VT

Van Truskett

Director at Big Idea Ventures

Austin, Texas

Overview

Work Experience

PI

PlantSustain, Inc.

  • Member Board of Directors

    2024 - Current

    https://plantsustain.com/ Providing a platform of endophytic microorganism solutions at scale with long shelf lives for healthier plants, people, and the planet.

BI

Big Idea Ventures

  • Director - GFRP Fund

    2024

    The Generation Food Rural Partners (GFRP) fund commercializes university-developed intellectual property focused on food, protein, and agriculture innovation. We launch new companies, recruit seasoned management teams, and provide support from inception alongside our university and strategic partners. Learn more at: https://bigideaventures.com/generation-food-rural-partners/

TU

The University of Texas at Austin

  • Associate Professor of Practice

    2021 - 2024

  • Director - Technology Innovation Development

    2022 - 2023

    For more information: https://discoveries.utexas.edu/

  • Executive Director - Texas Innovation Center

    2019 - 2023

    For more information: https://texasinnovationcenter.utexas.edu/ Established in January 2020, the Texas Innovation Center is the hub at The University of Texas at Austin for bringing engineering and science discoveries and technologies to the market. The center is part of the Cockrell School of Engineering and collaborates with the College of Natural Sciences and the Discovery to Impact team, who are stakeholders in supporting technology commercialization at UT Austin.

  • Director - Technology Innovation Development

    2021 - 2022

  • Director - Technology Innovation Development

    2017 - 2021

CN

Canon Nanotechnologies, Inc

  • Director of Jetting Technology

    2014 - 2017

    Molecular Imprints, Inc's semiconductor business acquired by Canon, Inc on April 18, 2014. • Continuing the development, implementation, and scale-up of inkjet printhead systems for use in nanoimprint lithography. • Now extending performance capabilities of the printheads to <1 picoliter for nanoimprint lithography applications for semiconductor resists (liquids). • Positions held at Canon Nanotechnologies, Inc.: Jetting Technology Manager 4/2014, Director of Jetting Technology 2/2015

MI

Molecular Imprints, Inc.

  • Jetting Technology Manager

    2002 - 2014

    • Positions held at Molecular Imprints: Research Engineer 8/2002, Lead Engineer - Jetting Technology 4/2009, Manager - Jetting Technology 5/2011 • Led and executed the development and productization of novel inkjet printheads and methods targeting <2 picoliter for nanoscale imprint lithography process and its applications. • Developed new methods and systems to characterize inkjet printhead performance and reliability. • Directed and conducted the development of hardware and software related to using inkjet printheads for resist deposition, its fluid delivery system, and preventative maintenance.

JH

Johns Hopkins University - Chemical Engineering Department

  • NASA Graduate Research Fellow

    1996 - 2002

    RESEARCH • Design and conduct experiments to show the surface activity and phase behavior of streptavidin adsorption onto the liquid-vapor interface. Measured and confirmed the dynamic surface tension of streptavidin with Wilhelmy plate and pendant bubble techniques. Imaged surface phase via fluorescence microscopy verifying phase behavior. • Use Marangoni-Bénard convection created in an evaporating drop to pattern gold nanoparticles for constructing 3-dimensional templates with a polygonal network. • Conduct experiments to show Marangoni-Bénard convection occurs in the presence of an insoluble surfactant in a planar geometry for long range particle deposition into polygonal networks. • Established that surfactants at the liquid-gas interface can be used to alter the assembly of suspended particles into patterns on a solid substrate. • Developed and constructed an experimental apparatus to study the role of an insoluble surfactant in patterning small particles contained in an evaporating drop. Experimental apparatus combined techniques from fluorescence microscopy, pendant drop tensiometry, and sessile drop imaging. • Performed equilibrium surface tension experiments by Wilhelmy plate and pendant drop techniques to elucidate the surface activity of lipids and fatty acids monolayers. • Synthesized and characterized Octadecyltrichlorosilane self-assembled monolayers on SiO2 wafers to control the wetting properties of the substrate

Education

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