Tuesday, November 11th |
9:00am - 12:00pm
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AURP Board of Directors Meeting
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2:00pm - 3:00pm Durango Hotel
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Registration Check In
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3:00pm - 4:30pm Durango Hotel
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Communities of Innovation 101: Meet the Leader Networking Reception (ADDITIONAL FEE)
Chair: Kate Engel, Executive Director, Nebraska Innovation Campus
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6:00pm - 9:00pm
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AURP Board of Directors’ Sponsor Appreciation Dinner By Invitation Only!
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Wednesday, November 12th |
7:30am - 8:30am Durango Hotel
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New Member and First Time Attendee Breakfast
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9:00am - 10:30am Durango Hotel - Transportation Provided to Las Vegas Convention Center Following Session
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Leadership Roundtable (ADDITIONAL FEE)
Chair: Erin Koshut, Executive Director, Cummings Research Park
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10:00am - 11:00am
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Transportation to Las Vegas Convention Center
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11:00am - 12:00pm Las Vegas Convention Center
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Group Luncheon |
12:00pm - 12:30pm Las Vegas Convention Center
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Welcome
Speakers:  Allison Madden, Chief Operating Officer & Corporate Secretary, University of South Florida Research Foundation; AURP President Zach Miles, Interim Vice President for Economic Development & Executive Director, UNLV Research Foundation Mayor Shelley Berkley
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12:30pm - 1:00pm Las Vegas Convention Center
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Presentation of Innovation Award Nominees
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1:00pm - 1:30pm Las Vegas Convention Center
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Icons of Las Vegas
Speakers:  Guy Martin, President, Martin-Harris Construction Don Snyder, Immediate Past President, UNLV Jan Jones Blackhurst, Executive Director UNLV Black Fire Leadership Initiatives Betsy Fretwell, Interim Chief Executive Officer, Las Vegas Economic Global Alliance 
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1:30pm - 2:30pm Las Vegas Convention Center
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Future of Innovation Districts
Speakers:  Shani Coleman, Director Community & Economic Development, Clark County Office of Community & Economic Development Jared Luke, Sr. Director of Government Affairs and Economic Development, City of North Las Vegas Zach Miles, Interim Vice President for Economic Development & Executive Director, UNLV Research Foundation

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2:30pm - 3:00pm
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Break
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3:00pm - 3:45pm Las Vegas Convention Center
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D.C. Download: What's Coming Up for Your Campus
Speaker: Leslee Gilbert, JD, Vice President, Van Scoyoc Associates
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3:45pm - 4:15pm Las Vegas Convention Center
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Biotechnology as a National Security
Speaker: Monique Mansoura, PhD, MBA, Global Health Security & Biotechnology, Strategic Advisor (invited)
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4:15pm - 4:45pm Las Vegas Convention Center
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The New Frontier - Leveraging Texas HB112
Speakers:  Harold Strong, Executive Director, STAR Park, Texas State University Larry Peterson, Executive Director, Texas Foundation for Innovative Communities
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4:45pm - 5:30pm Las Vegas Convention Center
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Opening Reception |
5:30pm
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Transportation to Durango Hotel |
Evening
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Sponsor Hospitalities & Receptions All events hosted and organized by sponsors (approval required by AURP)
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Thursday, November 13th |
Morning
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Breakfast on Your Own
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8:00am - 8:45am
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Transportation to Las Vegas Convention Center
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9:00am - 9:15am Las Vegas Convention Center
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Morning Welcome
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9:15am - 10:30am Las Vegas Convention Center
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Main Stage Presentations
Rapid Fire | Scaling University-Industry Partnerships Through Innovation
Speaker: Zoë Gibson, Head of Ecosystems, Halo
Rapid Fire | Research Park: The Tip of the Spear for Campus/Corporate Engagement 
Speakers: Allison Doyle, Associate Director, Iowa State University Research Park; Director of Corporate Engagement, Iowa State University Stacy Dreyer, Associate Director of Corporate Engagement, Iowa State University Research Park Heather Bray, Corporate Engagement Specialist, Iowa State University Research Park
Rapid Fire | AI-Powered Corporate Engagement: Aligning Industry with Campus Strengths
Speaker: Chase Bonhag, MBA, CEO & Co-Founder, FirstIgnite
Main Stage | Master Planning: Fireside Chat
Speakers:  Aaron Olver, Managing Director, University Research Park, University of Wisconsin - Madison Erin Koshut, Immediate Past President, AURP; Executive Director, Cummings Research Park
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10:30am - 11:00am
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Break
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11:00am - 11:30am Las Vegas Convention Center
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Concurrent Breakout Sessions | Funding & Resources Track Power of Place: Leveraging University-Industry Partnerships through Co-Location and Core Facilities
Speakers: Merry Hunter Caudle, CEcD, Associate Director, Economic Development Office of Institute Relations, Georgia Institute of Technology Tracy Shickel, Associate Vice President, Corporate Engagement, University of Delaware Jeffery Smith, Director, Research Parks, Michigan State University Research Foundation

