R.C. Mercure, Jr.

R.C. Mercure, Jr. has 57 years of experience in high-technology management and investing. In 1956 he and others founded Ball Brothers Research Corp., now Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. Later he held positions as Group Vice President Technical Products and Vice President Business Development. He retired from Ball in 1980.

After retiring from Ball, he was one of the founders of Colorado Venture Management, Inc., a company that managed several Venture Capital Funds as well as developing and managing several electric co-generation plants in Colorado. In 1988, Merc returned to the University of Colorado to serve in a number of high-level positions, including: Director, Master of Engineering in Engineering Management Program; Managing Director, Optoelectronic Computing Systems Center, a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center; and Director, Tech Transfer for the University of Colorado. In 1996 he and two others founded CDM Optics, Inc., which was sold to OmniVision Technologies, Inc., a publicly held company, in 2005.

Merc was President of the Western Electronics Manufacture Association (now the American Electronics Association). He has been a Director of a number of public companies, including three NYSE companies. Merc currently sits on the Board of Directors of several private companies. He is on the board of several non-profit organizations including Boulder Innovation Center, eSpace, STAR Institute and the University License Equity Holdings, Inc. (ULEHI). He is on the Technology Transfer Advisory Board of the Colorado School of Mines. Merc is the president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Foundation. He is a past member of the Aerospace Engineering Department, External Advisory Board and the Engineering Advisory Board of the University of Colorado at Boulder, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. His list of civic activities includes a former stint as a Boulder City Councilman, and a member of the Boulder City Planning Board. Merc holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Colorado.

Other Recognitions and Awards include the Norlin Recognition Award for Distinguished Achievement, College of Engineering and Applied Science Distinguished Alumnus Award, The College of Engineering and Applied Science Centennial Medal, Department of Physics Outstanding Alumnus Award, Big-Twelve Center of Economic Development, Innovation and Commercialization Award, Esprit Entrepreneur Lifetime Achievement Award, 20th Anniversary Esprit Visionary Award and Boulder County Business Hall of Fame. In 2011, Merc received an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder.