The College of Engineering is launching a comprehensive spring workshop series designed to guide students, faculty and staff through the innovation and commercialization process. The "Innovation to Impact" series will provide hands-on guidance on protecting intellectual property, navigating the patent process and building industry partnerships.
All sessions will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the McMillon Studio in the Harmon parking garage and are free and open to all College of Engineering students, faculty and staff.
Spring 2026 Schedule
Wednesday, Feb. 25: Design Thinking Workshop — Rachel Sullivant, managing director of the Entrepreneurial Law Project, will lead an interactive session on design thinking methodologies to help participants refine and develop their innovative ideas.
Wednesday, March 4: Understanding Invention Disclosures & IP Ownership — David Hinton, executive director for Technology Ventures in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, will demystify the invention disclosure process and explain the benefits available to inventors, with special focus on intellectual property ownership rights.
Wednesday, March 11: Patent Basics & Confidentiality Agreements — Legal experts from the Entrepreneurial Law Project will provide a practical overview of the patent timeline and explain when and how to use nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) to protect your innovations.
Wednesday, April 8: Industry Collaboration & Research Partnerships — David Hinton returns to discuss the strategic benefits and important considerations when collaborating with companies on research projects, helping participants navigate these valuable but complex relationships.
Why Attend?
Whether you're an undergraduate with a groundbreaking idea, a graduate student developing research with commercial potential or a faculty member looking to maximize the impact of your work, this series provides the foundational knowledge needed to:
- Protect your intellectual property
- Navigate university commercialization resources
- Understand the legal landscape of innovation
- Build successful industry partnerships
- Transform research into real-world impact
"Innovation doesn't stop at discovery," said Laura Moix, innovation and impact strategist for the College of Engineering. "These workshops provide the practical knowledge our community needs to begin to take their ideas from the lab to the marketplace while understanding their rights and opportunities throughout the process."
The series is presented in collaboration with Rachel Sullivant and the Entrepreneurial Law Project, along with David Hinton and Technology Ventures in the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation. Together, these partners bring legal expertise, university commercialization resources and practical entrepreneurial guidance to provide comprehensive support for the College of Engineering community.
Sessions are designed to be accessible regardless of prior experience with commercialization or entrepreneurship. Lunch will be provided.
Registration & Additional Information — RSVP is appreciated so we can have enough food for everyone!
For more information about the Innovation to Impact series or to discuss innovation and commercialization support, contact Laura Moix, lmoix@uark.edu.
Learn more about the Entrepreneurial Law Project at https://entrepreneurship.uark.edu/programs/entrepreneurial-law-project.php
Learn more about Technology Ventures at https://research.uark.edu/techventures/
Topics
Contacts
Laura Moix, innovation and impact strategist
College of Engineering
479-575-7038, lmoix@uark.edu