UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Peter Linder has been named to the newly created post of entrepreneur-in-residence within the office of the Vice President for Research at Penn State, part of an ongoing effort to invigorate entrepreneurship and technology transfer at the University.
Most recently Linder has served as board chair for the Penn State Research Foundation, a nonprofit organization comprised of University faculty, alumni, Trustees and industry representatives that promotes patenting and commercial applications for Penn State’s scientific and technical research.
“Peter’s new responsibilities will include advising faculty, staff and students with regard to their entrepreneurial aspirations and activities,” said Henry C. Foley, vice president for research and dean of the Graduate School. “He will help to evaluate Penn State start-up companies as investment opportunities, and help to identify funding sources, especially among members of the southeastern Pennsylvania investment community.”
Penn State’s research and development expenditures in fiscal 2012 totaled $808 million -- a 48 percent increase in the past decade.
“Those numbers indicate that our faculty are proposing path-breaking R&D initiatives to public- and private-sector sponsors,” Foley said. “We need to explore additional ways to make this important new knowledge available for real-world applications, and Peter will be part of this effort.”
Linder’s expertise will be available to faculty and students University-wide who are engaged in research and research-based entrepreneurial activities.
Linder is past treasurer and chairman of the finance committee of the board of directors of Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania. He is chairman emeritus of the Mid-Atlantic Angel Group Fund, a member-managed angel fund that makes investments in start-up companies. He also served as the chairman of LORE, one of the oldest angel investment groups in the nation, and chair of the Angel Capital Education Foundation. He is a member of the Valuation Committee of Edison Venture Fund and of the board of directors of Molecular Detection Inc.
Linder was founding president of ETHIX, a managed-care company operating HMOs and PPOs in 13 states. He also founded American Interactive, a company specializing in hospital laboratory data processing systems. He has been a member of the board of governing trustees of The Jackson Laboratory.
Linder graduated from Penn State in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.
He will be based at the University Park campus and at Penn State Great Valley in Malvern.