Cofounder of three early-stage technology companies as either CEO or COO, Dr. Tompkins is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of University of Tennessee, Knoxville. During the majority of his more than 40 years as an engineering faculty member, he also served in a number of administrative roles including President and CEO of the University of Tennessee Research Foundation, Inc., Vice President for Research, and Dean of Engineering. He is a Vietnam era veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and a registered engineer in Tennessee. His work in harvesting, managing, and marketing the intellectual property accruing to university research programs heightened his interest in developing strategies for successfully commercializing new technologies and inventions.