Among universities without a medical school, UD is now in the top 20 percent in licensing income and also ranks among the top 25 percent in patents issued, according to the Association of University Technology Transfer Managers. At the second annual Inventors Reception, co-sponsored by the University's Office of Economic Innovation and Partnerships (OEIP) and the law firm RatnerPrestia, 170 faculty and staff were recognized as inventors on UD patents. David S. Weir, OEIP director, noted that an important component of the University's Path to Prominence™ is the creation of a culture in which invention, innovation and entrepreneurship are valued and supported. Although OEIP is early in the development of "this innovation system," Weir said, "some promising signs are appearing, and an increasing number of our research community is taking advantage of this process and infrastructure."