Summary
Nick has long been committed to advancing science and technology and has been privileged to pursue this dedication in academia, industry, and government settings. He has had the great privilege of working independently and in groups and has thoroughly enjoyed being able to meet, work, and share ideas with people of different cultures, interests, and backgrounds. He credits his exposure to such diversity as stimulating some of his best work.
Before joining University of Nevada, Reno in 2023, Nick ran a solo practice and worked for a boutique patent firm in Reno, NV. He also worked as the Patent Liaison for UNM Rainforest Innovations (fka STC@UNM), the University of New Mexico’s technology transfer office.
As the University's Senior Intellectual Property Specialist, Nick manages the extensive day-to-day activities of protecting and commercializing the university community’s intellectual property. As the liaison between the University's many talented creators and the outside world, Nick works to develop strategic solutions that address their immediate and long-term goals, protecting the rights in the product of their hard work and innovative thinking, and resolving disputes and issues that arise during the process.
Nick's non-professional interests include gardening, cooking, and traveling with his wife and daughter.
Research interests
As a chemical researcher, Nick’s interests were directed toward the synthesis, characterization, and complexation studies of supramolecular systems, primarily calixarenes, and later on other innovative heavy metal sequestration technologies for the USEPA.
Nick's legal research focused on Western water issues and intellectual property protection.
Dissertation: Synthesis, characterization, and heavy metal liquid extraction studies of xanthate substituted alkyl chains and lower rim amine or carbamoyl substituted calix[4]arenes. Adviser: D. Max Roundhill, Ph.D.
Education
J.D., Environmental Law/Intellectual Property Law, University of New Mexico School of Law, 2005
Ph.D., Inorganic Chemistry, Tulane University, 1998
B.A., Chemistry, Indiana University NW, 1987
Select publications
Szlag, D. C.; Wolf, N. J., Recent Advances in Ion Exchange Materials and Processes for Pollution Prevention, Clean Products and Processes 1999, 1 (2), 117-131.
Wolf, N. J.; Georgiev, E. M.; Yordanov, A. T.; Whittlesey, B. R.; Koch, H. F.; Roundhill, D. M., Synthesis and Crystal Structures of Lower Rim Amine and Carbamoyl Substituted Calixarenes as Transfer Agents for Oxyanions between an Aqueous and a Choloroform Phase, Polyhedron 1999, 18 (6), 885-896.
Yordonov, A. T.; Wolf, N. J.; Georgiev, E. M.; Koch, H. F.; Falana, O. M.; Roundhill, D. M., Derivatized Calix[4]arenes as Selective Phase Transfer Extractants for Heavy Metal and Oxyion Salts, Comments Inorg. Chem. 1999, 20A (4-6), 163-175.
Wolf, N. J.; Georgiev, E. M.; Roundhill, D. M., Lower Rim Alkylammonium Substituted Calix(4)arenes as Extractants for Chromate and Dichromate Anions, Polyhedron 1994, 16 (9), 1581-1584.
Wolf, N. J.; Roundhill, D. M., Long Chain Alkyl and Choline Substituted Xanthates as Extractants for Cadmium(II), Polyhedron 1994, 13 (9), 2801-2808.
Professional certifications
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Registration No. 61,731
Teaching
Nick has taught maths and science classes at various institutions ranging from colleges and universities, e.g., the University of Cincinnati, Wilmington College; to an inner-city public high school, Rabouin H.S., in New Orleans, LA; to a small, rural secondary school, Rampur College, in Navua, Fiji, while serving as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer.
Service
U.S. Peace Corps volunteer, Fiji, 1988 - 1990
New Orleans Outreach, 1994 - 1996