NCInnovation Adds Experienced Research Commercialization Leadership to Team
Durham, NC – NCInnovation, a non-profit organization that unlocks the innovative potential of North Carolina’s world-class public universities, today announced two additions to its leadership team.
Wade Fulghum will join NCI as Vice President for Grants & Technology Commercialization, having most recently served as Assistant Vice Chancellor for NC State’s Office of Research Commercialization. Mr. Fulghum helped build NC State into a global powerhouse in university-industry collaboration. He has 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur, advising companies locally and globally. He also served in the U.S. Army, 25th Infantry Division, as a heavy weapons squad leader.
Fulghum will oversee NCInnovation’s portfolio of applied research projects and future grant application cycles. Earlier this year, NCInnovation approved a slate of eight pilot grants. The organization has been adopting lessons learned from the pilot program in anticipation of scaling its research grant program statewide by year’s end.
Dr. David Wyrick will lead NCInnovation’s presence across the state as Vice President for Regional Networks and Hubs. Dr. Wyrick has spent much of his accomplished career at UNC Greensboro, where he most recently served as Chief Innovation Officer. Dr Wyrick has deep experience in applied research and innovation, and he’s a national leader in public health education, specifically the development and optimization of behavioral interventions. He has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications and has been a principal investigator on dozens of applied research projects spanning eight countries.
Dr. Wyrick will continue to grow NCInnovation’s university partnerships, oversee faculty outreach and help strengthen NCInnovation’s regional ecosystem support for university technologies. NCInnovation’s regional innovation ecosystems bridge the gap between academia and industry, strengthening the pipeline that transforms research into market-ready solutions. Dr. Wyrick will also oversee NCInnovation metrics and impact data collection.
“Dr. Wyrick’s experience as an innovator and entrepreneur, coupled with years of research success, have opened new opportunities for applied research at UNCG. He brings tremendous expertise to NCInnovation that will benefit our universities, and we are looking forward to working with him in his new role,” said Dr. Sherine Obare, Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement at UNCG.
NCInnovation Chief of Innovation Officer Michelle Bolas said, “Wade and David add decades of university-industry expertise to the NCInnovation leadership team. NCInnovation is executing on its mandate to support university research that has commercial promise, and we’re thrilled to welcome Wade and David to the team.”
NCInnovation is 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation focused intensely on accelerating commercialized innovation from North Carolina’s universities. NCInnovation deploys funding, mentors, and support services so that North Carolina university proofs-of-concept turn into companies and create jobs that remain in North Carolina. Learn more at NCInnovation.org.
