Dr. April Lovelady is a control systems engineer with a passion for medical innovation. Early in her career, she worked for NASA, where she played a crucial role in capturing customer requirements and converting them into tangible products for the Space and Life Sciences Program. She has since transitioned into academia, where she has designed and taught courses that focus on integrating the entrepreneurial mindset into the STEM curriculum through experiential and project-based learning.
Dr. Lovelady’s interest in entrepreneurship led her to engage with the NSF I-Corps program, which focuses on the commercialization of academic research projects. As an I-Corps participant, she gained a deep understanding of identifying value propositions and product market fit for medical devices. Her expertise in this area eventually led to her role as an Adjunct I-Corps Instructor, where she provided coaching for medical technology teams.
Driven by her passion for entrepreneurial pursuits, Dr. Lovelady also volunteers with the UT HUB Program, which promotes opportunities for minority, women, and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses. Her dedication to the field of medical innovation and her commitment to integrating the entrepreneurial mindset into STEM curriculum continue to inspire and motivate others.