Amy Whitney
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Director, Center for Innovation
- Business Model Development, Creative Problem Solving, Innovation Training, Entrepreneurship, Experiential Learning & High Impact Practices
Contact Info
- Email: amy.whitney@UND.edu
- Office: 701.777.6987
Office Address
Ina Mae Rude Entrepreneur Center
4200 James Ray Drive Stop 8372
Grand Forks, ND 58202-8372
Biography
Dr. Amy Whitney is the Director of the Center for Innovation (CFI) at the University of North Dakota, where she leads university-wide efforts in commercialization and industry-enabled innovation. Her professional, teaching, and research experience focuses on business innovation, creativity, technology translation, and high-impact applied learning connecting research discoveries to market and societal use.
The CFI manages an 11,000-square-foot business incubator owned by the Center for Innovation Foundation. The incubator provides space, startup coaching, and commercialization support for faculty, students, and entrepreneurs across North Dakota. Dr. Whitney has also assumed leadership responsibilities for UND technology transfer in the Division of Research and Economic Development. Her leadership emphasizes creating workflow, policy efficiencies, partnerships, and synergies across research, IP management, and venture development to accelerate technology maturation and industry adoption.
Dr. Whitney is a certified National NSF I-Corps instructor for the Great Plains I-Corps Hub supporting research teams in customer discovery, market validation, and commercialization readiness. She is also a trained instructor for the National Security Innovation Network (Hacking4Defense), where students and faculty work on Department of Defense sourced challenges. In Spring 2024, she partnered with the North Dakota National Guard and the North Dakota Department of Emergency Management to guide student teams in developing technology concepts addressing sensor communication, real-time data analysis, and integrated emergency and disaster response.
Prior to joining UND, Dr. Whitney served for seven years as Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Clark University, where she led curriculum development, strategic planning, faculty hiring, student mentorship, and venture creation in collaboration with community and alumni partners. She previously served as State Program Coordinator and Executive Director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Massachusetts.
Dr. Whitney holds a bachelor’s degree in American government and an MBA from Clark University, and a doctorate in education from Northeastern University. She also brings more than 20 years of combined experience as a firefighter, EMT, and 911 dispatcher.
In addition to her work at CFI, Dr. Whitney is a business consultant and draws on her early experiences helping manage her family's businesses.
Dr. Whitney teaches UNIV 401/501: Design Thinking for Social Innovation starting in Fall 2019 and will be the instructor of record for UNIV 410/510: Design Thinking Internship starting in Spring 2020. These four courses support the teaching, certification and experiential learning foundation of the Innovation Studio at the Center for Innovation.
Innovation, Creativity, Creative Problem Solving, Business Startup Consulting, Design Thinking, Experiential Entrepreneurship Education, Social Enterprise
Whitney, A.A.F. (2018). Developing creative problem solvers: A case study examining a high-impact social innovation fellowship program for undergraduate students. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from Proquest 13425517.
Bata, M., Cox-Lanyon, V., Davis, M., & Whitney, A. (2018). When a Student’s “Right to Fail” Harms the University Brand: How a Lack of Guidance in Experiential Learning Affects University–Organization Relationships. Journal of Management Education.
Bata, M. & Whitney, A. (2015). Using Inquiry-Based Learning Outside of the Classroom: How Opportunities for Effective Practice Can Animate Course-Based Learning, in Patrick Blessinger , John M. Carfora (ed.) Inquiry-Based Learning for Multidisciplinary Programs: A Conceptual and Practical Resource for Educators (Innovations in Higher Education Teaching and Learning, Volume 3) Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.233 - 252.
National Science Foundation (NSF) National I-Corps Instructor
Ed.D, Organizational Leadership
Northeastern University, Boston, MA
Dissertation title: Developing Creative Problem Solvers: A Case Study Examining a High-Impact Social Innovation Fellowship Program for Undergraduate Students
Masters in Business Administration (MBA)
Clark University, Worcester, MA
BA American Government
Clark University, Worcester, MA