The Industry-Integrated PhD (I-PhD) Scholars Program

Vanessa Z. Chan is an entrepreneur, angel investor, speaker, and educator known for her expertise in commercializing technology. She serves as the inaugural vice dean of innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, undergraduate chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, director of the Engineering Entrepreneurship Program, and the Jonathan & Linda Brassington Professor of Practice.

In 2021, Chan was appointed chief commercialization officer at the U.S. Department of Energy and director of the Office of Technology Transitions. In those roles, she advanced clean energy technologies through the “Pathways to Commercial Liftoff” reports and created Adoption Readiness Levels, a commercialization framework that has since been widely adopted. In 2024, Time named her one of the world’s 100 most influential climate business leaders.

Before joining the University of Pennsylvania, Chan spent 13 years at McKinsey & Co., where she co-led innovation initiatives, and founded re.design, a consumer products company. She earned a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

Pete Ellingson has more than 30 years of industry experience developing technologies, leading innovation teams, and advancing open innovation programs at The Procter & Gamble Company. In his role as R&D director for open innovation, Ellingson champions academic partnerships and provides open innovation strategy support for projects spanning polymer science, surfactant science, life science, and artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Since July 2025, Ellingson has served UIDP as an elected board member representing industry.

At WPI, Rory Flinn designs and leads career and professional development programs for graduate students, oversees doctoral student success, advances initiatives to strengthen outcomes and retention, and manages a portfolio of graduate student affairs matters. He is an experienced career counselor for doctoral trainees, and has been an active member of the Graduate Career Consortium and the Council of Graduate Schools. Before joining WPI, he led the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at Columbia University and was an active member of the National Postdoctoral Association. Rory completed his NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship training at NYU School of Medicine and earned a doctorate of Molecular Pharmacology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, conducting research in cellular signaling and cancer.

Patrick Haspel is global director of Synopsys Academic & Research Alliances. He has 20 years of experience designing and leading collaborative academia-corporate programs in complex, competitive, matrixed environments. Patrick earned his doctorate degree in computer architecture and microelectronic design systems from the University of Mannheim.

Qiang Liu is associate R&D director for external technology at Dow, where he helps identify, evaluate, and advance technologies that can strengthen the company’s research and innovation portfolio. He has spent more than 10 years with Dow, building experience across process research, pilot plant operations, technical leadership, and technology development.

Before assuming his current role in 2025, Liu served as senior R&D leader for polyurethane process research. His earlier Dow assignments included leading polyol process research, overseeing industrial intermediates pilot plant operations, and working as a senior engineer in polyurethane process research and development. This progression has given him broad experience translating scientific concepts into practical processes and scalable industrial applications.

Liu earned a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, where his research examined polymer membranes, mixed-gas transport, and the performance of thermally rearranged polymers and copolymers. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. His earlier research experience included work at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and UC Berkeley.

Thyaga Nandagopal leads the Emerging Technologies Group at Samsung Research America, where he identifies and sources innovations that help shape Samsung Electronics’ future research and technology roadmap.

Previously, he served for three years as the inaugural division director of the Division of Innovation and Technology Ecosystems within the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. In that role, he managed an annual budget of more than $350 million and established investments in convergent and translational research in emerging technologies, while advancing inclusive innovation ecosystems across the United States.

During his 12 years at the NSF, Nandagopal held roles ranging from program officer for advanced wireless research and infrastructure programs to senior executive in the Computer and Information Science and Engineering and Technology, Innovation and Partnerships directorates. In those positions, he led research and infrastructure programs that secured more than $150 million in contributions from external partners.

Before joining the NSF, Nandagopal conducted research at Bell Labs, where his work resulted in more than 30 patents in software-defined networking and wireless technologies. He is an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Fellow and earned a doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Gwen Nero is Director of the Industry Relations Group at Columbia Technology Ventures. The Industry Relations Group develops significant, lasting, and often multi-disciplinary collaborative partnerships with industry on the cutting edge of Columbia University innovation and scholarship. She leads strategy development and implementation including developing new internal processes that facilitate multifaceted industry partnerships, relationship development and management, and agreement negotiation with strategic industry partners.

Previously Gwen directed industry relations and innovation at UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography, developing and leading their industry affiliates program, industry sponsored research, and ocean technology incubator. Gwen has served on the boards of TMA BlueTech and Ocean Visions and on the Entrepreneurial Advisory Committee of NYC Tech Connect. Gwen has taught for the NYCRIN NSF I-Corps program and served as Program Manager for incubator Harlem Biospace.

