Kevin Galloway, research associate professor of mechanical engineering, has been named the new Evans Family Executive Director of the Wond’ry, Vanderbilt’s Innovation Center.
Galloway, formerly director of making at the Wond’ry, succeeds David A. Owens in a planned leadership transition. After a decade of service to the Wond’ry, Owens will return to teaching in Owen Graduate School of Management and will continue to contribute to Vanderbilt’s innovation ecosystem.
“Kevin brings a rare combination of technical depth, creativity and a deep commitment to students that makes him exceptionally well-suited to lead the Wond’ry into its next chapter,” said C. Cybele Raver, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “As the Wond’ry continues to strengthen its role as a hub for early-stage making and design within the School of Engineering, Kevin’s leadership will help us strengthen the bridge between discovery and real-world impact. I’m especially excited about the momentum behind programs like IMPACT and the opportunity to further embed innovation and entrepreneurship into the Vanderbilt experience.”
Last summer the Wond’ry joined the School of Engineering with a renewed focus on early-stage making and design.
This fall the Wond’ry launched a new undergraduate program called IMPACT—Innovation, Market-driven Productization and Commercialization of Technologies—that focuses on translating innovative research into real-world applications. the IMPACT program partners with industry mentors to guide students in prototyping and commercialization success. The program already has grown to approximately 60 students.
“I’m deeply grateful to David Owens for his visionary leadership in establishing the Wond’ry as a preeminent space dedicated to impactful prototyping and design—not just for the Vanderbilt community, but for the Southeast region as a whole,” said Krish Roy, the Bruce and Bridgitt Evans Dean of Engineering and University Distinguished Professor. “Now, with Kevin Galloway building on the Wond’ry’s first decade of success—along with our entrepreneurship and commercialization partners in the Owen Graduate School of Management—Vanderbilt is poised to become a globally renowned engine of startup innovation.”
Galloway earned his B.S.E., M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, where he received multiple invention awards, including first-place honors in the Wharton Business Plan Competition and Pennvention. He is widely recognized for his work in soft robotic systems and advanced material architectures and holds 17 issued patents with additional technologies pending and licensed across medical, manufacturing and national security applications. Galloway’s research spans wearable robotics, surgical devices, advanced tool design and additive manufacturing and has been supported by NSF, DARPA, Air Force Research Laboratory, Army Research Laboratory, Naval Sea Systems Command and other sponsors.
Before Vanderbilt, Galloway served on the Advanced Technology Team at Harvard’s Wyss Institute, advancing soft robotics technologies toward commercialization. Since joining the School of Engineering faculty and the Wond’ry in 2016, he has built cross-campus initiatives that equip students with the tools, technical fluency and confidence to move ideas from concept to prototype. His honors include the School of Engineering’s Teaching Innovation Award, the Excellence in Immersion Mentoring Award and recognition as an Honorary Member of the 187th Infantry Regiment for helping shape a culture of innovation within the 101st Airborne Division. He also serves on the Leadership and Advisory Council of the Vanderbilt Institute of National Security.
“We have an exciting opportunity through the Wond’ry to expand Vanderbilt’s formalized educational offerings around innovation and design, while being able to tap into deep expertise on entrepreneurship and commercialization,” Galloway said. “This puts Vanderbilt in a highly unique and enviable position for students wanting to pursue career paths involving product creation and development.”
The Wond’ry launched in 2016 as Vanderbilt University’s center for innovation and design. In addition to its classroom offerings, the Wond’ry houses collaboration and prototyping studios in Vanderbilt’s state-of-the-art Engineering and Science Building.
Galloway’s new role began March 1, 2026.
