Rena Hixon

Rena Hixon is an Adjunct Professor at Wichita State University (for nearly 20 years) and Butler Community College (for five years). She currently serves as a Project Lead and Software Tools Development Engineer at NetApp, where she mentors student developers and contributes as a Python developer.

Her educational background includes:

• B.S. in Computer Science
• M.S. in Electrical Engineering
• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering

Her research and professional interests span Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, with a focus on embedded systems and software engineering. With extensive experience in programming (C, C++, and Python), she has applied her expertise in both industry and academia to develop software tools and mentor future engineers.

As a mentor, Rena guides student developers at NetApp through task assignment and progress monitoring. Additionally, she founded and operates RoboMasters, a business that has provided LEGO robotics coaching to inspire engineering education for over 20 years.

Rena leads the student development team at NetApp and founded RoboMasters, which has become a significant platform for hands-on engineering learning through robotics.