Dr. J. Kevin Vessey, Associate Vice President Research, is extremely pleased to announce that Kevin Buchan will be Saint Mary’s University’s new Director, Office of Innovation and Community Engagement (formerly the Industry Liaison Office). Mr. Buchan comes to Saint Mary’s after working for seven years in the Industry Liaison and Innovation Office at Dalhousie University. He has also served as the Network Manager of Springboard Atlantic Inc., and as Director of Business Development for a medical device start-up company. A member of Springboard Atlantic Inc., a regional commercialization and industry liaison network, Saint Mary’s Office of Innovation and Community Engagement (OICE) supports joint research initiatives; provides industry/community engagement and technology/knowledge-transfer services to NSCAD University and Mount Saint Vincent University; and assists Saint Mary’s faculty in research contract development, intellectual property protection and sponsorship from both private and public sector partners. As well, the OICE aids in the start-up of commercial enterprises based upon University intellectual property, licenses technologies to industry, and assists in the transfer of other sorts of University-based intellectual property to external partners. “We are extremely pleased that Kevin Buchan will be joining the team at Saint Mary’s,” says Dr. Vessey. “Kevin is well-known and well-respected in the region’s university-industry relations and tech-transfer arenas and he brings new perspectives and talents to our Office of Innovation and Community Engagement. We’ll look to him to support the many great industry partnership and tech-transfer activities we already have on the go, and to lead the way with new and exciting opportunities in the areas of social innovation and social entrepreneurship.” Mr. Buchan will assume his new position at Saint Mary’s University on August 18th. He is excited at the prospect of growing and strengthening the University’s role within the local community and further afield, and looks forward to increasing the number of relationships with both industrial and public partners by enabling them to benefit from the expertise, skills, and technologies available through Saint Mary’s.