Cagri Savran, professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering, has been appointed the director of the John Martinson Entrepreneurial Center (JMEC).

An entrepreneur, Savran brings first-hand experience to the job. He started his own biotech company based on technology invented in his lab at the Birck Nanotechnology Center. He says he appreciates the Purdue climate when it comes to supporting the faculty’s entrepreneurial endeavors.

Cagri Savran, professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering

“Here, we have a unique environment that not only tolerates, but also encourages faculty members to launch startups. We have an administration that wants faculty and students to convert their special ideas to practical solutions and businesses,” said Savran, who began his duties July 1.

While developing his startup, Savran took advantage of the exact tools he now promotes in his role at the JMEC.

“I have gained an immense amount of experience, which included creating and licensing IP, working with patent attorneys during execution of IP, and working with corporate attorneys as well as investors and other strategic players in the industry," he said. "I believe I can help my colleagues and students who are interested in commercializing their technologies."

Wayne Chen, associate dean for research and innovation in the College of Engineering, said Savran is eager to share his knowledge and offer assistance.

“Professor Savran is energetic, experienced and enthusiastic about helping improve Purdue’s entrepreneurship culture,” Chen said.

Savran’s admiration for Purdue is evident in the way he views and promotes the University.

“There are very few — if any — global problems that can be solved without getting engineers involved,” he said. “College of Engineering is Purdue’s flagship. Our College brings in and sustains a vast amount of world-class talent. One of the surest ways to make an impact on the rest of the world is to commercialize the unique engineering solutions developed within our community and get them in the hands of people. My conversations with John Martinson himself only amplify the validity of that vision.”

Savran, who has a courtesy appointment in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, researches novel clinical assays with an emphasis on non-invasive diagnostic methods.

“We strive to develop engineering solutions to complex medical problems to help diagnose conditions earlier with actionable information to clinicians and with as little burden to patients as possible," he said.

His main goal for the JMEC is to bolster Purdue’s already-strong entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“I aim to maximize awareness of all resources on our campus that are available to members of our community. I personally would love to see an environment where engineering students talk to each other about how to launch their own company instead of looking for jobs,” Savran said. “I would love to see an environment where faculty, in addition to publishing their work, start companies based on their research. If I can contribute to that actuality, I will be very happy.”

Savran succeeds Yung-Hsiang Lu, professor in the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, who completed his nearly three-year term as the inaugural director in June 2022.