Tonya M. Evans

Tonya M. Evans is a full tenured professor on the Penn State Dickinson Law faculty, founder of the Advantage Evans Academy, host the Tech Intersect Podcast, a weekly podcast that highlights new and notable experts at the intersections of law, business and technology. Recently, she was named to the 2021 Forbes 50 Over 50 Investment List and selected as a Fastcase 50 2021 list awardee, which honors the law's smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries, and leaders.

Prior to joining Dickinson Law, Professor Evans served as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Law at the University of New Hampshire's School of Law, where she created and directed the school's Blockchain, Cryptocurrency & Law online professional certificate program and developed its world-class instructor pool and curriculum. During her stint at UNH Law, she also served as former Chair of the Intellectual Property & Technology Online Programs.

Professor Evans has substantial expertise in the areas of intellectual property, new technologies (including blockchain and distributed ledger technology), entrepreneurship & innovation, entertainment law, trusts & estates, and municipal finance. She writes, speaks, and teaches primarily about the intersections of copyright and new technologies as well as estates law issues.

Professor Evans' service on International Boards, Task Forces and Committees includes:

  • Chairperson, the Maker DAO's Maker Ecosystem Growth Foundation (2020-2021)
  • Member, Bermuda Global FinTech Advisory Board
  • Observing Member, Global Blockchain Business Council
  • Member, Consensys Grants Advisory Board (2019) (previous Committee Member)
  • Member, Intellectual Property Committee of the Advisory Council to the United States Court of Federal Claims
  • Member, International Telecommunications Union Focus Group on Digital Currency including Digital Fiat Currency (2018-20)
  • Member, International Telecommunications Union Focus Group on Application of Distributed Ledger Technology (2018-20)

Prior to UNH Law, she served as Associate Professor of Law and Associate Dean of Inclusion & Equity at Widener University Commonwealth Law School. Professor Evans also served as Visiting Associate Professor of Law at UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law during the summer of 2016 and also served as Adjunct Professor of copyright, publishing and licensing at York College of Pennsylvania in Spring 2007.

Professor Evans speaks and consults regularly in the United States and abroad about the legal implications of new technologies and innovation for startups, entrepreneurs and creatives. Professor Evans has delivered presentations across the globe, including at the IBM Cloud Forum,  Annual Meeting of Licensing Executives Society (LES)-Thailand (IP issues in fintech and blockchain), the New England Chapter of the Copyright Society of the USA (copyright & succession laws), the Association for American Law Schools Annual Meeting (copyright & succession laws), the annual South by Southwest (SxSX) interactive, film, and music industries Festival (copyright & new technologies), the Yahoo Finance All Markets Summit:Crypto, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) for an internal blockchain presentation to over 150 lawyers and staff.

Her press appearances include CNBC, Cheddar TV, REVOLT Black News, Newsy, Bloomberg TV, The Tammi Mac Show and many quotes in print media including Sports Illustrated, Bloomberg News, Protocol, and the LA Times.

Advisory Council Committee: 
Intellectual Property