Since February of 2005, Nila Bhakuni is currently the Director of Technology Transfer at Rice University in Houston, Texas where she has the responsibility of commercializing technology that developed at Rice University. Prior to her position at Rice, she worked at Harvard’s Office for Technology and Trademark Licensing where she lead commercialization activities in the physical sciences and software. Prior to Harvard, Nila worked at Carnegie Mellon’s Technology Transfer Office. She has broad experience in many areas, but her technology specialty is in the physical sciences, specifically nanotechnology, MEMS, materials, software, wireless technology, and robotics.

Prior to joining Carnegie Mellon, Nila spent 10 years working in several different areas at Alcoa's Technical Center.

Nila has been very active in the Licensing Executives Society where she has served as a speaker, Chair of Nanotechnology in the High Tech Sector, Chair-Elect of the Chemicals, Materials, and Energy Sector, and as a member of the Board of Trustees.

Nila has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Akron, an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Ohio State University, and an MSIA (MBA) from Carnegie Mellon University's Graduate School of Industrial Administration.