Nichole Mercier is the Managing Director of the Washington University in St. Louis Office of Technology Management. In this role, she sets the strategy for technology transfer at the university and oversees all operations relating to the licensing and protection of intellectual property assets. Dr. Mercier originally joined the Office of Technology Management in 2005 as a member of the licensing team. In addition to her licensing role, she developed and directed all educational outreach to the university community and instituted the Women in Innovation and Technology (WIT) Program so that her office could better engage female faculty and post-docs in technology transfer related activities. Prior to joining Washington University, she worked as a licensing associate for Boston Children’s Hospital’s Intellectual Property Office and received her Ph.D. in cell biology from the University of Massachusetts Medical School. In her spare time, she volunteers for the Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition in St. Louis and the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, and she serves as the vice president on the St. Monica School Board