Knowledge on Tap with Dr. Chad Ulven

Tuesday, November 10, 2026 | 6–7 pm CT

Junkyard Brewing | 409 Sheyenne St, West Fargo, ND

Arrive early to purchase food and drinks before the program begins at 6 pm.

Advance registration is required. Tickets will not be available at the door.

Tales of Bringing Innovation to Market

How has AI helped or hindered efforts to bring innovation to market? How can current gaps in these efforts be better bridged? What is missing in this region to help move research and new ideas into industry?

In this Knowledge on Tap conversation, Dr. Chad Ulven will explore these questions and share perspectives on innovation, entrepreneurship, research, and the process of translating new technologies for real-world use.

Professor Chad Ulven joined North Dakota State University in 2005 and teaches and conducts research in the area of advanced materials, with an emphasis on polymer matrix composites for commercial and defense applications. He is a University Distinguished Professor and serves as Associate Dean for Research in the College of Engineering, Director of the Great Plains NSF I-Corps Hub, and Site Director for the NSF Center for Biopolymers and Biocomposites I/UCRC.

His work focuses on training university researchers to think more entrepreneurially and helping translate research-developed technology to industry. He has served as PI, Co-PI, or Senior Personnel on 87 research grants at NDSU totaling more than $36 million and involving more than 50 outside companies. He has co-authored 9 book chapters, 93 journal articles, and more than 100 conference papers related to polymer matrix composites. He is also the co-author of 7 patent applications, which have led to 4 patents and 3 spin-out companies.

Professor Ulven earned his bachelor’s degree from North Dakota State University and his graduate degrees from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The conversation will be moderated by Dr. Shari R. Veil, Provost and Chief Academic Officer at North Dakota State University. Dr. Veil brings more than two decades of experience in academic leadership, research, and student success to her role at NDSU. An internationally recognized scholar in risk and crisis communication, she has held academic leadership roles at the University of Nebraska, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Oklahoma, and earned her Ph.D. in Communication from North Dakota State University following completion of her MBA and undergraduate degrees at the University of Mary.