent #11,756,138
Dr. James Hunter, Dr. Dong Hee Kang, Hye Jeong Lee
System and Method for Promoting Attachment and Growth of Bivalve Organisms on Coastal Structures
U.S. Patent #11,766,031
Dr. Thomas Ihde, Richard Lacouture, Amber Demarr
Ultrasensitive Electrochemical Biosensors
U.S. Patent #11,782,011
Dr. Yongchao Zhang, Aeshah Alshehri
System and Method for Public Housing Evaluation
U.S. Patent #11,810,215
Dr. Jacqueline Holland
Systems and Methods for Peak-to-Average Power Ratio (PAPR) Reduction in OFDM Signals
U S Patent #11,824,700
Dr Richard Dean
Digital Signal Processing Using Recursive Hierarchical Particle Swarm Optimization
U.S. Patent #11,861,275
Dr. Kofi Nyarko, Dr. Benjamin Hall
Hybrid Mobile Shellfish Cooling System
U.S. Patent #11,867,457
Dr Seong Lee, Dr Xuejun Qian, Yulai Yang
Modular, Portable, and Rapidly Deployable System for Health Assessment
U.S. Patent #11,864,868
Dr. Timothy Akers
System and Method for Vehicle Routing
U.S. Patent #11,953,334
Dr. Young-Jae Lee, Dr. Amirreza Nickkar
Rapid Sensing of Biological and Environmental Analytes
U S Patent #11,967,064
Dr Edward Constance, Dr Kadir Aslan, Dr Enock Bonyi
System and Method for Biomass Combustion
U.S. Patent #11,982,442
Dr. Seong Lee, Dr. Xuejun Qian, Yulai Yang, Raghul Chandrasekaran, Dr. Oludayo Alamu, Blaise Kalmia
Manufacturing of a Flexible Piezoelectric Film-based Power Source
U.S. Patent #11,990,851
Dr Birol Ozturk, Dr Peker Milas
Composition and Method for Enhancing Photosynthetic Efficiency, Growth, and/or Lipid Production of Microorganisms
U.S. Patent #12,024,704
Dr. Viji Sitther, Somayeh Fathabad
Travel Abroad Student Safety Tracking System and Dashboard
U.S. Patent #12,106,652
Dr. Kimberly Warren
System and Method for Driver Distraction Detection and Classification
U.S. Patent #12,145,597
Dr. Mansoureh Jeihani, Dr. Samira Ahangari, Abdollah Dehzangi, Arsalan Hassan Pour
INNOVATIONWORKS
Translating Innovation Into Jobs
Innovation Works, the Office of Technology Transfer’s signature initiative, consists of innovation, technology transfer, and economic development programs for university faculty, staff, students and the Morgan community. The overarching goal is translating innovation into local economic development opportunities and jobs. Throughout the year, OTT has partnered with a number of students, faculty, staff and community members to manifest projects and ideas, facilitate start-up businesses, and strengthen relationships within the Morgan community.
FY25 I-GAP STATISTICS
The awarding of I-GAP grants to MSU innovators helps to facilitate transitioning results of laboratory research to the public, to generate societal value through new and improved products and services. The grants were awarded to faculty and staff members representing a diverse group of University departments and divisions looking to advance the University and greater Baltimore community and the region.
INNOVATIONWORKS(I-WORKS)INITIATIVEPROGRAMS
I-GAP • The Innovation Grant Assistance Program provides early stage seed grants (e.g. pre-TEDCO MII) to MSU faculty inventors to support future grant applications.
I-Works ISO • Reaches out to both new and seasoned entrepreneurs, in-search-of innovations for new technology-based businesses. The program also works to connect and match Morgan students, graduating college seniors and advanced degree candidates with new and early stage companies in search of interns and employees.
I-Works Community • Engages the PEARL Aquaculture community and other regional and business communities to promote and enhance innovation
I-Start • Developing Pre-Incubator and Start-Up spaces for entrepreneurs and start-up companies, as well as students and I-Start Centers.
OTT AS AN R1 STRATEGY PARTNER
Morgan’s ascension towards R1 designation
The Office of Technology Transfer serves as a strategic partner with other University administrative units in Morgan’s ascension to a R1 research university designation, on behalf of the Division of Research and Economic Development In alignment with President Wilson’s strategic vision of Morgan attaining R1 designation by 2030, OTT has developed metric projection models that track our status against Carnegie R1 criteria OTT reports MSU’s progress to senior leadership and administrators, while ensuring Morgan stays true to its roots and maintains its soul, catering to the needs of students and the greater Baltimore community and state.
As Morgan makes strides to attain R1 designation, the University must also tell the Morgan story to audiences beyond the Greater Baltimore area. To reach new audiences and new markets, OTT partnered with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Science magazine to launch the Well-3R Awareness campaign, which featured six articles on Science print and digital entities. The campaign thematically positioned Morgan as a Well-Recognized, Well-Respected, and Well-Rounded research institution, highlighting our state-funded research centers, their leadership, and shared how their centers contribute to Morgan’s ascension to R1 designation and maintain our mission of “Growing the Future, Leading the World.”
In tandem with the Well-3R Campaign, The Office of Technology Transfer, through R2 to R1 grant funding from Office of Naval Research, also created the Science and Technology Capabilities and Skills (SATCAS) Database The database categorizes the knowledge base of Morgan faculty, staff and research students, innovations and intellectual property, and will soon become a searchable cloud-based system. The database was developed to support long-term increases in capabilities and capacity, industry and government, connections, recognition, reputation and long-term increases in Carnegie metrics. Phase I of this initiative identified 20 science and technology categories and 100 subcategories.
OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
8-Year Imprint: Innovation, Technology Transfer, and Social & Economic Development
IMPACT AREAS
INNOVATION, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER, R&D AND COMMERCIALIZATION FUNDING, START-UPS, STATE PARTNERSHIPS, S&T CAPABILITIES, ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORTS, I-WORKS SEED FUNDING PROGRAMS, COI IN R&D EXEMPTIONS, AND R1 STRATEGIC GOAL.
INNOVATION OF THE YEAR AWARDS
ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT SATCAS DATABASE
FUNDING EED I-GAP
