Successful Women in Chemistry - ACS Publications - American

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Chapter 6

Louise Β. Dunlap, Director of Technology Transfer: A Career in Creating Partnerships

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Arlene A. Garrison Office of Research, University of Tennessee, 409 Andy Holt Tower, Knoxville, TN 37996

A doctoral degree is not essential for women chemists to attain management status. This profile illustrates how one woman leveraged her interests and community expertise to develop a career in technology transfer with a bachelor's degree in chemistry. It also shows the opportunity for interaction between government and industry to achieve common goals for the public good.

Technology Transfer. Economic Development. Technology Partnerships. A n interesting career for a B.S. chemist. Lou Dunlap began her career as a bench chemist at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in the late 1950s. Her vision has grown with O R N L , and she currently serves as Associate Director of the O R N L Technology Transfer and Economic Development Directorate and Director of Technology Transfer. She and her staff work with companies to license technologies developed with government funding, to develop Cooperative Research and Development agreements to expand the uses of government technologies, and with User Facility Agreements to provide access to unique facilities to academic and industrial users. Personal choices and interests beyond chemistry have heavily influenced Lou's career. She serves on numerous Boards of Directors and received the Woman of the Year in Business and Government Award from the East

© 2005 American Chemical Society

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Louise Β. Dunlap (Courtesy of Louise Β. Dunlap.)

Tennessee YWCA in 1994. Her story provides an interesting view into career transitions to early or mid-career women chemists with an interest beyond the bench.

Education and Early Career As an undergraduate student at the University of Tennessee (UT), Lou worked part-time at ORNL. She received her bachelor's degreefromUT and transferred to full-time laboratory work at ORNL. At that time ORNL was a very

Hinkle and Kocsis; Successful Women in Chemistry ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2005.

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secretive and focused government organization. Much of the chemical analysis supported the work to develop nuclear devices used by the military. After some years of routine bench work in the chemical and analytical divisions, Lou moved to a position in research. At that time the O R N L facility had little involvement with area businesses or major businesses other than buying materials. The "fence" around the compound was literal and figurative. O R N L emphasized excellent research work for government purposes and was not involved in community job creation. Everything important in Oak Ridge happened "inside the fence."

Community Focus Lou left the traditional workforce for 10 years and became active in a variety of civic organizations. She was very concerned about the future of Oak Ridge, which had been established for government work, and a need for job growth in the local area was becoming apparent. Lou focused her interest with the Chamber of Commerce, where she worked extensively in economic development and community relations. For long-term regional development, the Chamber emphasized the attraction of related businesses to the area. The departure of the previous Chamber Director created a window of opportunity for Lou, who was named to that position and held it for several years. This position involved working with all the manufacturers and businesses in the Oak Ridge area, including significant interaction with the O R N L management. Times had changed, and O R N L was attempting to shift focus to a variety of other research interests, including energy. The benefit of an increase in jobs in the area through attraction of new businesses was apparent. In the 80s, O R N L was looking "outside the fence" for many reasons. As a major employer in the area, O R N L saw the need for related businesses in the area to maintain a steady and available work force. Community relationships and business partnerships were becoming a significant part of the laboratory mission. Important metrics for successful management of the lab began to include such items as spin-off companies and external licensing of technologies. Lou's experience inside and outside O R N L was perfect for the needs of the organization, and she accepted a position with O R N L within the Public Relations office. After some time in Public Relations, she transferred to the Technology Transfer office at O R N L , where she held a variety of positions. Continued strong emphasis on the application of government-developed technology in the private sector led to expansion of the O R N L program, and Lou was named the Associate Director of Technology Transfer and Economic Development. In that role, Lou has helped numerous researchers move their technology from a government laboratory into the community by starting new businesses. Often the

Hinkle and Kocsis; Successful Women in Chemistry ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2005.

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start-up businesses are excellent examples of the use of highly complex technologies for everyday applications. The companies also provide economic growth to the area. In some situations the technology transfer organization licenses technologies to large companies. Many of the licensees are major U.S. corporations, and some are smaller businesses. Lou spends much of her time in meetings with corporations looking for the best way to structure a partnership to advance a technology. The licensees must understand the technology, and the relationship must be designed such that the company and the government sponsors who funded the initial work both benefit.

Changes in Work Climate Lou notes many changes in the work climate over her career, including a recent emphasis on promotion of women in management and on overall workforce diversity. Her experience in a government setting has been very positive. The emphasis on diverse hiring appears to be stronger in government than industry, as she notes the lack of diversity in the corporate representatives who visit O R N L . In particular, the older management representatives of many visiting companies continue to be almost exclusively male. Another significant change in the work climate is the increased mobility and flexibility of younger employees, which matches well with the increased expectation by management that travel is necessary in the global economy.

Work and Life Balance On the balance between work and life, Lou suggests that flexibility in hours is the key. While her current position is much less flexible than some she has held, she has significant vacation and no barriers to using the time. She sees volunteer activity as an important part of the balance that provides an additional outlet for talent. Additionally Lou believes that she has not made any sacrifices for her career. A t key points she could scale back work time and participate in school activities with her two daughters, Leigh and Lynn. Her continued involvement in regional organizations allowed her to stay connected and step back into a professional role when home demands declined. She has traveled extensively with her daughters and visits her two grandchildren regularly. Lou mentions travel as a particular interest and finds that her professional career allowed her to explore many interesting places.

Hinkle and Kocsis; Successful Women in Chemistry ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2005.

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Success Lou defines success as finding a job where you are happy, contributing, and challenged, but not stressed. She thought that her work on the bench was successful when she achieved particular milestones. She believes that men and women often look at success and careers very differently. Through community activities with the University of Tennessee, area Hospitals and the Oak Ridge Planning Commission, Lou believes that she has had a positive impact beyond chemistry as well. She suggests that women should become involved in local organizations that are aligned with personal interests. These groups can provide a useful network and a means to have a lasting impact. Also the skills developed in a volunteer organization provide a large benefit. Experience and contacts gained from civic work can provide the tools for a new career or for advancement in an active career. It is important to identify an organization with an exciting mission that will inspire the best effort.

Final Thoughts Final advice from Lou: "Do a good job—and be positive". In her supervisory position she selects new employees and promotes by attitude. She points out that work skills and knowledge can be developed. It is very hard to change an attitude.

Hinkle and Kocsis; Successful Women in Chemistry ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2005.