Cyber Fellows Speaker Series – Dr. Christopher A. Shrock

UTulsa Cyber Fellows are invited to engage with Dr. Christopher A. Shrock, an associate in GableGotwals’ intellectual property group, focusing on patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. His practice encompasses state and federal IP litigation, IP licensing and related transactions and prosecution before the Patent & Trademark Office. As an electrical engineer, Chris’ technical insights have benefitted clients from start-ups to multi-national and global organizations, especially in the energy storage, software, oil and gas and manufacturing industries. He has also conducted copyright analyses for clients in Oklahoma’s burgeoning film industry.

Chris is licensed to practice law in Oklahoma and before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

Before going into law, Chris served as Dean of Arts & Sciences at Ohio Valley University in West Virginia and as Dean of Student Life at the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics. He has taught history, religion, philosophy and physics. Chris has published extensively on Scottish philosophy, especially on Thomas Reid, whose philosophy of science was influential in early American jurisprudence.

Chris received his B.S. in electrical engineering from the The University of Tulsa, where he graduated cum laude with minors in economics and philosophy, completed the Honors Program, and conducted research in optics. He went on to receive a master’s degree in theology from the Harding School of Theology and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Baylor University before returning to The University of Tulsa for his J.D. While at UTulsa, Chris served as the notes editor of the Energy Law Journal, he worked in the university’s technology transfer office and his team placed third in the graduate division of the Love’s Cup business pitch competition.

Active in the Tulsa community, Chris often volunteers with the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the Tulsa Engineering Foundation, Scouting America (Troops 26 and 126) and the Park Church of Christ.

“Invent, Protect, Commercialize, Repeat” follows an engineer’s journey through the twists and turns of intellectual property law, tackling real questions like who owns an invention, how to choose between trade secrets and patents and what it takes to protect your ideas. Explore the nuts and bolts of invention disclosure, patentability, prior art searches and the drama of examiner rejections—all illustrated with fun, memorable examples like the “Futuristic Potato” and the “Cat Taunting Device.” It’s a practical, content-rich introduction to making your inventions count!

The Cyber Fellows Speaker Series is open to Cyber Fellows, related faculty and our external partners. It is an opportunity for Cyber Fellows to have deep conversations with cyber industry professionals, venture capitalists, founders and entrepreneurs. For more information, email randy-roberts@utulsa.edu.