Gwen holds a B.A. in physics from Barnard College and M.S., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Columbia University.

J. Michael Oakes serves as executive vice president for research and economic development and Veale Professor of Technology Transfer and Commercialization at Case Western Reserve University, where he oversees a $691 million research enterprise. Under his leadership, the university has become one of the fastest-growing research enterprises among members of the Association of American Universities through a strategic focus on high-impact, multisector partnerships.

His accomplishments include leading the university’s successful $160 million National Science Foundation Engines award in advanced materials and manufacturing, refocusing the Cleveland Innovation District on neuroscience and neurotechnology, advancing the $300 million Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building, establishing a self-sustaining startup incubator, and deploying artificial intelligence-enhanced research administration across the institution.

Sophia Herbert-Peterson is a strategic and forward-thinking leader in research administration, currently serving as the Executive Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs at the Georgia Institute of Technology. In this role, she provides vision and oversight for three core operational areas—Corporate and International Contracting, Exchange Agreements, and Subawards and Consulting Agreements. With a keen focus on modernizing contracting processes, Sophia is dedicated to driving more streamlined and effective collaborations between universities and research sponsors.

A champion of leadership development, Sophia actively supports Georgia Tech’s Culture Champion Academy and the Changemaker Academy, empowering professionals to lead with purpose and drive transformative change. Prior to joining Georgia Tech in 2006, Sophia built a strong legal foundation as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Earl B. Gilliam in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. She went on to practice law in Atlanta before serving as in-house counsel for two Fortune 500 companies, where she specialized in intellectual property and complex business transactions.

Sophia holds a B.A. in International Studies and Spanish Literature from Manhattan University and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

Phil Taylor, is director of ecosystem development for crop science at Bayer, where he leads efforts to connect industry, academia, and innovation ecosystems to accelerate agricultural research and impact. With more than 20 years of experience in agricultural technology, he has built and scaled strategic partnerships, open innovation programs, and collaborative research models that strengthen Bayer’s research and development pipeline and the broader scientific community.

Taylor earned a doctorate in plant cell biology from the John Innes Centre in Norwich, England, and completed postdoctoral research in both the United Kingdom and the United States. A Fellow of the Academy of Science–St. Louis, he is an active leader in national and regional science networks, advancing innovation through cross-sector collaboration and supporting talent development.

Brian T. Warner is the Rolls-Royce U.S. university research liaison, providing technical and program leadership for strategic partnerships with U.S. universities. He works to create, maintain, and expand partnerships focused on the shared interests of Rolls-Royce and its university collaborators. Warner also collaborates regularly across Rolls-Royce, with external companies, government agencies, and universities.

Previously, Warner led the development of the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM) from its inception. He also played a key role in the greenfield development of new Rolls-Royce manufacturing facilities. He began his career in 1985 as a cooperative education student at Allison Gas Turbines in Indianapolis, which was later acquired by Rolls-Royce. Throughout his career, he has held leadership positions in manufacturing engineering, program management, and engineering management.

Warner has served on numerous boards supporting workforce development, nonprofit organizations, academic initiatives, economic development, and state government advisory efforts.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from GMI Engineering & Management Institute (now Kettering University) in Flint, Michigan.

John Wilson serves as a director and academic liaison at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), managing large-scale academic-business collaborations, supporting GSK scientists, and training U.S. academic liaison team members. He is a registered technology transfer professional with more than 22 years of experience at GSK, starting as a toxicologist, then guiding project teams and managing external partnerships.

He also serves as immediate past chair on UIDP’s Board of Directors and is passionate about addressing challenges in collaboration. A skilled negotiator and partnership builder. John holds a master’s degree in neuroscience from Drexel University College of Medicine.

Sarah Windsor is associate director of scientific engagement at FUJIFILM Biotechnologies, where she oversees the company’s academic research portfolio and helps connect external science with biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing. Her portfolio includes research in bioprocessing, engineering biology, the microbiome, and gene therapy. She also sits on the strategic board for the company’s Centre of Excellence in Bioprocessing research partnership in the United Kingdom and serves on the Industrial Advisory Board of the Advanced Mammalian Biomanufacturing Innovation Center (AMBIC). A trained microbiologist, Windsor earned her doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her undergraduate degree from North Carolina State University. Throughout her career, she has built partnerships among companies, universities, nonprofits, scientists, educators, and students to advance research, strengthen the biotechnology workforce, and expand the impact of innovation.