Charles H. Dougherty Jr., Director, Intellectual Property and Operations, Center for Technology Transfer and Enterprise Creation, Carnegie Mellon University

Chip joined CTTEC in 2019 as the Associate Director of Intellectual Property where he works in conjunction with the CTTEC team to manage the patent portfolio and to explore strategic opportunities. At the start of 2023, Chip took on the new role of Director, Intellectual Property and Operations. His task is to help create data-driven business decisions that support the University’s mission of continual innovation in education, research, creativity and entrepreneurship. In this newly created role, he is also responsible for developing and delivering educational resources on intellectual property topics for faculty, staff and students.

Prior to joining Carnegie Mellon, Chip had a 33-year career as a legal and business professional focused on the development and commercialization of new technology. As an attorney with Reed Smith LLP, he helped his clients acquire, protect and enforce their intellectual property rights across a wide range of technologies. He has litigated subject matter as diverse as pharmaceutical formulations, DNA cloning and expression, medical imaging, nutritional supplements, video streaming, industrial hoist design and horizontal drilling processes. In 2012 Chip helped establish and led the life science practice at Beck and Thomas P.C., specifically to serve intellectual property clients in the pharmaceutical and medical device market. Since 2006, Chip has served as a mediator for the Western District of Pennsylvania and assists in the resolution of intellectual property disputes filed in Federal Court.

Chip has a B.S. in Biology from Gannon University, an M.S. from The Pennsylvania State University, and a J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law. He is a registered patent attorney at the USPTO and is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, the CAFC and multiple other jurisdictions. Chip serves on the Board of Directors for the Pittsburgh Intellectual Property Law Association, the Mediation Council of Western Pennsylvania, and the Carnegie Science Center.

Andrew Siminerio

Andy was Senior Counsel for Intellectual Property at PPG Industries, Inc. and Vitro Flat Glass LLC, where he was responsible for all IP and transactional matters for the Glass and Aerospace Transparencies groups. Prior to joining PPG, Andy worked as an IP attorney for Rockwell International and an engineer for Dravo.  Andy has bachelor and master degrees in Civil/Structural Engineering from Cornell University, and a J.D. from Duquesne University

Cindy Chepanoske, Director of Technology Licensing, Carnegie Mellon University

Cindy Chepanoske is the Director of Technology Licensing at the Carnegie Mellon University Center for Technology Transfer & Enterprise Creation (CTTEC). Cindy’s responsibilities at CTTEC include intellectual property management, technology assessment and license negotiations. Prior to CTTEC, Cindy was a researcher at Ceiba Solutions, Rosetta Biosoftware and Tandem Labs, and she has broad-based technical experience in Research and Development (R&D), Software Services and Product Management, Bioinformatics (including large- scale data management and analytics), Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics.  Cindy has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from CMU, and a Ph.D in chemistry from the University of Utah.

Alexandra Ashley, Corporate Counsel, Industrial Scientific

Alexandra Ashley is Corporate Counsel for Industrial Scientific and is responsible for contract negotiation and transactional matters for Industrial Scientific.  Prior to joining Industrial Scientific, Alexandra was a Staff Attorney at MSA – The Safety Company and led their Direct Sourcing Contracting Strategy and negotiated commercial contracts.  Alexandra has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pittsburgh, and a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

Quinn Johnson, Partner and General Counsel, Reichman, Jorgensen, Lehman & Feldberg LLC

Quinn Johnson is a Partner and General Counsel at Reichman, Jorgensen, Lehman & Feldberg, LLC, and specializes in a broad range of complex commercial litigation.  Prior to joining RJLF, Quinn served as the Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Arconic Corporation, which specializes in the engineering and manufacturing of lightweight metals. At Arconic, Quinn managed a portfolio encompassing thousands of cases, from high-stakes commercial disputes and product liability litigation to international arbitration matters and securities litigation. Her responsibilities also included crisis response, intellectual property protection, mergers and acquisitions, government relations, as well as managing risk, conducting corporate investigations, and ensuring corporate compliance. Quinn also spent nearly a decade as a trial lawyer at Meyer Unkovic & Scott, LLP, representing companies in all phases of commercial litigation including cases involving commercial disputes, breach of contract, insurance coverage, intellectual property, product liability, and employment matters.  Quinn has a Bachelor of Arts degree from William & Mary, and a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.