AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin has named Andrew (Andy) Maas as the incoming assistant vice president for technology transfer within the Discovery to Impact division, an organization that partners with leading innovators, financiers, developers, and business leaders to establish new ventures and partners with existing companies to expedite the development of new innovations, products, and solutions.
In his position, Maas will spearhead the University’s innovation and commercialization efforts while managing the protection and market development of UT’s intellectual assets. Working under Mark Arnold, associate vice president of Discovery to Impact and managing director of Texas Startups, Maas will facilitate the successful transformation of University innovations from research concepts into practical market solutions that enhance society.
“Andy brings nationally recognized expertise in technology licensing and commercialization, and we’re thrilled to add a leader of his stature to our team,” Arnold stated. “Discovery to Impact has set ambitious goals this year — focusing on early, strategic investment in faculty innovations that will transform society — and Andy is undoubtedly the ideal candidate to help drive this mission forward.”
Maas transitions to UT from Louisiana State University, where he previously held the position of associate vice president for research, directing the office of Innovation and Ecosystem Development.
Maas earned his B.S. from Brigham Young University, M.S. from UT Austin, and both J.D. and LLM degrees from The University of Akron.
Throughout his professional journey, Maas has established an engineering startup, served in leadership roles within university and research foundation environments, and currently chairs the board of the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) – the leading non-profit supporting professionals in research innovation and technology commercialization. He also served as principal investigator for a $160 million National Science Foundation Engine grant centered on the Future Use of Energy in Louisiana (FUEL). Maas has delivered lectures globally on topics including intellectual property valuation, economic impact, technology licensing, and commercialization strategies.
“Returning to the Forty Acres feels like coming home, and I’m both honored and excited to be back,” Maas said. “Discovery to Impact stands among the nation’s leading research commercialization programs, and I’m eager to collaborate with Mark and the team to advance our faculty’s innovative ideas.”
