TROY, N.Y. — Brendan L. McKernan ’00, co-founder and vice president of operations of Agencourt Biosciences Corporation, has been named the 2006 William F. Glaser ’53 Rensselaer Entrepreneur of the Year by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. McKernan’s company, based in Massachusetts, is a leading provider of nucleic acid purification products and genomic services for life science research.

McKernan delivered a keynote address to Rensselaer students, faculty, staff and members of the surrounding community on Rensselaer’s campus. The address, “This is My Life,” focused on his business and entrepreneurial experiences. During his visit, McKernan also participated in a panel discussion titled “The Science, Policy, and Business of Biotechnology,” that included: Michael Gausling ’80, managing partner of Originate Ventures; Kevin Hykes, vice president of Enterprise Alliances at Medtronic; Dr. Lawrence Sturman, director of the Wadsworth Center; and Carl Rosner ’63, principal founder of CardioMag Imaging.

He was honored by the Paul J. ’69 and Kathleen M. Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship in Rensselaer’s Lally School of Management and Technology at a celebratory dinner the evening of Oct. 12.

Noting that McKernan is both the youngest Rensselaer Entrepreneur of the Year, and the first graduate of Rensselaer’s Lally School of Management and Technology MBA program to be so honored, Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson said, “Brendan has applied his substantial management skills to advancing scientific discovery by accelerating the move of scientific innovation into the marketplace for the benefit of society. In doing so, in the great Rensselaer tradition, he truly is changing our world. This award honors his entrepreneurial success, but also honors his passion and commitment to nurturing the next generation of science and technological entrepreneurs. We applaud him for what he has accomplished in such a short time, and watch with great anticipation for what is yet to come from this extraordinary, visionary entrepreneur.”  

Agencourt Biosciences Corporation provides genomic, functional genomic, and proteomic information to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, government laboratories, and academic research institutions. Agencourt’s products and services provide clients with information used for the discovery of new or more effective drugs.

As vice president of operations of Agencourt, McKernan oversees the implementation and execution of the company’s operational strategy. Before founding Agencourt, he was employed by the Whitehead Institute Center for Genome Research, where he helped to implement world-class manufacturing techniques for the Human Genome Project. McKernan holds a bachelor’s in management science from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pa., and an MBA from Rensselaer’s Lally School of Management and Technology. While at Rensselaer, he received the Delmar W. Karger Award in Management for outstanding academic and leadership achievements. 

Established in 1990, the William F. Glaser ’53 Rensselaer Entrepreneur of the Year Award brings the world of entrepreneurship into Rensselaer classrooms by recognizing successful entrepreneurs and role models who share their wisdom and experiences with students. Past winners include Fred W. Smith, chairman, president, and CEO of FedEx Corporation; James Crowe ’72, CEO of Level 3 Communications; John J. McDonnell ’61, founder, chairman, and CEO of Transaction Network Services; Paul Severino ’69, founder and chairman of Bay Networks; Mukesh Chatter ’82, founder, president, and CEO of Axiowave Networks; and William Mow ’59, founder of Bugle Boy Industries. 

About the Severino Center
Established in 1988, and centered in the Lally School, the Severino Center lies at the core of the school’s mission to educate future entrepreneurs in the conversion of technical ideas into new businesses, products, services, and solutions.  The center provides a broad-based platform for entrepreneurs to make the transition from concept to company and serves as an intellectual gathering point for the study, research, and exchange of ideas regarding critical issues in the field of entrepreneurship studies. The center is named in honor of Rensselaer trustee Paul J. Severino ’69 and his wife, Kathleen M. Severino.

About Rensselaer’s Lally School
Rensselaer’s Lally School of Management and Technology was founded in 1963 as an integral part of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the nation’s oldest degree-granting technological university. Building on Rensselaer’s heritage of more than 182 years of leadership in science and engineering, the Lally School is dedicated to advancing business through innovation. The Lally School’s curriculum is designed to produce leaders who combine creative passion with the ability to integrate technology across business functions. The faculty emphasizes the value of hands-on experience available through campus resources such as the Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship and the nation’s first on-campus business incubator. Rensselaer’s Lally School offers graduate and undergraduate degree programs in management, doctoral programs in management and technology, an Executive MBA program, and a joint Sino-U.S. MBA for companies operating in China. For more information on the Lally School, go to www.lallyschool.rpi.edu.

Contact: Jessica Otitigbe
Phone: (518) 276-6050
E-mail: otitij@rpi.edu