Professor Albert S. Benight bridges the gap between academics and entrepreneurship.

Professor Benight earned his Ph.D. in Physics from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1983. From 1986 to 2003 he was Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In 2003 Dr. Benight joined the faculty of PSU as a professor of Chemistry and Physics. In addition, Dr. Benight is the Technology and Bioscience Advisor to the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He is the author of over sixty publications and the inventor of six issued patents.

Professor Benight holds a particular interest in the development of biotechnology transfer and its business applications. He is well respected for his expertise in every phase required for taking scientific research to the marketplace. He is consistently looking for ways to develop companies that foster the commercialization of scientific research. In Dr. Benight's view, the academic goal of advancing science is not at odds with the business philosophy of profit taking. This attitude is evident in his conviction that science is all encompassing as work, a hobby and adventure.

Dr. Benight's modern approach consistently supports his goal of educating the public about the possibilities of science. He is the founder of several companies that are funded by research generated by fellow scientists and himself. These including Tm Bioscience (headquartered in Toronto) and Portland Bioscience. Dr. Benight's current research, to develop an automated platform for engineering and optimizing nucleic acid diagnostic systems, is supported by a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase II Grant from the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Benight also works closely with Melissa Applegard, a PSU Professor in the Management of Innovation and Technology. They recently received a $600,000 award from the National Science Foundation's Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) Program for the PSU-led proposal "Oregon's Lab-to-Market Initiative" (Lab2Market). This initiative is designed to promote collaboration between Oregon universities and regional businesses toward the commercialization of academically-derived scientific research.

In addition to research and its commercial applications, Dr. Benight is a dedicated teacher whose principles dictate his teaching. In introductory classes he uses anecdotal stories that bring famous scientists to life. This in turn emboldens his students with the confidence they need to actively pursue their study of science. He further illustrates his philosophy of teaching by providing his students with real, practical scientific experiences that bring science to life. At the graduate level Professor Benight demonstrates the realities of competitive research so that advanced students can make informed decisions about their futures.

In Dr. Benight's experience students are most fulfilled when they are put to the test, challenged within an atmosphere of high expectations and tempered with an abundance of encouragement. He makes this commitment to them, that he is dedicated to make them the best that they can be.

Name: Albert S. Benight
Title: Professor of Chemistry and Physics
office: 306 SB 2
phone: 502-725-9513
email: abenight@pdx.edu
web address: http://chem.pdx.edu/people/faculty_pages/benight.html