Kelly Appointed Special Advisor to Napolitano
The University of California has announced that UC San Francisco’s Regis Kelly, PhD, began his tenure on Dec. 1 as special advisor on innovation and entrepreneurship to UC President Janet Napolitano.
As special advisor to Napolitano, Kelly will promote and support innovation and entrepreneurship across the UC system, working closely with leaders at the university’s campuses, medical centers and national laboratories. Kelly also will develop external partnerships that drive long-term revenue for the university and maximize the public benefit of UC innovations.
Kelly’s work also will complement UC Ventures, a recently announced $250 million fund that will invest in technologies emerging from the university’s 10 campuses and three national laboratories. UC Ventures uses no state or tuition funds.
“Working throughout the UC system to recognize and nurture innovation is an exciting and ambitious endeavor,” Kelly said. “Entrepreneurship can serve the public interest in many ways. I’m committed to identifying more opportunities to convert UC discoveries into services or products that can benefit California and the world, while creating value and jobs along the way.”
“I am thrilled that Regis is now part of our systemwide efforts to better capture the economic value UC students and faculty create through their pioneering research,” said Napolitano. “The University of California is the best public research university in the world. Now, we aim to maximize the public impact brought about by innovation and entrepreneurship fostered in our classrooms and laboratories.”
Kelly, a professor emeritus of biochemistry and biophysics and a former executive vice chancellor at UCSF, has served since 2004 as director of QB3, one of the four Gov. Gray Davis Institutes for Science and Innovation created by the University of California. He will continue to direct operations at QB3 while taking on his new position.
Kelly oversaw the 2006 launch of the first technology incubator at UC and the subsequent proliferation of incubator spaces including QB3@953, a San Francisco operation now supporting 45 early-stage life science companies. He also is a general partner in QB3’s venture fund, Mission Bay Capital, for which he receives no compensation.
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