Transfer student: LA BioMed Chief Executive KenTrevett focuses on speeding the delivery of technological innovations tothe public.

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IN 2001, Ken Trevett was the first non-scientist to be named chief executive of what is now known as the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute. LA BioMed, affiliated with the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, is one of the largest independent not-for-profit biomedical research institutes in the country. The Torrance facility is housed in a collection of converted World War H hospital buildings, along with a few more contemporary facilities, at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center campus. The 60-year-old Massachusetts native had an unlikely beginning as an administrator The Colgate University English graduate made three unsuccessful attempts for state office in his early 20s before turning his attention to public service in the non-profit sector He held three key administrative posts at Boston-area academic research institutions before being enticed to relocate to Los Angeles. Here, he has focused on raising the public profile of LA BioMed and promoting the role that technology transfer can play in getting innovations to the public sooner; four startups have launched under his tenure. The institute, which employs 1,460 people, also has added 15 faculty members, and is in the midst of a renovation and expansion of its physical plant.

Question: When you decided to major in English in the late 1960s, did you have any particular career goal in mind?

Answer: To be quite honest I wasn't quite sure at the time. Colgate University had a very strong English program, and I switched from history because of that after I started. Along the way, I also became very interested in public policy issues. What really set me on my current career path was running to represent my hometown (Winchester, Mass.) in the state House of Representatives three times in the early '70s. I was only 22 years old during my first campaign in 1970, and was running against a 26-year incumbent.

Q: Did you really think you could win?

A: I absolutely thought I could win, and in 1972 I almost did. I lost by only 21 votes. But after losing the third time I decided to move on.

Q: What did you learn on the campaign trail?

A: I really learned how to talk to people. It was a terrific experience in learning how to relate to all kinds of people as I would go door-to-door campaigning. I also learned about organizing people and building consensus around certain issues. And of course, I learned how to be graceful in defeat.