Steve Roden, a Tallahassee-based entrepreneur was recognized with the first-ever Office of Research Community Partner Award during Florida State’s annual Research Recognition Dinner event.
Roden received the award because of his significant contributions in helping FSU researchers commercialize their inventions so they can more directly benefit the public.
“Steve has been a true champion for FSU research and has spent considerable time and energy working with our faculty to move their research from the lab out into the marketplace,” said Vice President for Research Gary K. Ostrander. “He has been instrumental in many different commercialization efforts over the past year and I am honored to name him as the first recipient of this new award.”
The Office of Research Community Partner Award was created to recognize the efforts of local community members who volunteer to work alongside the FSU Office of Commercialization as they help faculty chart entrepreneurial paths for their research and technology. The award will be given out annually during the Research Recognition Dinner event.
Over the past year, Roden has been heavily involved in commercialization efforts for the Autism Navigator service, a web-based instructional system developed by FSU Distinguished Research Professor of Clinical Sciences Amy Wetherby. Autism Navigator addresses the pressing need to increase the capacity of early intervention service providers to appropriately serveyoung children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Roden’s work with Autism Navigator has resulted in several strategic partnerships that will increase access to the service throughout the country, ultimately benefiting greater numbers of children who suffer from ASD.
“Receiving this recognition is quite an honor, as is working alongside the FSU research community to transform their discoveries into products and services that can improve lives and help people,” said Roden. “My work with Autism Navigator has been especially rewarding in that each step forward we take on the commercialization path means more and more children with autism gaining access to this incredible tool.”
Roden also actively serves on FSU’s GAP committee, a group of local business and research stakeholders responsible for awarding funding to promising research projects.
Roden has more than two decades of entrepreneurial experience and is currently the leader of Pharma Life Science for Xerox. He has twice been recognized by the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship at Florida State University as entrepreneur of the year.