Why Did Sean Kirkpatrick Coauthor a Patent Submitted in 2020 Entitled, System and Method For Determining Influence of Channels in a Social Media Network?

This is interesting and I’ve started skimming it. But what jumps out at me is why would a PhD in Physics coauthor a patent submission on a subject like the methodology for determining influence of channels in a social media network two years before becoming Director of AARO? This is just bizarre to me.