Peter Schuerman, Ph.D.
Associate Vice Chancellor, Office of Research and Economic Development
Director, Office of Business Development
pschuerman@ucmerced.edu
(209) 386-3799
Peter Schuerman is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development at the University of California, Merced, where he develops the university's ability to partner with industry, andDr. Peter Schuerman is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development at the University of California, Merced, and is the founder and director of the Office of Business Development which hosts the UC Merced Venture Lab Network.
Dr. Schuerman is the founding member and architect of UC Berkeley’s Industry Alliances Office, an office which nearly tripled industry support in its first year. He reinvented the licensing and intellectual property management program in The Texas A&M University System’s Office of Technology Commercialization, leading to unprecedented revenues from business partnerships designed to deliver innovation to society. At UC Merced, he launched the Office of Business Development to integrate various university activities – licensing and intellectual property management, industry collaboration, and innovation & entrepreneurship – into a seamless program.
Dr. Schuerman’s work focuses on optimizing the way that universities partner with businesses and entrepreneurs to maximize the impact of innovation. He got his start at the University of Florida’s Office of Technology Licensing, and subsequently joined the Office of Technology Transfer at Rice University which specialized in licensing to startups. He has a bachelor’s degree in Botany from Colorado State University and a Ph.D. in Genetics from UC Davis, and is a USDA Postdoctoral Fellow.
Carla Sánchez
Program Manager, Community Entrepreneurship at UC Merced Venture Lab
(209) 285-8166
Carla Sánchez is the Program Manager of Community Entrepreneurship for the UC Merced Venture where she develops and manages resources and operations for the UC Merced Venture Lab Program. Carla assists startup companies and entrepreneurs access program resources, and creates targeted events and seminars for the program.
In January 2016, she joined the Office of Business Development as an intern where she collaborated with Rosalina Aranda on Industry Alliance, a program that formed partnerships with UC Merced researchers and community industry partners. At the completion of her internship she presented her work at UC Merced’s 1st Annual Student Success Internship Symposium. She was then hired on as marketing intern at the UC Merced Venture Lab where she developed marketing strategies to increase awareness of the program. In February 2017, she spearheaded the UC Entrepreneurship Campaign at UC Merced, and worked with a team to organize and execute a promotional strategy that increased UC Merced campaign submissions by 80%.
In August 2017, Carla joined the Office of Business Development as a staff member after completing her Bachelor’s degree in Management and Business Economics in May 2017
Michael Pavlović, MBA
Business Development Associate at UC Merced Venture Lab
(209) 291-9422
Michael Pavlovich is the Business Development Associate for the Office of Business Development at UC Merced and the lead advisor to startups at the UC Merced Venture Lab.
In March 2019, he joined the Office of Business Development after completing his MBA from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Before moving to Merced, Michael conducted market research and strategy assessments for a computer vision startup, coordinated communications and marketing strategies for a large health care organization, and directed aircraft maintenance in the Marine Corps. His goals are to make business development an accessible and rewarding endeavor for everyone.