2017–2018 Presidential Distinguished Staff Award, Professional Staff

Wendy Martin, Director, Office of Technology Development

For 21 years, Wendy Martin’s dedication, experience, and long-term vision has set UMBC on a path to success. Her collaborations with faculty from across disciplines, coupled with her innovative spirit, have been instrumental in growing the university’s reputation as a strong driver of economic development for the region and the state.

As director of the Office of Technology Development (OTD), Martin has focused on building a culture conducive to establishing and attracting new companies and strengthening UMBC’s external partnerships throughout the state. Over the past decade, under Martin’s leadership, OTD has developed and implemented several new initiatives that emphasize innovation and commercialization. Most recently, she established the Technology Catalyst Fund (TCF), which provides
$100,000 per year to advance innovations originating from UMBC research toward more commercially viable technologies. Since 2014, a total of 15 faculty projects were supported through this fund.

Martin also was responsible for the development and implementation of a new license agreement that promotes entrepreneurship and innovation. The “express” agreement offers fair and reasonable terms for faculty- and graduate-founded startups. Since its inception, UMBC has launched 10 startups, five of which were formed in FY2016.

Martin is an invaluable resource for the campus community. She is often called upon to help faculty members navigate the interface between UMBC and the commercial sector and to identify ways to obtain significant external funding from grants, university partners, and other commercial entities. Her mastery of the challenging and complex world of patents and funding has helped faculty continue their important work.

Martin received her B.S. from UMBC and her M.B.A. from Loyola College of Baltimore.