Business development professional and biomedical engineer Paul L. Carey has been named director of Cornell University's Office of Economic Development. The office helps develop and commercialize the university's intellectual resources by moving technology from research to the private sector and by attracting funds for Cornell research.

"Mr. Carey has a successful track record in the design, negotiation and closure of financial and research transactions for the growth or joint venture of academic centers, corporations, government agencies and sources of investment capital," said Robert C. Richardson, vice provost for research, in announcing the appointment. "Under his leadership, we are confident that Cornell units involved with technology transfer and industrial outreach will have even greater success in extending innovations from the research environment to the private sector."

Before joining the Cornell program, Carey founded Business Development Consultants Inc., based in Atlanta and Boston, and constructed alliances for entrepreneurial companies with larger corporations and sources of investment capital. He also served as executive director and head of business development at the Boston-based Ascent Pharmaceutics Inc. and as director of licensing and business development at the biotechnology firm Repligen Corp. in Cambridge, Mass. He was director of licensing and founder of technology transfer at Boston's New England Medical Center and a research-and-development scientist and new-technology specialist at Ethicon Inc., a surgical products division of Johnson & Johnson headquartered in Somerville, N.J.

Carey earned a B.S. degree in chemical engineering (1982) at Lafayette College and a master's degree in biomedical engineering (1985) at the University of Virginia. He is a member of the Licensing Executives Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the Association of University Technology Managers.

"Our focus in the Office of Economic Development is to enhance the research mission of the university by making it easier for corporations and sources of investment capital, state and local agencies, and federal and philanthropic organizations to do business with Cornell," Carey explained. "Acting as a central contact point for these outside groups, the office will work closely with faculty members and Cornell staff to acquire research funding in the labs, to enhance new company planning and financing, and to foster entrepreneurship. This office will participate in a dialogue with the city of Ithaca and Tompkins County to manage an appropriate growth of commercial ventures in the region, in addition to fostering growth from Cornell innovation beyond Tompkins County."

The Office of Economic Development is located in Cornell's Biotechnology Building, which also is the home for the New York State Center for Advanced Technology (CAT) in Biotechnology More information on the university's economic development program is available at (607) 254-7293, fax (607) 254-8236 or e-mail plc25@cornell.edu .