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Concurrent Breakout Sessions | Programming Track Quantum Computing: Why You Should Prepare for a Quantum-Inspired Future
Speakers: Laura Appenzeller, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Innovation, Research Park Executive Director, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign John Sawyer, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Quantum Alliance; Director, Strategic Research Initiatives, University of Maryland Zachary Yerushalmi, CEO and Regional Innovation Officer, Elevate Quantum Tech Hub Moderator: Brian Darmody, Chief Strategy Officer, AURP

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11:45am - 12:15pm Las Vegas Convention Center
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Concurrent Breakout Sessions | Funding & Resources Track Fueling Innovation Districts in Times of Change
Speakers: Amy Adams, Executive Director, Institute for Biohealth Innovation, George Mason University Thomas Flynn, CEcD, Economic Development Advisor, Prince William County Economic Development and Tourism Sarah Sheppard, Director, Office of Talent and Workforce, Division of Innovation and Growth, Maryland Department of Commerce Moderator: Laura O’Blenis, President & CEO, Stiletto: Make A Point

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Concurrent Breakout Sessions | Programming Track Bridging the Valley of Death: Funding Strategies for Tech Transfer
Speakers: Bruce Hunter, JD, MBA, Chief innovation Officer, University of Utah Zach Miles, JD, MBA, Interim Vice President for Economic Development, UNLV; Executive Director, UNLV Research Foundation Katie Pettinger, MBA, Chief Innovation Officer, SWSIE / Arizona State University Moderator: Maggie Bachenberg, Consultant, Franklin Advisory

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12:15pm - 1:30pm Las Vegas Convention Center
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Group Luncheon
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1:30pm - 2:00pm Las Vegas Convention Center
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Concurrent Breakout Sessions | Funding & Resources Track Implementing Research Security Best Practices in Research Parks, Innovation Districts and Hubs
Speaker: Allen Phelps, CPP, PCI, CISSP, CISA, Founder & CEO, IPTalons, Inc.

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Concurrent Breakout Sessions | Programming Track Research Parks Partnering with DOD and Intel Community: What You Need to Know
Speakers: Rod McSherry, Associate VP for Innovation and Economic Development, University of Texas at San Antonio Tom Sadowski, Executive Director, Maryland Economic Development Corporation Mark Sharpe, Executive Director, Montana State University Innovation Campus Moderator: Brian Darmody, Chief Strategy Officer, AURP

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2:15pm - 2:45pm Las Vegas Convention Center
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Concurrent Breakout Sessions | Funding & Resources Track Real Estate Developments: Factors that Impact Project Feasibility
Speaker: David Tyndall, Founder & CEO, Collaborative Real Estate

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Concurrent Breakout Sessions | Programming Track The Bioscience Collaborative – An Innovative Approach to Building Biotech
Speakers: Len Jessup, Managing Director, Desert Forge Ventures Ray Liu, CEO & Co-Founder, Vena Vitals Jeffery Talbot, Vice President for Research, Roseman University of Health Sciences

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3:15pm - 3:45pm Las Vegas Convention Center
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Concurrent Breakout Sessions | Funding & Resources Track The Community-led Innovation Community: A Conversation with Three County Leaders
Speakers: Shani Coleman, Director of Community & Economic Development, Clark County Office of Community & Economic Development Amanda Clavijo, MPA, Assistant County Manager, Osceola County Government, Florida Neil Schneider, MPA, Director, Churchill Technology & Business Park Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission, Louisiana Stephen Coulston, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Principal, Perkins&Will

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Concurrent Breakout Sessions | Programming Track What’s Next? Reimagining and Reinventing in Real Time
Speakers: Randal Froebelius, Project Executive and Senior Advisor, MaRS Discovery District Greg King, CEcD, Associate Vice President, Economic Development, Georgia Institute of Technology Laura O’Blenis, President & CEO, Stiletto: Make A Point Carol Stewart, Vice President, Tech Parks Arizona, University of Arizona

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4:00pm - 5:00pm Las Vegas Convention Center
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Main Stage Presentations
Rapid Fire | Upcoming Programming and Topics in 2026
Speaker: Vickie Palmer, CEO, AURP
Main Stage | The Blooper Reel
Speaker: Jordan Peterson, Chief Operations Officer, Collaborative Real Estate
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5:00pm - 6:00pm Las Vegas Convention Center
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AURP 29th Annual Awards of Excellence in Innovation
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6:00pm - 6:15pm Las Vegas Convention Center
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Closing Remarks
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6:15pm
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Transportation to Durango Hotel
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Evening |
Sponsor Hospitalities & Receptions All events hosted and organized by sponsors (approval required by AURP)
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Friday, November 14th |
8:00am - 12:00pm Harry Reid Research and Technology Park
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Clean Tech Caucus (ADDITIONAL FEE)
Chair: Brian Darmody, Chief Strategy Officer, AURP
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9:00am - 12:00pm
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Optional Tours (Included in Full Registration Fee) Transportation Provided
Switch Datacenter
Kirk Kekorian School of Medicine
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