Tyler Wry’s PhD program in Business focuses on the commercialization of nanotechnology.
He has held a SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship (2006-2008) as well as receiving the Andrew Stewart Memorial Graduate Prize and Dissertation Fellowship.
Tyler has found that the University of Alberta’s School of Business “has the best collection of institutional theorists in the world.”
“I have amazing opportunities to work with giants in my field. My research has benefited immeasurably from common projects and casual coffees with people like Mike Lounsbury (my supervisor), Royston Greenwood, Dev Jennings, Roy Suddaby, and David Deephouse…
“In areas like nanotechnology, which our governments (federal, provincial, local) have keyed in on as a crucible for economic competitiveness, it’s important to try and understand how some research makes it from the lab to patents, why some of these patents become central points for development and how social structures shape these processes.”
Professor Steven Kuznicki (NSERC Chair, Chemical and Materials Engineering) exemplifies some of Tyler’s research about ways to successfully transfer university research into the business world.
With help from TEC Edmonton, a joint venture of the University of Alberta and the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, Dr Kuznicki has set up a spin-off company, Alberta Nanometals, to commercialize his research in nanotechnology.