Kastenmeier Lecture focuses on tech transfer, national science policy

The importance of landmark federal patent legislation to the University of Wisconsin–Madison and to an effective national science policy is the topic of the 2006 Kastenmeier Lecture at the UW–Madison Law School on Friday, Nov. 3.

Speakers, including former U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh, will discuss what the 1980 Bayh-Dole Act means for technology transfer at UW–Madison and to the rest of the nation. The event will be held at 4 p.m. in Room 2260 of the Law School, 975 Bascom Mall.

The legislation gave U.S. universities the right to own their own federally funded intellectual property and license it to companies for commercial development.

Speakers include Carl Gulbrandsen, managing director of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, which played a fundamental role in passage of the legislation.

Two prominent UW–Madison researchers will also discuss success stories linked to the legislation. Hector De Luca, a biochemistry professor, will discuss his work on Vitamin D and derivatives, and T. Rockwell Mackie, a professor of medical physics and human oncology, will discuss his work in conformational radiotherapy.

Bayh, who represented Indiana in the U.S. Senate for 18 years, is a partner in the legislative and regulatory group for Venable LLP law firm.

Tickets are not required, but those interested in attending are asked to register by contacting Lynn Thompson at (608) 262-4915 or at lfthomp1@wisc.edu.

The lecture is supported by a fund established to recognize Robert W. Kastenmeier, a UW Law School graduate who served in Congress from 1958-90. The Kastenmeier Fund was created to foster scholarship in the fields of intellectual property, corrections, administration of justice and civil liberties.