Lorne A. Whitehead is UBC’s Special Advisor on Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Research and a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Dr. Whitehead has held a number of administrative positions including Associate Dean, Dean pro tem, VP Academic & Provost and Leader of Education Innovation. In these roles a considerable portion of his effort has focused on applying the methodology of innovation to the improvement of teaching and learning. Dr. Whitehead received a Ph.D. in Applied Optics from UBC and has considerable experience in technological, business and administrative innovation. From 1983 to 1993 he served as CEO of TIR Systems, a UBC spin-off company that grew to 200 employees before being purchased by the Philips corporation. Since joining UBC in 1994, his scientific research has involved novel applications of the optical, electrical and mechanical properties of micro-structured surfaces, a field in which he holds more than 100 patents. His technology has produced seven university spin-off companies and numerous licensing agreements, and can be found in many common computer screens and televisions.