Steve Nichols

Dr. Steven P. Nichols
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Director, Advanced Manufacturing Center
Director, Chair of Free Enterprise
Cockrell School of Engineering
The University of Texas at Austin

Dr. Nichols serves as a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. He also serves as the Director of the Chair of Free Enterprise and the Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Center in the Cockrell School of Engineering.

As the Director of the Clint Murchison Chair of Free Enterprise, Dr. Nichols focuses on creating and nurturing a culture of technology innovation, creativity, and leadership at the University of Texas and the global community that the University serves. Dr. Nichols organized the Roden Scholar (Leadership) program, supported the start-up of the Engineering Entrepreneurship Society, and founded the Idea to Product® (I2P®) technology competition. I2P has grown from a small group of teams at UT-Austin into a global program involving faculty, staff, and students from across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Dr. Nichols has also initiated multidisciplinary research and classroom activities that encourage collaborative learning environments for students, faculty, and staff from the College of Engineering, the College of Natural Sciences, the McCombs School of Business, and the School of Law. He is a Fellow of ASME and has received the Kauffman Outstanding Entrepreneur award, the Olympus Innovation award, the Fred Merryfield Design Award, and the 2009 Joe J. King Engineering Professional Achievement Award.

Dr. Nichols received his Ph.D. in Engineering in 1975 and his J.D. in 1983, both from the University of Texas at Austin. He and his wife Mary have one son who is currently a student at Trinity University in San Antonio