AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin has appointed Mark Arnold as the new associate vice president for Discovery to Impact, the University’s connection unit between campus innovators and industry.
In this new role, Arnold will enhance the University’s research commercialization efforts; formalize a dedicated technology transfer office to revitalize the University’s intellectual property, licensing, and business development efforts; and launch Texas Startups, a new division within Discovery to Impact that will position UT as a national leader in incubating, accelerating and investing in more undergraduate, graduate and faculty startups.
The appointment underscores President Jay Hartzell’s commitment to fostering a culture of innovation across campus, driving impactful collaborations between the University and industry, and cultivating a strong research pipeline centered on life sciences, energy and the environment, and deep tech.
Discovery to Impact has become increasingly vital in a rapidly evolving tech and startup economy, as universities strive to bridge the gap between research and commercialization. The University recognized the need for dynamic leadership to shape and navigate the future of technology transfer and entrepreneurship. Arnold’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment in the unit’s trajectory and as Austin aims to become one of the top hubs for life sciences.
Arnold, who will also serve as the managing director of Texas Startups, has more than 25 years of leadership experience in scaling technology companies from inception through exit, navigating venture investments, and launching innovative business development initiatives.
“By harnessing our collective expertise and passion, we will shape the future of innovation, galvanize our entrepreneurship programs and offerings, and scale the startup pipeline emerging from UT across the nation and around the globe,” Arnold said.
Before joining UT, Arnold was a founder and general partner at The Resilience Fund, an early-stage venture firm focused on the deep-tech landscape. Previously, he was the vice president of corporate development for Forcepoint and was instrumental in the sale of the company to Raytheon Technologies for $1.9 billion in 2015. His early career includes investment roles at Goldman Sachs, Kohlberg & Co. and Cisco Systems, and he holds a B.S. and MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.
