On July 22, 2025, Lehigh University wrapped up its Speaker Series from the Research Translation AcceLUrator (RTA) Bootcamp with a presentation by Rick Smith, Director of the Office of Technology Transfer (OTT). The OTT serves as the university’s bridge between research and industry, guiding faculty, students, and startups through licensing, patenting, and the protection of new discoveries. Smith’s talk centered on intellectual property (IP), innovation, and the commercialization of research.
Smith opened by stressing the importance of translated research to the RTA Fellows. He explained that when protected and licensed, this type of research delivers value well beyond profit—it enhances quality of life, strengthens scientific knowledge, and helps train students to become entrepreneurs, scientists, and leaders. These outcomes, Smith emphasized, ultimately fuel both economic growth and societal advancement.
To illustrate this, he introduced Pasteur’s Quadrant, a framework mapping scientific inquiry along the axes of practical application and fundamental understanding. He contrasted examples such as Niels Bohr (the upper left quadrant), who embodied pure theoretical research, and Thomas Edison (the bottom right quadrant), who exemplified applied i
nnovation, before highlighting Louis Pasteur’s (the upper right quadrant) contributions as the ideal model of use-inspired research—discoveries that both deepen knowledge and provide immediate, real-world benefits.
Smith also examined the wide scope of intellectual property, from patents and copyrights to trademarks and trade secrets. Smith explained how intangible assets such as logos, taglines, and even familiar sounds serve as the foundation of brand identity. To underscore the point, he played a series of well-known jingles and sound clips, including the copyrighted “D’oh!” from Homer Simpson, which the Fellows immediately recognized. These examples demonstrated the power of copyright in shaping public recognition, while Smith also noted exceptions, such as parody, which remains protected even when it references copyrighted material.
Finally, Smith turned to the mechanics of patents in the United States. He outlined the three main categories—utility, design, and plant patents—each of which protects different forms of scientific and technological advancement. While obtaining patents can be a lengthy process, he assured the Fellows that offices like the OTT provide vital support to make it more manageable for researchers. Smith closed the bootcamp by reminding participants of the importance of aligning their work with real-world needs, citing entrepreneur Steve Blank’s observation that “market drives everything.”
With Smith’s talk, the RTA Bootcamp concluded its summer programming, leaving Fellows with a stronger understanding of how research translation, when properly protected and commercialized, can make a lasting impact on both science and society.