Thomas Walter Center

Dr. Paul Swamidass
Director and Professor of Operations Management.

Office: Room 211 Ramsay Hall
Phone: (334) 844-4333
Fax: (334) 844-1678
E-mail
Website Link Icon

Contact for:
B-E-T Admissions
B-E-T Student Advising
B-E-T Scholarships
Co-Op for B-E-T Students
Technology Transfer

B-E-T Courses Taught
BUSI/ENGR 3510 Introduction to Business and Engineering - Fall (With Dr. Madsen)
BUSI 2900 Intellectual Property Protection & Patent Application Drafting - Spring (With A.J. Gokcek)

Relevant Papers

Swamidass, P.M.,"The case for actively seeking startup companies for "Technology-Push" inventions from Universities: A Research agenda," Presented at the Stanford Technology Ventures Program's Roundtable on Entrepreneurship Education, Hong Kong, Oct 21-23, 2009.
Swamidass, P.M. and A. J. Gokcek. "Empowering Young Inventors: An Experimental Course on IP and Patent Application Drafting at Auburn University," Journal of Technology Transfer, forthcoming 2009.
Swamidass, P.M and V. Vulasa. "Why University Inventions Rarely Produce Income? Bottlenecks in University Technology Transfer," Journal of Technology Transfer, 34, 2009, pp. 343-363.
Swamidass, P.M. "A proposal to improve the understanding of innovation using the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) licensing activity survey," in the 2008 Kauffman Symposium on Entrepreneurship and Innovation Data .
Swamidass, P.M., M. Schraeder, et al. “Imparting teamwork skills across the business-engineering interface: Evidence from a two-year study.” Proceedings of the National conference of the Decisions Sciences Institute, San Francisco, Nov. 2005.
Swamidass, P.M., and D. Butler. “The effect of Auburn University’s Business-Engineering-Technology program on the predisposition towards entrepreneurship in business and engineering graduates.” Proceedings of the National Conference of the NCIIA (National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance), San Diego, April, 2005.
Swamidass, P.M. and J.O. Bryant. “Preparing UG business and engineering students for teamwork and entrepreneurship through cross-disciplinary partnership between engineering and business colleges,” Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Engineering Education, June 22-25, Nashville, 2003.

Thomas Walter Technology Management Professors

These Professorships in Technology Management are awarded to selected faculty members from the colleges of business and engineering who have meritorious qualifications and have teaching and program responsibilities in the B-E-T program. The Center also draws on a wide range of distinctive teachers through the Faculty Affiliates and Adjunct professors appointments. Interested teachers are encouraged to contact the Director. The Technology Management Professors as of June 2009 are:

Dr. Daniel Butler
Associate Professor of Marketing

Office: 251 Lowder Business Bldg
Phone: (334) 844-2464
E-mail
Website Link Icon

B-E-T Courses Taught
BUSI 4540 Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation - Fall (With Dr. Lall)

Relevant Publications
Swamidass, P.M., and D. Butler. “The effect of Auburn University’s Business-Engineering-Technology program on the predisposition towards entrepreneurship in business and engineering graduates.” Proceedings of the National Conference of the NCIIA (National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance), San Diego, April, 2005.

Dr. John Evans
Professor, Industrial and Systems Engineering

Office: 3308 Shelby Center
Phone: (334) 844-1418
E-mail

B-E-T Courses Taught
BUSI/ENGR 4970 Capstone Project I: New product and business proposal
- Fall
BUSI/ENGR 4980 Capstone Project II: New product and business development
- Spring

Dr. Pradeep Lall
Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Office: 350 Ross Hall
Phone: (334) 844-3424
E-mail
Website Link Icon

B-E-T Courses Taught
BUSI 4540 Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation - Fall (With Dr. Butler)

Dr. Nels Madsen
Professor of Mechanical Engineering and
Associate Dean, College of Engineering

Office: 1301 Shelby Center
Phone: (334) 844-3329
E-mail
Website Link Icon

B-E-T Courses Taught
BUSI/ENGR 3510 Introduction to Business and Engineering
- Fall (With Dr. Swamidass)

Dr. P. K. Raju
Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Office: 356 Ross Hall
Phone: (334) 844-3301
E-mail
Website Link Icon

B-E-T Courses Taught
BUSI/ENGR 3520 Integrating Business and Engineering Theories in Practice
- Spring (With Dr. Di Pofi)

Faculty Affiliates

Dr. Bob Smith
Professor & Head, Pharmacy Practice

Office: 1323 Walker Building
Phone: (334) 844-4039
E-mail
Website Link Icon

B-E-T Courses Taught
BUSI 3560 Leadership - Spring

Dr. Charlotte Sutton
Associate Professor, Department of Management

Office: 443 Lowder Business Bldg
Phone: (334) 844 - 6507
E-mail
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B-E-T Courses Taught
BUSI 3550 Cross-Functional Teamwork - Fall

Adjunct Professors

Dr. Jackie Di Pofi
Director of the Small Business Development Center

Office: 108 Lowder Business Bldg
Phone: (334) 844-4220
E-mail

B-E-T Courses Taught
BUSI/ENGR 3520 Integrating Business and Engineering Theories in Practice
- Spring (With Dr. Raju)

Mr. A.J. Gokcek, J.D.
Associate Director for IP Affairs and Compliance

Office: 570 Devall Drive, Suite 102
Office of Technology Transfer
Phone: (334) 844-4977
E-mail

B-E-T Courses Taught
BUSI 2900 Intellectual Property Protection & Patent Application Drafting
- Spring (With Dr. Swamidass)

Relevant Publications
Swamidass, P.M. and A. J. Gokcek. "Empowering Young Inventors: An Experimental Course on IP and Patent Application Drafting at Auburn University," Journal of Technology Transfer, forthcoming 2009.

Guest Professors

Dr. Jeffrey Fergus
Associate Professor