LEADERSHIP
The People Behind the Partnerships
Senior leaders with deep domain expertise, recruited and aligned to move complex initiatives from concept to execution.
Leadership & team
The recruitment and alignment of professional staff and senior leadership has been one of the Research Corporation's most consequential contributions.
David Golden
Chief Executive Officer
Overall stewardship and coordination of the Research Corporation, integrating university leadership, faculty, staff, students, and external partners.
Eric Jorgenson
VP for Biomanufacturing
Industrial biotechnology and manufacturing scale-up expertise. Operational leadership of the ETSU/Eastman Valleybrook transformation.
Dave Clark
VP for Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development
Regional startup and scale-up ecosystem development. Leads the region's first member-managed investment fund.
Jon Wood, JD
Chief Intellectual Property Officer
Intellectual property strategy and commercialization alignment. Supports industry-facing research, licensing, and technology transfer.
Dr. Katie Houston
Director of Commercialization
Industry experience in innovation strategy, IP, and applied R&D. Translates university research into industry-facing collaborations.
Dr. Betsy Cunningham
Director of Operations
Operational coordination across finance, compliance, contracting, and reporting. Moves initiatives from concept to execution.
Dr. Audrey Depelteau
Director, ETSU Innovation Laboratory (iLab)
Leads nationally recognized Soft Landings programming, applied innovation, founder onboarding, and company attraction.
Allison Myers
Executive Director, StoryCollab
National and international work in research, workforce, and public-interest storytelling across health, education, veterans, and culture.
Dr. Stephen Marshall
Founder, Appalachian Music Collective & CMO
External narrative coherence and partnership positioning. Strategic communications supporting ETSU's research and innovation profile.
Ryan Shipley
Executive Director, 2681 CORE
Connecting founders across the region to the people, programs, and capital they need to scale. Building a real path to equity financing for high-growth companies moving from research to market.
Mark Bays
Director, TN Small Business Development Center at ETSU
Leads small business advising and entrepreneurial assistance, and coordinates ETSU-administered funding for regional economic development.
Board of directors
Our board pairs university leadership with regional industry, healthcare, finance, and philanthropy.
Dr. Brian Noland, Chair
Dr. William Block
Dr. Carol Anne Clayson
Bryan Daniels
David A. Golden
Denise Grant
Dr. Linda Latimer
Kimberly McCorkle
Scott Niswonger
Dr. David Williams
Innovation catalysts
Non-board members whose leadership, vision, and commitment have materially advanced the Research Corporation's mission and trajectory.
Bill Greene
Alan Levine
Scott Andrew
Dr. Nick Hagemeier
Bob Raines
Chusy Harney-Jardine
Mark Fuller
Joe Grandy
Dennis Phillips
Dennis Courtney
Dr. Natalie Kuldell
Jill Zande
Dr. Kate Sixt
Jason Thompson
Jimmy Wheeler
Dr. Jonathan Clark
Mary Ann McNair
Mike Vaughn
Ryan Trauman
Ty Warren
In memoriam
Dr. Bill Heise
Research Corporation Fellow
In memory of our dear friend and Research Corporation Fellow, Dr. Bill Heise. What he helped set in motion continues.
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