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Steven P. Nichols

Prior to his appointment at the University of Texas at Austin, Prof. Nichols served for ten years as Director of the Clint Murchison Chair of Free Enterprise, as the Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Center and as the Associate Vice President of Research, where he oversaw technology commercialization for the University. As the Director of the Chair of Free Enterprise, he focused on creating and nurturing a culture of technology innovation, creativity, leadership and entrepreneurship in the School of Engineering. As part of his activities, Dr. Nichols organized the Roden Scholar program and supported the start-up of the Engineering Entrepreneurship Society and the Idea to Product® (I2P®) technology competition. I2P® grew from nine teams at the university in 2002 to 72 teams in 2003. The competition is now international in scope (since 2003) and will take place this November in Stockholm. In 2000, Dr. Nichols created and taught a graduate level course, “The Enterprise of Technology,” that was cross-listed in the Cockrell School, the College of Natural Sciences, the McCombs School of Business and the School of Law. He still teaches that course.