Fellow:Megan Masterson

2017-10-19T00:40:34Z

Adelapaz: Created page with "Passionate Worker, Go-Getter, Learner, Positive Thinker, Planner, Striver, Leader, Kan Jam Enthusiast, Proudest Blue Hen. Senior at the University of Delaware studying Intern..."

Passionate Worker, Go-Getter, Learner, Positive Thinker, Planner, Striver, Leader, Kan Jam Enthusiast, Proudest Blue Hen.

Senior at the University of Delaware studying International Relations, Organizational and Community Leadership and Women's Studies. Gets amped when talking about about empowering young women and girls, continuously learning and growing, and making a difference in some way.

Involved in Amnesty International, Greek Life, UD's Community Engagement Initiative, New Student Orientation, and University Innovation Fellows.

File:16996363 1380357568704867 8087123506228142618 n.jpg

2017-10-19T00:40:06Z

Adelapaz: Megan Masterson

Megan Masterson

2017-09-27T02:11:39Z

Adelapaz:

= Project Pitch Video =

{{#Widget:Youtube|id=TuFWW46nj6g}}

= Encouraging Collaboration Between Engineering and Business Students =

Engineers tend to be interested in innovation, but do not have an interest in entrepreneurship. They would rather pass this responsibility on to someone else. This separation of interests is not inherently problematic, as members of teams typically have different areas of expertise. Engineering and business students can have great success founding companies together. The issue on campus is that there is very little collaboration between these fields. Technical clubs and business clubs rarely interact.

A project that can help tackle the issue would be to form an Innovation Council. This council would exist to share opportunities between the many clubs that otherwise do not interact. The council would meet once per month in a setting where members from different registered student organizations (RSOs) could meet each other and make connections. The council could also establish a showcase session, at the beginning of each year, where different groups can present their projects to potential collaborators. While a detailed timeline remains to be established, the project can be implemented over Spring 2015.

'''Project 1: Innovation Council to Organize Innovation Centric RSOs'''

'''To implement this project, the steps that need to be taken are:'''

#Identify RSOs that would be interested in being part of the Innovation Council
#Reach out to RSOs leaders to present our case
#Identify schedules of each RSO to come up with a date and time where maximum people from each RSO can attend a common meeting
#Present the objective of the Innovation Council to RSO members at the first common meeting
#From the first common meeting, identify the needs of each RSO group that could benefit from a collaboration
#From the first common meeting, establish (or refute) the perceived benefit of the Innovation Council, based on feedback from RSO members and leaders
#Proceed with the formation and registration of the Innovation Council, and establish a location, time and day of monthy meetings, based on the information from steps above
#Establish metrics (number of people attending each meeting, number of collaborations between different RSOs) and an online database to collect meeting minutes, which would help with continual validation of the Innovation Council

= Encouraging engineering students to take entrepreneurship courses =

Through our interviews and research for the University Innovation Fellowship (UIF) program, we identified multiple course offerings related to entrepreneurship and technology innovation. What we found, however, is that the number of engineering students taking these courses was very limited.

Investigating the issue further, we found that courses related to entrepreneurship and technology innovation would typically be classified as "breadth electives" for an engineering student. Next, we checked the college of engineering breadth requirement list for the most recent year. We finally realized that entrepreneurship and technology innovation courses were not explicitly included on the list, while a lot of other courses were specifically included on the list. The result was that it was not clear whether or not courses related to entrepreneurship and technology innovation count towards breadth requirements, and students generally resorted to selecting breadth electives from courses that were explicitly mentioned on the list.

We presented our findings at the stakeholder meeting, and we found that the undergraduate director for biomedical engineering had been working on clarifying and modifying breadth requirements. To that end, we would like to work towards inclusion of entrepreneurship courses in the breadth electives list, which should encourage students with an interest in the field to take those courses. While a detailed timeline remains to be established, the project can be implemented over Winter 2015.

'''Project 2: Inclusion of entrepreneurship courses in the engineering breadth electives list. '''

To implement this project, the steps that need to be taken are:

#Reach out to the undergraduate director for biomedical engineering, to evaluate the steps taken so far, related to the project
#Reach out to the Director of the Horn Program in Entrepreneurship to verify the courses that would be most useful for engineering students
#Reach out to the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Services to present the issue
#Collect and evaluate feedback about the reasons why or why not the entrepreneurship courses can be included in the breadth electives list
#Identify steps that need to taken to officially change the breadth electives list for the next academic semester and year
#Now that this is active, promote it so students. Sent emails advertising different entrepreneurship courses and how they can be used as breadth electives. 

= Eliminating Fear of Judgment =

Through our interviews, we found that many students on campus have a fear of judgment. For example, students during a lecture will not answer questions even though they might know the answer. This happens because they fear being judged, in case they are wrong. This fear also seems to translate into not coming up and/or expressing new innovative ideas. The students fear that others may think their idea is silly or will not work. We think that an environment that allows students to express themselves would be helpful to promote flow of ideas and discussions.

