Who We Are

 

Allison Markova

Director, Technology Transfer
amarkova@whoi.edu

Allison joined WHOI in 2015. Leading the Office for Technology Transfer, she works to facilitate the commercialization of WHOI innovations & extend the reach of WHOI technologies within the scientific community and the greater business community. Before this role at WHOI, Allison worked in marketing for WHOI OTT, marketing and communications roles both in the US and internationally, and as a professional photographer. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Connecticut. Allison is a Registered Technology Transfer Professional (RTTP), a member of the Licensing Executives Society, and a member of the Association for University Technology Managers. 

 

Annie Kozimor

Market Research & Communications Associate
atoomajian@whoi.edu

Annie joined the Office for Technology Transfer in 2020. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and brings experience in market research, consumer identification, and startup plan development. Working collaboratively with inventors, she researches the market potential for WHOI technologies, establishing the technologtechnology'sive advantages, analyzing the market value and growth drivers, and identifying commercialization pathways.

 

Cristy Salanga, MBA, MS, MLS

Patent Agent
csalanga@whoi.edu

Cristy Salanga is the Patent Manager for WHOI, assessing patentability and drafting patent applications on technologies with commercial potential. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology and a Master of Science in Cellular and Molecular Medicine from the University of Arizona. After graduating, she spent several years as a research scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA, focusing on genetic engineering in Xenopus. After developing an interest in patent law, she transitioned to a career in intellectual property, becoming a registered Patent Agent and the in-house patent agent for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Recently, she completed her MBA from the W.P. Carey School of Business and her Master of Legal Studies in intellectual property law from the Sandra Day O’Connor O'Connorf Law at Arizona State University.

 

Abraham Katzen, PhD, MBA

Business Development Associate
abraham.katzen@whoi.edu

Abe is a Business Development Associate in the Office for Technology Transfer. In his role, he is responsible for identifying external partners & opportunities for the commercialization of technologies developed in the WHOI ecosystem. He holds a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Oregon and an MBA from Babson College. Before joining WHOI, he worked with several Boston-area biotech startups, developing novel cell and gene therapies.

 

Michael Hard

Entrepreneur-in-Residence 
michael.hard@whoi.edu

Michael Hard brings 15 years of experience as an entrepreneur, operator, investor, and advisor in dual-use startups and national security innovation. As one of the nation's first University Program Directors for OUSD(R&E)'s National Security Innovation Network, Michael urgently led the development of university, venture, and government communities to solve 40+ science and engineering problems for national security customers. Many of these problems were related to the maritime domain and required new ventures to solve them. Hard has also helped start, grow, and advise several Silicon Valley startups that raised funding from some of the nation's top investors and had successful exits. Above all, Michael has a passion for the WHOI mission and helping all students and staff achieve their potential as scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs.