OXFORD, Miss. — A panel hosted by the Mississippi IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (Mississippi INBRE) explored strategies for building strong university-industry partnerships during Mississippi IDeA/EPSCoR Conference 2025, held July 24 at the Ole Miss Student Union.
The session, Building Successful Partnerships, was moderated by Dr. Kelly Lucas, Vice President for Research at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and Program Director of Mississippi INBRE. Panelists included Dr. Marokh Dadsetan, Senior Manager of Innovation and Product Development at Evonik Industries AG; Dr. Meagen Rosenthal, Director of the Community First Center for Wellbeing and Creative Achievement at the University of Mississippi; and Dr. Jeff Wiggins, Distinguished Professor of Polymer Science and Engineering at USM.
Panelists shared how public institutions and private industry can collaborate to foster innovation and achieve shared research goals. They emphasized the importance of establishing mutual expectations, sharing resources, and maintaining open, regular communication. Panelists also offered practical advice for attendees looking to initiate or strengthen similar partnerships on their own campuses.
“It was a great discussion,” said Dr. Lucas, “I appreciated hearing how these collaborations come together and the mutual benefits they create.”
Dr. Lucas introduces the session panelists.
University-industry partnerships aim to align the research capabilities of academic institutions with the practical needs of businesses. These collaborations promote innovation, drive economic development, and address real-world challenges through shared knowledge and expertise.
About the Moderator
Dr. Kelly Lucas, PhD, serves as Vice President for Research at The University of Southern Mississippi and Program Director of Mississippi INBRE. During her tenure at USM, Dr. Lucas has helped secure significant federal, state and private funding in support of faculty research projects, economic development, and undergraduate and graduate student research.
About the Panelists
Dr. Mahrokh Dadsetan, PhD, is Senior Manager of Innovation and Product Development at Evonik Industries AG. As a dedicated leader in bio-material development, drug delivery, medical device, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine, Dr. Dadsetan is passionate about transferring innovative research ideas into products that resolve the challenges of unmet medical needs.
Dr. Meagen Rosenthal, PhD, is the director of the Community First Center for Wellbeing and Creative Achievement (CREW) at the University of Mississippi. Dr. Rosenthal is an accomplished researcher and leader in community wellbeing and engagement, with more than 10 years of experience collaborating with communities and researchers as they work towards common goals.
Dr. Jeff Wiggins, PhD, serves as Distinguished Professor in the School of Polymer Science and Engineering at The University of Southern Mississippi. His research interests include glassy polymer network science, renewable resource polymers, carbon fiber precursor polymers and more. Dr. Wiggins served 12 years in industry at Bayer Corporation and Nike Inc., where he held several management positions in the areas of polymer research, product development, polymer engineering, and polymer manufacturing.
Browse the gallery below to see more photos from the panel.