To that end, we would like to propose that a "20,000 pitches" day be held on campus. The idea would be to encourage students to speak about either an idea they are passionate about, or a problem they would like to solve. The next step would be identify the top passions and ideas expressed through a voting system for campus students, and grouping students based on common themes. This would lay the groundwork for elimating fear of judgement, increasing interdisciplinary participation, and increasing enthusiasm for identifying problems and implementing solutions. While a detailed timeline needs to be established, the project can be implemented over Spring 2015.

'''Project 3: Set up a "20,000 pitches" day on campus. '''

To implement the project, the steps that need to be taken are:

#Collect feedback pertaining to the project from the stakeholder meeting
#Establish steps that need to be taken to implement the idea
#Discuss the pros and cons of establishing the event online vs. in person, during classes on campus, for example
#Identify members from faculty and administration who would need to be enlisted for organizing the event
#Work on logistics for implementing the project, and a timeline
#Establish steps that need to be taken to collect and disperse information across campus.
#After the first successful 20,000 pitches day last spring, hold one again - make it a recurring event. 

= Fostering an Environment of Influence Among Peers =

It is a known fact that environment has a large influence on students and the way they approach activities outside of the classroom. Focusing on the environment on campus, we believe that students need to be surrounded by peers that strive to do that same things they aim to do. Whether the goal is to excel in the classroom, to start a new Registered Student Organization (RSO), or to pursure groundbreaking research, we believe that we become the average of the top five people that we hang out with. To that end we would like to propose an initiative that would provide a space for students to immerse themselves among peers they want to be influenced by, in their area of interest. To do this, we will create a RSO that works as a "Think Tank". Students who join will come together every other week or so and try to solve real world problems. Students will be able to interact with others who have similar goals and who are also intellectually curious. This will also foster innovative thinking and idea creation. 

'''Project 4: Create a UD Think Tank.'''
<div>To implement this project, the steps that need to be taken are:</div>
#Reach out to the office of student organizations and find out if this has been attempted before but failed. 
#Do customer discover - see if students would be interested in this kind of club. 
#Establish a framework for how the club will run. 
#Begin the registration process with the office of student organizations.
#Adversties around campus and get students involved. 

= Establishing a legal support system for undergraduate students =

During our research for the University Innovation Fellowship (UIF) program, we realized that the Office of Economic Innovation and Partnerships (OEIP) primarily caters to the needs of faculty members and graduate students, when it comes to legal advice and support. While OEIP has supported a few undergraduate teams in the past, undergraduate students might benefit from a student-led law clinic. The idea would be to identify students who are interested in pursuing law as a career, and match them with students who need legal advice pertaining to filing a patent or establishing a startup, for example. This idea might provide guidance to students who may not completely understand the implications of patent violations and lawsuits, and might work as a preventive measures to avoid such a detrimental scenario. The idea is inspired by the concept established by [http://news.mit.edu/2015/support-students-business-cyber-law-0909 MIT and Boston University School of Law]. This would be a long term project. 

'''Project 5: Establish a law clinic for undergraduate students'''
<div>To implement this project, the steps that need to be taken are:</div>
#Present the idea at the stakeholder meeting
#Follow up with a survey to record instances where legal help was required by undergraduate students, but was not available
#Identify potential collaborators for the project
#There are a littany of resources through the Venture Developement Center and the Horn Program - advertise their existence and get students to seek advice. 

= Related Links =

Landscape Canvas [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17gb2EKwdQ4tVg3qPzKz-jEuvr2077rqDbXVHvm1JDmY/edit#gid=119987244 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17gb2EKwdQ4tVg3qPzKz-jEuvr2077rqDbXVHvm1JDmY/edit#gid=119987244]

[http://universityinnovation.org/University%20of%20Delaware University of Delaware]

'''University of Delaware Student Priorites'''

[[Jason Bamford|Jason Bamford]]

[[Zachary Jones|Zachary Jones]]

[[Ashutosh Khandha|Ashutosh Khandha]]

[[Nadia Kiamilev|Nadia Kiamilev]]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Jacob_Fertell Jacob Fertell]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Margaret_Heffernan Margaret Heffernan]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Matt_Criscuolo Matthew Crisuolo]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Ryan_McCawley Ryan McCawley]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Abigail_Dela_Paz Abigail Dela Paz]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Olivia_Kirkpatrick Olivia Kirkpatrick]

[[Category:Student Priorities|u]]

School:University of Delaware

2017-09-21T14:40:09Z

Adelapaz:

