Chip has defined his 20-year career in higher ed as a futurist, emerging technologist, and program architect, where he has identified and developed key emerging technologies into impactful, operational services. During nearly a decade at Duke University as a Senior Technologist and Innovation Program Architect, Bobbert converted his lifelong passions for design, drafting, robotics, media, industrial automation, infrastructure, and vocational training into one of the largest and most recognizable innovation programs in higher ed. His efforts led to his labs being listed among the Top 50 by Newsweek. As a design expert and practitioner, he has contributed to numerous patents, licenses, and journal publications covering a gambit of disciplines from medicine to science to manufacturing. Devices he has created are currently in use by tens of thousands of healthcare workers and dozens of research studies. Bobbert has also contributed to the classroom as teaching faculty within the Pratt School of Engineering’s design program and as a guest lecturer and trainer for scores of other courses. Prior to his tenure at Duke, Chip served as an Emerging Technologist, Director and Producer in the UNC system where he focused on pioneering efforts surrounding the then “crazy idea” of streaming media. For his work, he was given the Staff Excellence Award, the highest honor available at the institutional level and given to one person annually. He was also nominated for the Governor’s Award for Excellence, the highest honor in the North Carolina system and bestowed to one state employee each year. Bobbert has also focused heavily on entrepreneurial efforts outside of his institutional roles where he has co-founded one of the largest national conferences on Makerspaces, Construct3D. He is a frequent speaker, collaborator, and commenter on the potential of Industry 4.0 and integration of maker technologies into educational ecosystems.

Bobbert is formally educated at the graduate level as an Instructional Designer and Technologist where his studies focused on the economics of education, technology paradigm shifts, poverty, and mental health. He is also a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps where he served at first in combat arms and later in command operations.