Donors Support Innovative Real-World Solutions

Science Meets Business: UO’s First Engineering PhD Turns Research into Innovation

Kylie Williams with her advisor, Knight Campus Executive Director Bob Guldberg.

Kylie Williams, an Oregon native with a trailblazing spirit, made history as the first PhD graduate in bioengineering from the UO’s Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact—also marking the university’s first-ever engineering degree. But she didn’t stop there. 

As the inaugural Knight Campus Chris Lee Innovation Fellow, she leveraged donor-supported programs at the Lundquist College of Business to transform groundbreaking research into real-world impact, cementing her role as a leader in scientific innovation. 

While working as a student researcher, Williams developed tiny implantable sensors designed to optimize exercise regimens during healing from severe bone injuries. She knew her work had potential far beyond the lab, so she opted to earn the new graduate specialization in entrepreneurship and innovation from Lundquist College—again, the first to do so. 

In pursuit of this goal, Williams participated in the Oregon Innovation Challenge, the Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship’s flagship program. Fueled by philanthropic support, the challenge brings together peers and mentors—including Entrepreneurs in Residence—who encourage participants to think bigger, take risks, and learn from failure. 

“I loved expanding into the ‘so what?’ of what I am doing—thinking about how to translate my research to humans, and how to maximize my impact,” said Williams about her experience collaborating with Lundquist College.  

Now, Williams is joining Penderia Technologies, a Knight Campus startup, where she’ll continue developing the sensors she helped create so they can get on the market and start helping patients. 

“I am excited to still work in this building and be surrounded by this community that I have grown to love,” she said. 

Williams’s journey shows how collaboration, donor support, and mentorship fuel innovation. Her experiences at the Knight Campus and Lundquist College gave her the skills and confidence to bridge science and business—transforming ideas into real-world solutions. Inspired? Support students like Williams today with a donation.