Double Your Donation
In honor of his wife’s life-work, Tom Keyes is committing a matching gift of $50,000 to encourage colleagues, family, and friends to collectively contribute an equal amount. This will allow us to create a permanent endowment supporting the Technology Transfer Career Training Program, a program that embodies Susan’s legacy of service to AUTM, support of the profession, and training of the next generation.
You can help us meet our goal of $100k by giving a gift or an annual pledge today.
“My hope is that those who knew Susan or are inspired by her generosity and compassion will see my efforts to support a worthy cause and be moved to offer their own support.”
— Tom Keyes
Tom Keyes with the 2018-2019 Susan Riley Keyes Fellows at the 2019 AUTM Annual Meeting
About Susan Riley Keyes
After receiving her PhD at the University of Connecticut, Susan Riley Keyes became a Postdoctoral Associate and Associate Research Scientist at Yale, where she published over 30 scientific papers. Her interests evolved from basic science to technology licensing and she obtained a J.D. in Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property Related Law from Suffolk University, after which she designed and taught a course on Technology Licensing & Commercialization at Northeastern.
Susan was a very active AUTM board member including Eastern regional meeting Co-chair for Boston and Puerto Rico (2008 and 2009). She was on the boards of WEST (Women Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology) and Nat’l Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases.
Susan lived a service-filled life, making it a primary goal to help others the best that she could. The service that most interested Susan was personal. She was the oldest of 11 children and she showed incredible dedication to her siblings, nieces, nephews, and to Tom, her husband of 48 years. Nothing made her happier than helping those that she knew – whether it be doing extensive research for loved ones with cancer, knitting gifts for newly married family members and friends, or offering resources and her experience to those interested in making a career change to technology transfer.
Susan Riley Keyes Memorial Fellowship Fund
Thanks to the generosity of Susan’s husband, Tom Keyes, we have been able to create the Susan Riley Keyes Memorial Fellowship Fund. The fund directly supports our Technology Transfer Career Training Program, which provides an opportunity for early career professionals to jump-start their career in technology transfer. The fellowship is open to those with less than one year of experience in North American TTOs with ten employees or less. Through the Susan Riley Keyes Memorial Fellowship Fund, we were able to provide spots in the program to 3 fellows in our 2023-2024 cohort.
2024-25 Applications Are Open
If you are employed by a TTO of 10 employees or less and interested in being a part of the Technology Transfer Career Training Program, you can apply here. Please email cloeffler@autm.net.net if you have any questions regarding the application.
Susan left a legacy of service to AUTM, support of the profession, and training of the next generation. This fellowship embodies and continues this legacy. With the continued support of Tom Keyes, we are working toward endowing the fund to continue the program for years to come.
