I heard about the opportunity to work at Emory’s Office of Technology Transfer through my Health and Science Journalism course. As a Biology and English major, I saw this as the perfect opportunity to integrate skills I had learned in both subjects, and perhaps gain new insights in the process.
I was expecting a writing-intensive job that would challenge me to work in varying styles, produce content for deadlines and hone my journalism skills.
What I wasn’t expecting was an unparalleled opportunity to work with leading researchers, learn about new, exciting inventions and initiatives, and gain exposure to an area of law where I now hope to launch my career.
Technology transfer is an area where I saw my interests in science and writing intersect. The process of bringing an invention to market requires both adherence to strict guidelines for obtaining patents and licensing, and a bold sense of creativity for developing innovative marketing strategies.
My favorite part about working for OTT was that I was constantly learning. For one piece, I researched global access policies that make medical and public health tools available in parts of the world that can’t afford high prices—a concept that was later relevant to some of my bioethics courses at Emory. When writing about featured innovations, it was my responsibility to conduct research on the science behind the invention, the people involved in the process, and at the end, be able to communicate the importance of the invention to the general public.
Working for OTT was a unique opportunity that provided me with valuable skills. I learned how to write about complicated, technical topics that I was originally unfamiliar with and to communicate these ideas in a clear and concise manner. Employers were also intrigued by my work at OTT, because few undergraduates have the opportunity to do interesting, meaningful work with such close exposure to the research pipeline.
There is something in technology transfer for everyone, and because of this, working at OTT is truly one of the best jobs on campus. Whether you’re interested in research, law, writing, medicine, multimedia, marketing or public health, there is a niche for you at OTT.
– Adrian Rabin