= Promoting student innovation and entrepreneurship  =

Student innovation and entrepreneurship is encouraged in select fields, namely business and to a certain extent, in engineering. There is a huge variety of course offerings that focus on a strong entrepreneurial emphasis. In all of these courses, students create new product or business ideas, which they further develop over the course of the semester by talking to potential consumers. While this is promising for business students, engineering students are primarily interested in innovation and recognize it as a skill required of them. All students have a basic awareness that there are a multitude of resources on campus for them, if they are interested in pursuing entrepreneurship, although, there is always room for improvement. Faculty members and stakeholders are very supportive of implementing an innovation and entrepreneursip initiative on campus. The [http://www.udel.edu/apply/undergraduate-admissions/enrichment-opportunities/delaware-innovation-fellows/ Delaware Innovation Fellows], administered by the University of Delaware [http://lerner.udel.edu/centers/experiential-learning-centers/horn-program-in-entrepreneurship/ Horn Program], offers a four year enrichment experience for those who want to be more immersed in entrepreneurship and leadership.
<div> </div>

= Encouraging faculty innovation and entrepreneurship =

The Office of Economic Innovation and Partnerships (OEIP) plays a significant role in assisting faculty members with innovation. Faculty members are allowed to take a day every week to work on their own ideas, which could potentially lead to product innovation, a startup or a licensing opportunity. OEIP also provides assistance with training related to SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) and STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) grant application process. OEIP is working on making their online interface easier for faculty members to navigate.

Faculty members are excited and passionate about innovation, but do need assistance when it comes to exploring the commercial viability of an idea or a product. Besides OEIP, the University of Delaware [https://library.udel.edu/ Morris Library] offers access to latest data related to industry research, marketing research and small business and entrepreneurship. This resource is useful to evaluate the viability of an idea.

Faculty members are also encouraged to present their ideas and prototypes during the “Entrepreneurship and Risk: Meeting the Challenges” course (listed as MSEG 425). The course is attended by a group of engineering and business majors who develop a business plan for the faculty members to pursue it further.

= Actively supporting the university technology transfer function =

The Technology Transfer Center (TTC) within the Office of Economic Innovation and Partnerships (OEIP) is responsible for the protection, management and commercialization of the University of Delaware's intellectual property assets. The TTC also provides advice to UD faculty, staff and graduate students regarding the disclosure of innovations, IP protection in the form of patents, copyrights, trademarks, as well as contracts and other research-related agreements.

As inventors become entrepreneurs, the TTC, in cooperation with the Delaware Small Business Development Center (SBDC), assists with the growth of new businesses by providing consulting and training in areas such as business strategy and planning, funding strategy, team development, and management skill development.

= Facilitating University-Industry Collaboration =

The [http://deltechpark.org/ Delaware Technology Park] offers a space for new startups and established companies. [http://www1.udel.edu/star/ STAR] campus is home to the universities rehabilitation centers and health science laboratories. With the completion of a new building adjacent to STAR, startups and small companies will be able to lease office space on campus, and also provide opportunities for students.  Leading Edge Venture, First State Innovation, Vital venture Capital, and Yet2ventures are financial venture firms that students can contact for investments. A good mentor network can also be found by either talking to a Horn Advisory Board member or a Lerner Executive Mentor. The university also offers several courses that promote growing a business, including ENTR352 (Business Launchpad: Turning Ideas into Successful Companies), and several capstone courses that promote the development of teamwork and innovative thinking through designing an industry level product by the end of the semester, including BMEG450 (Biomedical Engineering Design).

= Engaging with regional and local economic development efforts =

 The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is a potential resource for new businesses. Along with advising, they can help with procuring space to set up their business, in the Delaware technology park. Also, the Office of Economic Innovation and Partnerships (OEIP) help university employees with patent filing and commercializing potentially viable ideas. Undergraduate students go through the Venture Development Center (VDC) for assistance with the above.

= Related Links =

Landscape Canvas [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17gb2EKwdQ4tVg3qPzKz-jEuvr2077rqDbXVHvm1JDmY/edit#gid=119987244 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17gb2EKwdQ4tVg3qPzKz-jEuvr2077rqDbXVHvm1JDmY/edit#gid=119987244]

[http://universityinnovation.org/University%20of%20Delaware University of Delaware]

[[University of Delaware Student Priorities|University of Delaware Student Priorites]]

[[Jason Bamford|Jason Bamford]]

[[Zachary Jones|Zachary Jones]]

[[Ashutosh Khandha|Ashutosh Khandha]]

[[Nadia Kiamilev|Nadia Kiamilev]]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Jacob_Fertell Jacob Fertell]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Margaret_Heffernan Margaret Heffernan]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Matt_Criscuolo Matthew Crisuolo]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Ryan_McCawley Ryan McCawley]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Abigail_Dela_Paz Abigail Dela Paz]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Olivia_Kirkpatrick Olivia Kirkpatrick]

[[Category:Student Contributors|a]] [[Category:Universities]]