Dr. Walter G. Copan is Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer at Colorado School of Mines. He also serves as Senior Advisor and co-founder of the Renewing American Innovation Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He previously served as Under Secretary of Commerce and 16th Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), having been unanimously confirmed by the Senate. Dr. Copan is a distinguished leader with wide-ranging experience spanning large company, venture capital, entrepreneurial tech startups, government, academia, and non-profit organizations. He brings broadly based expertise in science and technology leadership, strategy, intellectual property, and innovation. Case Western Reserve University recognized Dr. Copan as the University’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 2008. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (FNAI) and was named 2020 Laboratory Director of the Year by the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC). AUTM recognized Dr. Copan with its 2021 Bayh-Dole Award for leadership contributions to technology transfer and innovation. In 2022, he received the Baldrige Foundation Award for Leadership Excellence in Government. He completed his undergraduate degrees in Chemistry and Music, and his PhD in Physical Chemistry at Case Western Reserve University.
