Retirement marks not only the end of an era but the start of a new one, and Tech Launch Arizona’s College of Science Senior Licensing Manager Laura Silva is getting ready to embrace this new journey.

An anonymous donor has made a $1 million gift to the philanthropic Wildcat Seed Fund – an early-stage fund designed to help fund startups launched to commercialize ideas and innovations stemming from the work of university faculty, staff, and students.

Dr. Marvin J. Slepian has been appointed to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Public Advisory Committee. His three-year term started Dec. 1 and lasts until Dec. 1, 2026. A highly accomplished and productive inventor with over 60 patents to his name, is uniquely qualified for the post.

The National Academy of Inventors has elected Professors of Engineering Douglas Loy and Wolfgang Fink as Fellows, the organization's highest honor reserved for those who have made an impact on the quality of life and welfare of society.