Carolyn Stephens, Ph.D.

Associate Director and
Chief of Staff

Prior to joining UCI Applied Innovation in January of 2015, Dr. Stephens was Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor at The George L. Argyros School of Business and Economics and Assistant Director at the Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics at Chapman University. Prior to that she was Associate Professor and Department Chair, Business & Management, at Vanguard University.

Dr. Stephens’ business experience includes executive marketing and general management positions in multiple publicly traded high-tech firms, as well as founder of a high tech start-up.

She received her Ph.D. from Claremont, M.B.A. from Pepperdine University, and B.A., Economics, University of Southern California, as well as Certificates: Management of Research, Development and Technology Based Innovation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Strategy, Leadership and Corporate Management, Claremont Graduate University.

Dr. Stephens has also been highly active throughout her career in industry and community activities, including serving as the Vice Chairman of the Orange County Council and National Board member of the American Electronics Association, now TechAmerica; participating on the University of California at Irvine School of the Arts Deans Advisory Council in the area of Digital Arts; and as a Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Orange County Board member. Additionally, Dr. Stephens was nominated for the Orange County Business Journal’s Women in Business Award; was a mentor in the Women Unlimited Leadership Development program, and a founding Board member of the Fibre Channel Association, a nonprofit industry organization.

oc2016