Dr. Cynthia Hipwell is bringing her innovation business process experience to the classroom.
Hipwell, TEES Eminent Professor in the J. Mike Walker ‘66 Department of Mechanical Engineering, has developed a new course called “Developing an Innovation Mindset,” and has plans for a new program to better prepare doctoral students for industry called IMPACT R&D (Innovation Mind and skillsets for Performance Acceleration in Complex Technology Research and Development).
These programs will teach students how to improve their personal innovativeness, understand system and business impact, adapt to complex technology landscapes, move more quickly with agile and iterative experimentation, and manage teams for improved creativity and innovation.
Based upon corporate and national lab interest, these programs are also being rolled out into workforce development modules and will be part of a Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station INVENT certificate offered in partnership with the Engineering Entrepreneurship Program.
Hipwell established the INnoVation tools and Entrepreneurial New Technology (INVENT) Lab at Texas A&M University, where she and her team are pursuing the development of tools and methods capable of delivering faster, higher-impact innovations and feasibility studies that indicate commercial viability.
Using her wealth of experience in nanotechnology, tribology, sensors and actuators, Hipwell and her team are working on numerous projects in the INVENT Lab, including improved understanding of the finger-device interface for the optimal performance of haptic (touch-based) devices, models and characterization tools to examine friction and adhesion in robotic locomotion and dexterous manipulation functions, and the pursuit of high-resolution, flexible tactile sensors and actuators to be used in robotic and haptic human-machine interface applications.
Before accepting a faculty position in the mechanical engineering in 2017, Hipwell worked 21 years as a technology and business process innovator, developing industry-leading technologies, as well as new tools and methods to accelerate the pace of technology development and increase business impact.
Hipwell is a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. She was also a recipient of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s 2017-18 Governor’s University Research Initiative grant.