ERIE, Pa. -- Judith Giordan, vice president and managing director of the venture development and investment firm ecosVC, will speak at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, on Thursday, Oct. 2, for the School of Engineering’s Fall 2014 Speaker Event.

Giordan’s speech, titled “The Convergence of University Research, Technology Commercialization and Career Development: A New 21st Century Contact Sport,” takes place at 6 p.m. in the Black Conference Center, room 180 of the college’s Jack Burke Research and Economic Development Center, 5101 Jordan Road.

The presentation is free and open to the public, and free parking will be available in the deck located behind Burke Center, off Technology Drive.

Giordan, a former Fortune 100 executive and entrepreneur, is well-versed on start-ups as the co-founder of the Chemical Angels Network. She also serves as board member, co-founder, advisor and investor in seed and early stage start-ups.

One of the services provided by Giordan’s development and investment firm is Lens of the Market training. The program is a three-part training and education process that provides scientists and engineers with the full range of vocabulary and skills required for successful translation of their research into commercial ventures.

For more information on Giordan’s presentation, please contact Denise Brooks in the School of Engineering at 814-898-7148 or email dmb42@psu.edu.