Team Members
Walter Voit, PhD
Center for Engineering Innovation Founder, UT Dallas Associate Professor
Departments of Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering
Read more about Dr. Voit and CEI here
972-883-5778 | BSB 11.633 | Mailstop: BSB13
Eric Kildebeck, MD, PhD
CEI Director – Polycraft World Team, UT Dallas Research Professor
Dr. Eric Kildebeck, MD, PhD co-directs the Center for Engineering Innovation (CEI) at UT Dallas. The mission of this Center is to use an engineering and entrepreneurial mindset to innovate and translate technologies that solve real-world problems. Dr. Kildebeck directs the CEI’s Polycraft World team, which builds active learning environments for learners, AI agents, and human-AI teams in video games such as Minecraft. Eric co-founded EdTech startup Pedegree Studios, Inc. in 2024, a CEI-spinout focused on delivering personalized learning, where he serves as SVP of Education and leads pedagogy and AI strategy.
Richardson Innovation Quarter HQ (IQ HQ) at East Collins Blvd.
BSB 11.641 | Mailstop: BSB13
Benjamin Lund, PhD
CEI Director – Research, UT Dallas Research Scientist
Dr. Benjamin R. Lund is a materials chemist specializing in advanced polymers for electronics, additive manufacturing, and flexible devices. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from UT Dallas, where he has contributed for over a decade in both academic and industry-facing roles. Dr. Lund previously served as VP of Materials at Adaptive3D Technologies and Director for Applied Polymer Research at Desktop Metal. He currently serves as Chief Technology Officer at Qualia Oto and co-Director for the Center for Engineering Innovation at UT Dallas.
BSB 11.637 | Mailstop: BSB13
Robert (Joey) Steininger, PhD
UT Dallas Research Scientist
Dr. Robert (Joey) Steininger is a research scientist at the Center for Engineering Innovation (CEI) at UT Dallas. He holds an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from MIT and a Ph.D. from UTSW Medical Center. He has worn many hats with the CEI from managing personnel and funding to leading biological and education-based research. In 2024 Joey co-founded EdTech startup Pedegree Studios, Inc., a CEI-spinout focused on delivering personalized learning, where he serves as Puzzlemaster and leads game development and player engagement.
Richardson Innovation Quarter HQ (IQ HQ) at East Collins Blvd.
Mailstop: BSB13
Jesse Huffstetler
UT Dallas Project Engineer Scientist
Mr. Jesse Huffstetler is a Project Engineer Scientist at CEI. With over a decade of commercial experience, Mr. Huffstetler serves as lead laboratory researcher, designing and optimizing varied chemical formulations for additive manufacturing. Mr. Huffstetler received a B.S. in Chemistry (2014) from the University of Texas at Dallas before joining Adaptive3D/Desktop Metal and then transitioned to work at CEI.
jesse.huffstetler@utdallas.edu
BSB 11.641 | Mailstop: BSB13
Caleb Lund, M.S.
UT Dallas Project Engineer Scientist
Mr. Caleb Lund is a Project Engineer at CEI. In this role, Mr. Lund acts as a lead CAD designer for additive manufacturing (leveraging nearly a decade of commercial experience), optimizing designs for varied mechanical responses, improving printed part proficiency, and facilitating fundamental exploration of 3D printing capabilities. Mr. Lund received a M.S. in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Dallas before joining Adaptive3D/Desktop Metal and then transitioned to work at CEI.
BSB 11.506 | Mailstop: BSB13
Ovidio Rodriguez Lopez, PhD – UT Dallas Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Ovidio Rodriguez Lopez is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at UTD’s Center for Engineering Innovation, working on the research and fabrication of semiconductor devices and the development of flexible electronics for the improvement and manufacturing of biomedical devices. He earned his master’s (2019) and doctorate (2023) degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas. He also holds a degree in Mechatronics Engineering from the Instituto Tecnológico de Saltillo (Mexico). Currently, his work focuses on the research and development of neural implants and bioelectronic devices for the treatment of neural diseases.
ovidio.rodriguezlopez@utdallas.edu
BSB 11.545 | Mailstop: BSB13
Research Affiliates
Melanie Ecker, PhD
Associate Professor at the University of North Texas
Dr. Melanie Ecker is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of North Texas and Principal Investigator of the Smart Polymers for Biomedical Applications Lab. She holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), in Germany, and leads research on shape memory polymers and hydrogels for biomedical and bioelectronic applications. A recipient of the NSF CAREER Award, her work focuses on stimuli-responsive materials for minimally invasive devices and tissue engineering, and has been cited over 1,600 times. She also serves as the faculty advisor for the UNT BMES chapter.
Alexandra Josi-Imre, PhD
UT Dallas Cleanroom Research Laboratory at NSERL, Office of Research
Alexandra.Joshi-Imre@utdallas.edu
NSERL | Mailstop: RL10
Staff
Renata Freindorf, M.S.
CEI Business Manager
BSB 11.637 | Mailstop: BSB13
