Agenda | AURP

8:00am – 8:45am | MVP Speaker

Mark Skinner, President and CEO, SSTI

1:30pm – 4:30pm | Core Facilities and Strategic Programs to Drive Innovation and Economic Growth

Shared centralized research resources, often referred to as core facilities, enable access to expertise and sophisticated instrumentation creating opportunities to drive discovery and train the workforce. Despite the value they create, core facilities come with their own challenges especially in an environment where F&A cuts are looming. We will take a deep dive into best practices for efficient operations, strategically growing a strong user base, engaging corporate partners, and supporting defense related users with security needs. With effective execution, core facilities not only drive innovation and training, but also support business attraction and growth of regional economies.

Part 1: Fireside Chat

Karen Dobos, Scientific Director, Colorado State University Regional Biocontainment Laboratory (RBL)
Moderator: Amy Adams, Executive Director, Institute for Biohealth Innovation, George Mason University

Part 2: Panel Discussion

Jeff Smith, Director, Research Parks, Michigan State University Research Foundation
Russ Zarras, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Fraunhofer USA, Inc.
Moderator: Matt Ballard, CEO/Executive Director, West Virginia Regional Technology Park Corporation

8:00am – 11:45am | Next-Gen Financing Approaches for Research and Innovation

This module explores the changing models for financing and building research infrastructure as changes in facilities and administrative (F&A) rates, shifting federal funding priorities, and evolving industry engagement strategies are driving new approaches to financing and sustaining research spaces. This session will explore how universities and companies are working together to co-invest in facilities, leverage public-private partnerships, and navigate policy changes to support cutting-edge research as well as approaches to financing that will enable research and innovation growth across a wide range of institutions. The session is organized around four core topics: financing fundamentals, emerging strategies by institutions, evolving overhead recovery models, and state-level funding approaches that support research parks and innovation ecosystems. Participants will gain insights in fundamental financing principles using a combination of qualitative and quantitative frameworks, risk-sharing strategies, and best practices for aligning infrastructure development with long-term research and workforce needs and examine how various investments can support sustainable research and innovation within their communities.

Kelvin Droegemeier, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Special Advisor to the Chancellor for Science and Policy, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Rahul Saxena, Director, CREATE-X; Associate Director, LAUNCH
Larry Peterson, Executive Director, Texas Foundation for Innovative Communities
Moderator: Kevin Byrne, President and CEO, The University Financing Foundation

3:30pm – 5:30pm | Tour of Novus Innovation Corridor

The group will depart the Tempe Mission Palms lobby at 3:30 to walk to the Global Futures Laboratory.
Prepare to get your steps in today! Estimated roundtrip walk…2.5 miles.

Plan to wear comfortable walking shoes for this 1.1-mile jaunt from the Tempe Mission Palms to the Global Futures Lab before experiencing a section of this Innovation Corridor. Our afternoon will conclude with a group dinner at Eureka!, followed by a return walk back to the hotel.

NOVUS INNOVATION CORRIDOR, one of ASU’s eight Innovation Zones, is a public/private partnership between Arizona State University and Catellus Development. Strategically integrated with ASU’s Tempe campus along Tempe Town Lake, the mixed-use development is home to Fortune 100 corporations, new technologies, medical research companies, start-ups, maker businesses and more, plus empowers access to world-class research and a highly educated and skilled workforce.

355 ACRES of commerce, urban living and recreation
34K NEW JOBS within Novus upon completion
4K RESIDENTS upon completion
25MM POPULATION within 10-mile radius by 2023
940K EMPLOYEES within 10‑mile commute by 2023

12:30pm – 3:15pm | Public-Private Partnerships (P3s): Catalyzing Research Parks and Innovation Districts

Billions of dollars across the US have been invested in Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) to develop student housing at our universities. But how can this funding and delivery mechanism be deployed to finance and build research parks and innovation districts? And exactly what is a P3 as opposed to just contracting to build a facility?

As universities, cities and regions face challenges in finding ways to launch or expand innovation districts and research park facilities, learn how P3s are overcoming resource constraints. This module focuses on partner selection and advancements in procurement, design, financing, and operating and maintenance (O&M).

Neil Calfee, Executive Director, Economic Development and Innovation Zones, Arizona State University
Sarah Horta, MCFE, M.P.S., Director of Innovation & Strategic Partnerships, Maryland Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO)
Kevin Byrne, President and CEO, The University Financing Foundation
Brian Naumick, Partner, Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate
Merry Hunter Caudle, Director, Economic Development, Georgia Institute of Technology
Sandra McQuain, Vice President of Infrastructure, Access Intelligence
Moderator: Brian Darmody, Chief Strategy Officer, AURP

9:00am – 11:30am | Pivots Over Time: When Plans Do Not Meet Market Reality

This two-part module will examine several new models for research parks seeding support and execution.

Part 1: New Models for Research Parks

Participants will gain insight into the role of philanthropy and community impact in research parks, with practical strategies for enhancing funding models and deepening community engagement.

Matthew Crommett, Managing Director, LH Capital, Inc. and Lyda Hill Properties
Jeff Seymour, President and CEO, Oklahoma City Innovation District
Moderator: David Snow, Executive Director, Pegasus Park

Part 2: Identifying the Gap and the Risk

The next part to this session will explore how some universities are partnering exclusively with third-party developers to deliver mixed-use districts, shifting development responsibility and capital risk while giving up certain levels of control common to innovation districts. With projects at various stages of development and redevelopment, the discussion offers an opportunity to compare approaches and share lessons learned among university leaders and development partners.

Tishman Speyer Representative (invited)
Rebecca Ivins, Research Parks Director, University of Virginia Foundation
Misty Parsons, North Fork Marketing and Relationships Manager, University of Virginia Foundation
Moderator: Mary Morris, Director Baltimore Fund, University of Maryland Baltimore

2:00pm – 5:00pm | Emerging Technologies Supporting the “Software” of Innovation Ecosystems

University-anchored “innovation ecosystems” include research, technology development, technology transfer, funding sources, start-ups, spinouts, and corporate partnerships. The development of innovative ideas and technologies, and their subsequent delivery to end users, require multiple resources to collaborate effectively to deliver improvements to society’s standards of living.
In the past few years, several new and improved software technologies have emerged to support University Administrators and/or Innovation Managers in the process of tracking emerging innovations and connecting them to necessary resources. This session will rely on both university practitioners as well as the technology providers to separate hype from reality and share best practices.

Brenda Barry, Director of Corporate Relations, University of Arizona
Tom Kissane, Enterprise Customer Support Manager, Halo
Chuck Layne, Technology Advancement Director, Launch Tennessee
J. Mark Nolan, Associate Vice President, Corporate Engagement, Georgia Institute of Technology
Cody Pawlowski, Co-Founder and CTO, FirstIgnite
Justin Rerko, Growth Strategist, Tradespace
Mala Sahai, Senior Director, Intellectual Property and Legal Affairs, Gladstone Institutes
Alancia Wicks, Director, Office Of Tech Transfer and Innovation, Tennessee State University
Moderator: Jordan Peterson, Chief Operations Officer, Collaborative Real Estate

1:30pm – 2:00pm | Opening Remarks

Allison Madden, Chief Operating Officer & Corporate Secretary, University of South Florida Research Foundation; AURP President
Harold Strong, 2026 Spring Training Chair, CEO, InnovTX

AURP Spring Training 2026 Agenda

March 9 – 11, 2026 in Tempe, Arizona

Monday, March 9th

Tuesday, March 10th

Wednesday, March 11th

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