Northrop Grumman donates two patents to UNH

By Robert Emro, CEPS

Northrop Grumman Corporation is funding advanced technology research and donating equipment to enhance science education at the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (CEPS).

“This is the latest example of the kind of public-private partnerships that UNH has been striving to create,” said John Aber, UNH vice president for research & public service. “These kinds of interactions between industry and the university bring new resources and new energy to the process of discovery that is a core UNH mission.”

Northrop Grumman’s Baltimore-based Electronic Systems sector has donated two related patents – for a mercury switch and a steerable antenna – independently valued at more than $1 million.

“We are delighted to enter into this partnership with UNH and look forward to collectively furthering our advanced technology leadership in key research fields,” explained James Carlini, Northrop Grumman vice president for products and technology.

“This is the first patent anyone’s ever donated to UNH,” said Robert Dalton, director of the UNH Office of Intellectual Property Management. “It helps build a partnership between us that will, I believe, lead to other exciting activities and projects.”

To enable electrical and computer engineering graduate students to investigate the new technology, Northrop Grumman also gave UNH a $62,000 grant.

“We are very excited that Northrop Grumman has given us not only two very interesting patents, but also the money to research them,” said Arthur Greenberg, dean of CEPS. “These gifts ensure that UNH will not only have this technology in its portfolio, but will also be able to explore potential applications.”

CEPS also received another gift from Northrop Grumman – three optical microscopes and three vacuum pumps – for teaching and research labs in the Materials Science Program.

“This equipment would cost tens of thousands of dollars if we had to go out and buy it new,” said James Harper, director of the program. “This is a substantial gift that will allow more students to do cutting-edge research.”