Lead Innovation Engineer

Grant Belton is the Lead Innovation Engineer of the Rice Nexus, an innovation hub within Rice University’s Office of Innovation. At the Nexus, Grant supports faculty, students, and the community in transforming early-stage concepts into scalable prototypes ready for commercialization. He oversees the technical operations of the Nexus, including product design and development, and manages state-of-the-art facilities like wet and dry labs and industrial-grade 3D printers.

A hands-on innovator, Grant has led collaborative projects such as the military’s smart helmet and serves as a key resource for inventors and researchers developing hard-tech solutions. Outside of work, he enjoys tinkering on projects and spending time with his partner and their pets.