Two papers coauthored by Richard Jensen, professor and chairperson of the Department of Economics and Econometrics, have recently been cited in articles in several publications. Both papers are part of his research that studies how the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 has substantially increased the innovative activities of university faculty researchers.
“Proofs and Prototypes for Sale: The Licensing of University Inventions,” which Jensen wrote with Marie Thursby of Georgia Tech, was cited in “The Law of Unintended Consequences” in the September 19 issue of Fortune . Published in March 2001 in the American Economic Review, “Proofs and Prototypes for Sale” has been identified as one of the most cited papers in the social sciences.
Jensen wrote the second article, which appeared as a working paper for the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) in June 2005, with his dissertation student, Celestine Chukumba. Titled “University Invention, Entrepreneurship, and Start-Ups,” it was cited in “An Uphill Climb for Investors” in the fall 2005 Business Week Small Biz , showing how recent interest rate increases will tend to reduce the number of “start-up” firms arising from faculty inventions.
In addition, the NBER working paper was the source of a fact used by Robert J. Samuelson in a story that appeared in The Washington Post and the online edition of Newsweek on August 10.
Jensen specializes in microeconomic theory, industrial organization, environmental economics, and international trade. On October 5, he took part in a panel discussion at a celebration sponsored by the Indiana Innovation Network, Baker & Daniels LLP, and the Indiana University Research & Technology Corporation to mark the 25th anniversary of the Bayh-Dole Act.
Originally published by at newsinfo.nd.edu on October 06, 2005.