Mary Tripsas

Mary Tripsas is a Professor and Vice Chair of Technology Management in the College of Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She previously held faculty positions at Harvard Business School, Boston College, and the Wharton School. Her research focuses on technological innovation, entrepreneurship, and how organizations adapt to disruptive technologies. She holds a PhD from MIT Sloan School of Management, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a BS in Computer Science and Accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

• Education:
  • PhD, MIT Sloan School of Management (Behavioral and Policy Sciences)
  • MBA, Harvard Business School
  • BS, University of Illinois (Computer Science & Accountancy)
• Key Roles:
  • Founding Director, Edmund H. Shea Jr. Center for Entrepreneurship (Boston College)
  • Editorial Board Member, Strategic Management Journal & Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal

Her research examines organizational capabilities, identity, and managerial cognition in response to technological shifts. Notable studies include analyses of digital photography, air taxis, and music synthesizer industries. She has authored influential papers in Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, and Strategic Management Journal, and her teaching cases have sold over 150,000 copies globally.

Awards:

• Distinguished Scholar Award (TIM, 2022)
• Undergraduate Teaching Star Award (Boston College, 2017, 2019)
• Strategic Management Journal Schendel Best Paper Award

Advising & Industry Links:

• Prior consulting at Monitor Group and IBM
• Board Member, Lexar Media (2003–2006)
• Executive Committee, Industry Studies Association