Executive Director of Technology Transfer to Retire

Dear Colleague,

It is with enormous appreciation, as well as a sense of loss that we announce the retirement of Wesley D. Blakeslee, executive director of the Johns Hopkins University Technology Transfer Office, at the end of July.

Under Wes' leadership, the Technology Transfer Office has grown to include more than 50 professionals working with Johns Hopkins researchers and inventors to license, patent and commercialize the intellectual property of our faculty. During his tenure, the office reached record levels of invention disclosures, licensing agreements, revenue and start-ups and service to faculty members improved significantly.

Wes joined Johns Hopkins University in 1999 as associate general counsel responsible for legal issues involved with intellectual property, technology licensing, sponsored research agreements, and export and import controls. He was asked to lead Technology Transfer Office in 2006. 

Wes earned a degree in engineering from the Pennsylvania State University and a law degree with honors from University of Maryland School of Law in Baltimore.  He is a recipient of the Penn State Outstanding Engineering Alumnus Award and was named to the Maryland Super Lawyers list. Wes also received the inaugural "First Decade" award from the National Association of College and University Attorneys.

We are grateful to Wes for his leadership of the Technology Transfer Office and 15 years of dedicated service to Johns Hopkins University. We would also like to thank Jill Uhl for agreeing to assume the responsibilities of intellectual property management and licensing matters while we conduct a search for the new Executive Director of Technology Transfer.

A retirement party in celebration of Wes' service to the University will be held later this fall. If you would like to receive an invitation, please send your contact information to JHTT-Communications@jhu.edu.

Sincerely,

Christy Wyskiel
Senior Advisor to the President
Johns Hopkins University Enterprise Development                                         

Landon S. King, M.D.
Executive Vice Dean
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine