Chris Cornelison named interim Associate Vice President for Innovation and Commercialization

KENNESAW, Ga. | September 6, 2023

Kennesaw State University microbiology professor Chris Cornelison will serve as interim Associate Vice President for Innovation and Commercialization, effective September 1.

Cornelison, who for the past three years has served as Director of  Intellectual Property Development , will work closely with Vice President for Research Karin Scarpinato on a variety of Office of Research initiatives, focusing on applied research and venture creation.

Chris Cornelison headshot

“Chris has demonstrated his entrepreneurial expertise through the procurement of several externally funded grants, in addition to the support infrastructure he has built for faculty here at KSU,” Scarpinato said. “Moving forward, he will be instrumental in working to expand our industry relations and commercialization portfolio.”

Cornelison will primarily focus on growing applied research and entrepreneurship across the university, a focus that includes  Hatchbridge , a business incubator that launched earlier this year and assists local entrepreneurs in growing their businesses by offering resources such as guidance, office space and programming.

With many academic units at KSU already engaged in applied research, Cornelison aims to direct talent across both campuses to maximize the university’s impact on the region. Developing collaborations with Hatchbridge, Coles College of Business, Research Development and Strategic Initiatives, University Advancement, Career Planning and Development, and Government Relations will be crucial in the university reaching its full potential as a source for innovative solutions with market potential.

In addition to Intellectual Property Development duties, Cornelison also operates the  BioInnovation Laboratory , which currently has seven active external grants, highlighted by the lab’s work on white-nose syndrome in bats and the development of novel therapeutic interventions.

The lab is also active in  culinary mushroom cultivation , which includes technology that is licensed to MycoLogic, a startup Cornelison founded with postdoctoral researcher Kyle Gabriel that has garnered numerous awards in startup competitions. 

MycoLogic finished first this summer at the Georgia AgTech Summit, and earlier this year, the KSU-based startup was a finalist at the Ag Innovation Challenge sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Cornelison’s entrepreneurial background will be essential in performing the duties of interim Associate Vice President for Innovation and Commercialization.

“As a founder of a startup at KSU, I have learned what it means to be a faculty entrepreneur,” Cornelison said. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to support my colleagues in their pursuit of entrepreneurial activities that allow the world to benefit from the great research they are doing.”

Other BioInnovation Laboratory projects include the production of pigments from agricultural and industrial waste materials by using food-grade fungi as biocatalysts, a project that recently received venture development funding and was the research focus of 2023 Birla Carbon Summer Scholar Mark Sheehan.

Cornelison earned his B.S. in microbiology at the University of Georgia in 2009, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in applied and environmental microbiology at Georgia State University in 2011 and 2013, respectively.

It was at Georgia State University while working in the laboratory of Dr. Sidney A. Crow that Cornelison developed an interest in how research intersects with commercialization. 

“I was able to see how to build an applied research portfolio and learned about many of the ways in which research products reach their full potential via commercialization,” Cornelison said. “As a postdoc, I was part of an NSF I-Corps team. This further reinforced my desire to be active in driving academic innovations to market and gave me an appreciation for understanding product-market fit and the needs of customers.”

Cornelison carried those lessons into his role of Director of Intellectual Property Development, where he built KSU’s technology transfer operations from the ground floor by creating the Innovation Launch Pad to train faculty and student inventors in lean startup methodology and customer discovery, established the Innovation Seed Grant Program to support inventors in advancing their innovation during the provisional year, and created the KSU Quick Start Licensing Program to allow faculty to quickly obtain freedom to operate for commercial utilization of their innovations.

“Technology transfer at KSU is far more advanced than it was three years ago, and I am proud of the progress we have made,” Cornelison said.

— By David Roberts

Source: https://research.kennesaw.edu/roc/stories/cornelison_avp_innovation_commercialization.php

May 22, 2026
ALPHARETTA, Ga., May 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Micron Biomedical today announced the grand opening of its world-class manufacturing facility spanning more than 26,000 square feet in Alpharetta, Georgia. The opening marks the most advanced commercial-scale manufacturing site for Micron’s dissolvable vaccine and therapeutic technology in the world and positions the company for pivotal clinical trials that will accelerate the availability of needle-free vaccines and therapeutics that can be self-administered at home. “A significant body of evidence has shown that our dissolvable microarray technology is as effective as — or more effective than — conventionally injected medicines. Parents, patients, government officials, drug developers, public health leaders, and payers also prefer needle-free vaccines and therapeutics that are simpler and more cost-effective to transport and store,” said Steven Damon, CEO of Micron Biomedical . “Our novel technology requires equally innovative manufacturing equipment capable of scaling production, and this facility brings us one step closer to making that vision a reality.” Micron’s technology uses a dissolvable microarray “button” that is applied directly to the skin and, when pressed, painlessly delivers medications that dissolve in the uppermost layers of skin. The facility houses all of the equipment and manufacturing capabilities to design and produce Micron’s technology at scale including R&D facilities, wet labs, dry labs, storage and professional office spaces. Micron Biomedical’s grand opening ceremony was attended by business leaders, elected officials, investors, members of academia and other stakeholders. Representatives from the CDC were also in attendance as recently the CDC launched its first-ever clinical trial of a needle-free vaccine, evaluating a novel rotavirus vaccine, CC24, delivered via Micron Biomedical’s dissolvable microarray technology. The trial, at Emory University, builds on research, published in The Lancet, about self-administered seasonal influenza vaccine via Micron Biomedical’s dissolvable microarray technology, as well as studies across other disease indications, including measles and rubella . “Georgia is emerging as one of the country’s most important biotech manufacturing hubs, attracting talented scientists, engineers, business leaders and creating exciting economic and professional opportunities for our residents,” said Todd Jones, Georgia House Representative . “With its award winning first-in-the industry technology, Micron Biomedical is among the state’s leaders in simultaneously transforming the health of people around the world with never-before-possible access to medicine and vaccines - and in investing in the workforce of tomorrow with high paying jobs and growth opportunities." This year, published research reinforced consumer preference for microarray technology and Micron Biomedical was recognized as the number two most innovative company in its class by Fast Company for addressing global demand for simplified administration and distribution of vaccines and drugs. The scientific community support includes recent commentary in The Lancet which called Micron’s technology “game-changing in humanitarian settings.” Micron’s technology class has also been identified as the highest global priority innovation for overcoming immunization barriers in low- and middle-income countries by the Vaccine Innovation Prioritisation Strategy (VIPS) Alliance. “This milestone reflects the type of coordinated ecosystem growth outlined in Georgia Life Sciences’ recently released Roadmap for Georgia’s Life Sciences Sector — bringing together industry, startups, manufacturers, educators, investors, and policymakers to strengthen the state’s innovation and manufacturing capabilities,” said Maria Thacker Goethe, President and CEO of Georgia Life Sciences , who attended the ribbon cutting ceremony. “With this cutting-edge facility, Micron is helping advance Georgia’s position as a national leader in biotechnology, medical technology, and life sciences innovation while reinforcing the state’s role as a scale-up manufacturing hub for the Southeast.” “Ribbon cuttings are always special and momentous events, but this one is especially satisfying because it points to an infrastructure for pivotal clinical trials of technologies being studied at Emory that have the potential to save lives and reduce disease burden by expanding coverage and access to critical medications,” said Christina Rostad MD, pediatric infectious disease associate professor at Emory University and lead investigator of the CD244 trial who provided commentary remotely. “Our team at Emory University is excited to be a part of the celebration and look forward to continuing to explore the potential of Micron Biomedical’s dissolvable microarray vaccine technology.“ About Micron Biomedical Micron Biomedical is the leader in dissolvable microarray-based, drug and vaccine administration technology with a growing pipeline of needle-free versions of previously injectable-only medicines. Micron Biomedical is a clinical-stage life science company on a rapid path to commercializing its proprietary dissolvable, microarray technology. Micron’s technology is designed to improve access and achieve better health outcomes globally through injection-free, painless, and simple and/or self-administration of drugs and vaccines, and by eliminating or reducing the need for cold chain transport and storage, enhancing safety and efficacy, and improving patient compliance. Micron partners with and/or receives funding from private and public entities including pharmaceutical and biotech companies, the Gates Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PATH and the Georgia Research Alliance. For more information visit www.micronbiomedical.com . Press Contact Shira Derasmo M: +1-917-280-2497 E: pr@micronbiomedical.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/31153de2-caed-4aa2-b291-ebeed2652b70 A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d855a883-fb26-47ce-9831-8ef1e0b93f43 
May 13, 2026
Georgia Life Sciences thanks Dr. Marty Makary for his service as Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration during a period of significant change across the nation’s health and regulatory agencies.
May 12, 2026
Georgia Life Sciences is pleased to announce Tim Opler as a featured keynote speaker at the 2026 Georgia Life Sciences Summit, taking place August 25-26 at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center in Atlanta. A leading voice in biotech investment banking, Tim Opler serves as Managing Director in Stifel’s Global Healthcare Group, where he advises innovative life sciences companies on financing, growth strategy, and market positioning across the healthcare landscape. Tim brings deep insight into the evolving biotech investment environment, emerging industry trends, and the factors shaping the future of life sciences innovation and commercialization. Join us for this timely discussion with one of the industry’s most respected financial leaders as we explore the opportunities and challenges defining the next era of life sciences growth . 
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