Ohio State University has appointed distinguished Indian American researcher and entrepreneur Sanjay Krishna to a key job to help translate cutting-edge research into real-world impact.
Krishna will officially start his new role as senior associate vice president for innovation and strategic ventures within the Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge from July 1. He currently serves as the George R. Smith Professor of Engineering in the College of Engineering.
Krishna is widely recognized for his work in infrared detector technology, successfully advancing academic discoveries into defense and commercial applications.
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His leadership will play a critical role in elevating The Ohio State University’s innovation ecosystem and advancing the university’s commitment to bringing research to market, according to a university release.
“The university has an incredible foundation of innovation, and I’m passionate about working alongside our faculty, staff and partners to translate discoveries into real-world impact,”Krishna said.
Ohio State President Ravi V. Bellamkonda has identified innovation and commercialization as a strategic priority for the university, with a particular focus on increasing the impact of Ohio State research.
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In alignment with this vision, the university is reorganizing its innovation and commercialization efforts to better serve faculty and researchers throughout the entire innovation lifecycle, not just at the point of intellectual property protection.
As part of the restructuring, the university will unify its licensing teams, currently in two offices – innovation and commercialization and health sciences innovation – into a “one front door” model.
The reorganization will also elevate translation and venture development as core capabilities for the combined group. Recognizing that market readiness requires more than patenting, the university will expand support for translational funding, startup formation and early-stage company development. These enhancements will help bridge the gap between discovery and real-world application.
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Under Krishna’s leadership, Ohio State will continue to build a robust, forward-looking innovation ecosystem that empowers researchers, accelerates discovery and delivers meaningful benefits to society, according to the release.
Krishna was previously the Director of the Center for High Technology Materials, Professor and Regents Lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of New Mexico.
Krishna received his MS in Electrical Engineering and PhD in Applied Physics in 2001 from the University of Michigan. He joined UNM as a tenure track faculty member in 2001.
His achievements include Gold Medal from IIT Madras, Ralph Power Junior Faculty Award, IEEE Outstanding Engineering Award, ECE Department Outstanding Researcher Award, School of Engineering Jr Faulty Teaching Excellence Award, NCMR-DIA Chief Scientist Award for Excellence, the NAMBE Young Investigator Award, IEEE-NTC, SPIE Early Career Achievement Award and the ISCS Young Scientist Award.
Krishn is the co-founder and CTO of SK Infrared, a start-up involved with the use of IR imaging for dual use applications including early detection of skin cancer.