Meet Lisa Simone, PhD

Lisa attended the program full-time and part-time, completing her degree in August 2004.

Background

When Lisa came to EMTM she already had a master's and PhD in biomedical engineering and had held prominent posts at International Technidyne Corporation (ThermoElectron), Spadix Technologies, Lucent and Motorola. The common thread of her work, both in academia and the private sector, was helping people use technology for problem solving. But while she was fluent in programming and product design, she lacked the necessary skills to move to the next level and take on a leadership role. "I knew that if I really wanted to help people, I would need that business background." Previously a distinguished member of Motorola's technical staff, Lisa now works for Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Research and Education Corporation, where she leads research in movement disorders and helps other research scientists and doctors create new interfaces for rehabilitation research programs. She also serves as an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

Why EMTM?

Lisa discovered EMTM on the Internet — a discovery, she says, that changed her life. Right away she knew the program was what she was looking for, a top-notch education that would help her "evaluate new technologies from a business standpoint." Unlike an MBA program, EMTM offered an additional opportunity to refresh and update her technical knowledge. She liked the idea that she could have access to Wharton's distinguished faculty while learning about Penn Engineering's cutting edge research in technology. Lisa was also drawn to the program's emphasis on group collaboration. The school's reputation and its proximity to her home in New Jersey sealed the deal. "I looked at a couple other programs out there, but it was a no-brainer."

Benefits to KMRREC

In 2003, Lisa was hired by KMRREC to help the company establish a rehabilitation engineering department, and Lisa feels her matriculation in EMTM was a pivotal factor. "Even though I wasn't a traditional research scientist, I was tapped for this job because of my experience in engineering and product design. With EMTM, I was also getting the business background I needed to facilitate the new division."

During the program, Lisa used her technology electives — including courses in Nanotechnology, Microelectronics and Data Mining — to get a broad scope across different industries. "I've been able to bring all the technology I was exposed to at EMTM to KMRREC and it's really given me more tools to help researchers."

At KMRREC, she is currently developing wearable electronic systems to objectively measure patient progress — one of her projects, for instance, is designing a lightweight glove for people with brain injuries that gives researchers a snapshot of their movements during daily activity. In Data Mining, she learned concepts that have helped her identify patterns in hand and finger activity that characterize normal and abnormal movements caused by brain injury. R&D Management helped her evaluate the wearable systems technology from a technical standpoint and gave her the business strategy for deploying it.

Complementing her technical skills are the "softer" skills she acquired at EMTM. Through group projects Lisa honed her communications and presentation methods, and she now feels more confident in her abilities. "In the program you are negotiating with the best people from the best companies so you better know what you're talking about." The expertise within the student network has also served Lisa well outside the classroom. Since graduation she has continued to discuss professional ideas with fellow students and further deepen her understanding of technology and business.

In courses like Foundations of Leadership and Decision Models, Lisa learned to think beyond technology and business and recognize the importance of teambuilding. "I feel equipped not only to identify new business opportunities in technology, but also how to identify the right people to help get these opportunities off the ground."

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