MSU Business Connect: Your Gateway to Industry Collaboration
At Michigan State University, innovation doesn’t stop at the lab—it moves into the world. MSU Business Connect helps faculty and industry partners come together to solve real-world challenges, accelerate innovation, and create lasting impact.
Whether you’re a faculty member exploring your first corporate collaboration or a company looking to tap into MSU’s research expertise, our team provides the guidance, connections, and resources you need to succeed.
For Industry Partners
Access MSU’s Expertise and Innovation
Business Connect is the front door for companies seeking to collaborate with MSU. We make it easy to:
- Engage with Leading Researchers
Connect with faculty experts across disciplines to solve complex problems. - Accelerate R&D
Leverage MSU’s cutting-edge facilities, labs, and talent to advance your innovation pipeline. - Simplify Agreements
Navigate contracts, IP, and sponsored research agreements with a dedicated liaison. - Explore Licensing & Startups
Access breakthrough technologies and explore opportunities to invest in or partner with MSU startups.
For MSU Faculty & Researchers
Turning Ideas into Impact
Business Connect serves as your partner in building successful industry relationships. We help you:
- Identify Industry Partners
Match your research with companies seeking innovative solutions. - Develop Collaborations
From initial conversations to formal agreements, we support you every step of the way. - Navigate Contracts
Work closely with MSU’s contracting offices to streamline the process and protect your interests. - Secure Corporate Funding
Connect with industry-sponsored research, fellowships, and other funding sources.
See Our Research Strengths
Discover the Expertise Driving Innovation at MSU
Looking for the right expertise to move your innovation forward?
MSU is home to world-class researchers driving breakthroughs across a wide range of disciplines—from agriculture and engineering to health, sustainability, and artificial intelligence.
Explore Our Research Strengths to discover how our faculty, facilities, and focus areas can align with your company’s goals.
Let’s find the right connection to power your next big idea.
Read Corporate Partnership Success Stories
Explore inspiring examples of MSU faculty who have successfully partnered with industry through our collection of success stories and case studies. These narratives showcase innovative research, impactful collaborations, and the tangible benefits achieved through these partnerships. By learning from the experiences of your peers, you can gain valuable insights and strategies to enhance your own industry collaborations.
Meet our team
Charles Hasemann
Associate Vice President for Innovation & Economic Development
Charley leads the MSU Innovation Center on its mission to create productive research and technology commercialization relationships between MSU and the private sector. Combining his corporate research background with his academic research and administration experiences, Charley connects regional entrepreneurs to the intellectual and technical capacity of MSU while helping facilitate regional economic activity endeavors.
Connect with Charley: 517-884-2370, haseman1@msu.edu, LinkedIn
Nick Miller
Executive Director
Nick is the Executive Director for MSU Business Connect and is committed to forging mutually beneficial collaborations between the university and our corporate partners to advance research that have make the world a better place. Nick’s team of corporate relationship experts actively seek out industry partners and pair them with MSU faculty research teams to develop the next generation of products, materials, and insights that will drive future revenue and research opportunities for both parties.
Connect with Nick: nbmiller@msu.edu
Brice Nelson
Director of Corporate Partnerships
Brice develops relationships between MSU and the private sector. Brice serves as MSU’s front door for corporations and directs businesses to key campus resources while establishing new partnerships with lasting impact. Brice leads efforts in many areas including mobility, smart health, bioengineering, energy and more.
Brice covers:
- Eli Broad College of Business and Management
- College of Communication Arts and Sciences
- College of Engineering
- College of Law
- College of Social Science
Connect with Brice: 517-884-2368, bnelson@msu.edu, LinkedIn
Jeff Myers
Director of Corporate Relations
Jeff manages industry research partnerships with MSU focused on plant and food sciences, agriculture, packaging materials or animal and human health fields.
Jeff covers:
- College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
- College of Human Medicine
- College of Natural Science
- College of Nursing
- College of Osteopathic Medicine
- College of Veterinary Medicine
Connect with Jeff: 517-884-2366, jkmyers@msu.edu, LinkedIn
Leon Ma
Assistant Director for Corporate Relations
Leon Ma is the Assistant Director for Corporate Relations at MSU Business Connect. In this role, Leon holds responsibility for business intelligence research to determine high-potential opportunities for corporate partnerships that align with MSU’s strengths, as well as to drive corporate relationships to productive outcomes.
Connect with Leon: maliyang@msu.edu
Randy Sheets
Director of Sponsored Programs
Randy reviews, negotiate and approves final terms in agreements. Randy also drafts subcontracts resulting from company sponsored projects and is the contract lead with for-profit companies sponsoring clinical trials/clinical research at MSU.
Randy covers:
- Clinical trials
Connect with Randy: 517-884-2371, sheetsd@msu.edu
Tina Ramos
Sponsored Programs Administrator
Tina works with MSU’s faculty, department and unit program administration, MSU regulatory offices, MSU Technologies and Business Connect in the negotiation and drafting of clinical trial and industry-sponsored research agreements to ensure contractual terms are fairly represented and in compliance with applicable MSU policy. Tina is also the primary contact for industry-sponsored fee-for-service agreements.
Connect with Tina: ramostin@msu.edu
Charlene Fortin
Sponsored Programs Accountant
Charlene reviews budgets and assists in facilitating the routing of materials connected to proposal development, institutional proposals and awards.
Connect with Charlene: 517-884-2363, fortinch@msu.edu, LinkedIn