Purdue entrepreneurial innovator prepares for next move

Dennis Barket is one of the innovative entrepreneurs who has successfully commercialized Purdue intellectual property to help secure Purdue University and West Lafayette’s reputation for excellence in university technology transfer. (Image provided) Download image

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – One of the innovative entrepreneurs who has successfully commercialized Purdue intellectual property to help secure Purdue University and West Lafayette’s reputation for excellence in university technology transfer is preparing for his next adventure.

Dennis Barket has been a member of the Purdue entrepreneurial community for more than two decades. He is now leaving his position as vice president and general manager of FLIR Detection, with a site located in the Purdue Research Park West Lafayette.

Barket co-founded Griffin Analytical in November 2001 with aspirations to bring lab-quality analysis to field applications. He has led the analytical instrumentation company from its inception through its merger into ICx Technologies and subsequent acquisition of ICx by FLIR Systems. FLIR instrumentation developed and manufactured in West Lafayette has been used globally by defense, homeland security, environmental and industrial research customers.

“What an incredible challenge and adventure this has been over the past twenty years as we helped build Purdue and West Lafayette’s reputation as one of the top spots in the country for university based startups,” said Barket, who obtained his Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from Purdue. “This would not have been possible without the ongoing support of the Purdue Research Foundation and entrepreneurship community.”

Barket’s graduate work was funded by a NASA Graduate Research Fellowship award in the area of applied mass spectrometry. While concluding his Ph.D. work, Barket also completed the Applied Management Principles Program through Purdue’s Krannert School of Management, which provides scientists and engineers with a "mini-MBA" experience.

In 2001, Barket and Griffin co-founder, Garth Patterson, licensed patents developed in the Purdue labs of Graham Cooks, the Henry B. Hass Distinguished Professor of Analytical Chemistry, to launch Griffin Analytical.

“Dennis is a wonderful example of what a Purdue innovator can achieve in technology and business,” Cooks said.

Barket was named a Purdue Outstanding Alumnus in 2014 and continues to give back by serving on various boards and advisory committees such as Purdue’s Entrepreneurial Advisory Council. His immediate plans are to take a sabbatical year to plan his next professional experience. 

“Dennis is a phenomenal innovator with strong ties to Purdue and is the epitome of a Boilermaker entrepreneur. He has achieved success with his winning combination of technical and business skills,” said Brooke Beier, vice president of the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization. “We are looking forward to even more success stories like this as we continue to develop the commercialization ecosystem and Purdue’s Discovery Park District.”

Barket has worked with OTC on licensing numerous patents and technology transfer opportunities. OTC and the Purdue Foundry are both now located in the Convergence Center for Innovation and Collaboration in Discovery Park District, adjacent to the Purdue campus.

“Dennis shows the success that can be achieved when a Purdue entrepreneur takes an idea and moves it forward to achieve global impact,” said Greg Deason, Purdue Research Foundation’s senior vice president for entrepreneurship and place making.

About Purdue Research Foundation

The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Established in 1930, the foundation accepts gifts; administers trusts; funds scholarships and grants; acquires property; protects Purdue's intellectual property; and promotes entrepreneurial activities on behalf of Purdue. The foundation manages the Purdue Foundry, Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization, Purdue Research Park, Purdue Technology Centers and University Development Office. In 2020, the IPWatchdog Institute ranked Purdue third nationally in startup creation and in the top 20 for patents. The foundation received the 2019 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Place from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. For more information on licensing a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization at otcip@prf.org. For more information about involvement and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked the No. 6 Most Innovative University in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at purdue.edu.

Writer: Chris Adam, 765-588-3341, cladam@prf.org 
Sources: Dennis Barket, dennis.barket@outlook.com

Brooke Beier, blbeier@prf.org

Greg Deason, gwdeason@prf.org