TCU announced that Thomas 鈥淭om鈥� Wavering will become its inaugural chief university
strategy and innovation officer, effective July 2024.
As a member of the president鈥檚 cabinet, Wavering will partner with TCU leadership to advance the university鈥檚 mission and vision. He will provide strategic and operational guidance as the university develops and implements its next strategic plan, focusing on expanding TCU鈥檚 culture of innovation and academic excellence.
鈥淭om is a builder, innovator and team player, and we are thrilled to welcome him to TCU,鈥� President Daniel W. Pullin said. 鈥淎s our community works together to envision the future and write the next chapter in TCU鈥檚 story, Tom鈥檚 strategic and entrepreneurial mindset, coupled with his strong background in higher education and expertise in innovation, will help us reach our highest aspirations.鈥�
The chief university strategy and innovation officer role is a new, key executive position for TCU, appointed by the president and charged with driving forward-thinking strategies, fostering innovation and community engagement, and ensuring that TCU remains competitive in a rapidly evolving educational landscape.
鈥淭his new position for TCU comes from the playbooks of leading national universities that are on the rise,鈥� Pullin said. 鈥淚f we are to continue to attract and retain the brightest students, faculty and staff, reach new heights in terms of student outcomes and success, and strengthen our academic profile, we must grow our innovation mindset. Tom will help us do just that.鈥�
Wavering will collaborate closely with academic and administrative leaders to identify and develop strategic initiatives, partnerships and technologies to enhance the university鈥檚 academic excellence, research capabilities and societal impact in Fort Worth and beyond.
鈥淭CU is an outstanding institution with an incredible history of innovation, excellence and developing leaders. I am honored to join the president鈥檚 leadership team and partner with the outstanding faculty and staff at TCU to help shape the future of TCU and our region,鈥� Wavering said. 鈥淗igher education is changing, but TCU鈥檚 mission, vision and values are everlasting. With that at our core, and our position in the vibrant powerhouse that is the Fort Worth community, we are poised to achieve our goals and more.鈥�
Wavering previously served as executive director of the Tom Love Innovation Hub and as an entrepreneurship faculty member at the University of Oklahoma, the state鈥檚 flagship research university. He successfully infused his background in research and development with his passion for education and innovation to build and lead Oklahoma鈥檚 largest entrepreneurial support organization, diversifying and growing Oklahoma鈥檚 innovation economy with an economic impact of over $400 million.
Prior to his role at OU, Wavering was vice president of strategic technologies at Intelligent Automation Inc., where he supported organizational culture development strategies and led business development and technology transfer activities. Wavering has a bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degree in electrical engineering with a minor in creative writing from Virginia Tech.