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<div style="float: right; clear: right;"><span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">[[File:UMass-Lowell-logo.png]]</span></div><span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">The&nbsp;University of Massachusetts Lowell&nbsp;(also known as&nbsp;UMass Lowell&nbsp;or&nbsp;UML) is a&nbsp;[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_university public]&nbsp;[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_research_universities_in_the_United_States doctoral/research]&nbsp;university in&nbsp;[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowell,_Massachusetts Lowell],&nbsp;[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts Massachusetts],&nbsp;[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States United States],and part of the&nbsp;[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Massachusetts University of Massachusetts]&nbsp;system. With more than 1,100 faculty members and more than 16,000 students, it is the largest university in the&nbsp;[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrimack_Valley Merrimack Valley]&nbsp;and the second-largest public institution in the state behind UMass Amherst. The university offers more than 120 degree choices, internships, bachelor’s to master’s programs and doctoral studies in the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; College of Health Sciences; College of Sciences; the Francis College of Engineering; the Graduate School of Education; and the Manning School of Business.</span>

= <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Overview - A Campus On The Move''' </span> =

<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">UMass Lowell has been evolving in every aspect; upgraded classrooms, libraries and labs; new and renovated student living and activity spaces; and enhanced parking facilities are a few on the list of what has been updated and changed over the past decade of campus improvement.</span>

*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">University Crossing</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Officially completed and operating, this new building hosts student services and activities, bookstore, dining, University police, transportation services, and senior administration offices.</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Pulichino Tong Building</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">The University’s current construction project, the Tong Building will replace the now-relocated Honor’s Eames Dorm building on UMass Lowell’s North Campus and will house the entirety of the Robert J. Manning School of Business.</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">University Suites</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">This brand new dorm on UMass Lowell’s East campus provides housing for 472 students in four- and six-bed suites. There is a ground-floor common area with a café - Hawk's Nest - featuring fresh bakery, grab & go items and a late night Asian menu, in addition to delicious Red Mango frozen yogurt & smoothies and "We proudly serve" Starbucks Coffee. A multi-purpose room is open to the UMass Lowell community. Each residential floor has two common kitchen/lounge areas, two quiet study rooms and a group study room.</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Riverview Suites</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">The other half of the two-dorm addition to UMass Lowell in 2013, Riverview Suites has either two or three bedroom suites complete with a live-in kitchen, classroom and meeting rooms inside the building, and a gym inside the facility. The University leases the property from Soho Development, who also built the $42 million facility.</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">New Garages</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">In the past three years, UMass Lowell has added two large parking garages to each of its largest parking lots, greatly increasing the parking capacity for the strong commuter presence attending the school.</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Health and Social Sciences Building</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">In 2013, this new criminal justice and criminology, nursing&nbsp;and&nbsp;psychology&nbsp;building had its grand opening. The construction of this building marked the first new construction in 30 years on the University’s South Campus, including all campuses in the University’s recent wave of evolution.</span>

<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Since 2009, the University has also been heavily updating the existing buildings while acquiring and renovating new ones. UMass Lowell renovated the newly acquired Inn and Conference Center, added Taco Bell and Subway to the University’s dining partners, renovated the newly acquired Tsongas Center, and heavily updated their Dining Hall in the tallest UMass Lowell building, Fox Hall&nbsp;</span>

== <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">2015 Innovation Fellows Plans </span> ==

<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZwhfzohFPyuM4Vutiho8ZAuV8Jmq-JxBJ2vNaGZe-kY/edit?usp=sharing Landscape Canvas]</span>

<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">[https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1o3F2IN8YoWKMk83r0SoAfr5NH_qUw7RFa2ZxjslksQM/edit?usp=sharing Lean Startup Presentation]</span>

= <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Student Entrepreneurship''' </span> =

==== <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''NonSpec&nbsp;''' </span> ====

<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">[http://www.nonspec.org/ NonSpec] participated in the 2013 first annual DifferenceMaker™ Idea Challenge where they showed dedication and enthusiasm by attending each educational workshop and event throughout the process which aided in their success.&nbsp; At the Idea Challenge they received the prestigious title of “Campus Wide DifferenceMaker™” and the top award of $5,000. This prize represents the project most likely to make a significant difference in the community, region and the world.</span>

<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">The $5,000 award has allowed Nonspec to move their initiative forward by creating their first batch of prosthetic limbs. With a projected 15% market share in the next five years, Nonspec plans to use this market presence to launch a foundation called “Give a Hand”. The purpose of this foundation would be to spread their mission, goals, charitable cause, and products around the world in order to make a difference in developing nations.</span>

<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Since Nonspec’s success at the Idea Challenge they have gained great publicity in other arenas.&nbsp; They were recently named one of the top 10 semi-finalists in Entrepreneur® Magazine’s “College Entrepreneur of 2013 Contest”.&nbsp; In addition, they were invited to attend [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppnzNSnxi-g IAPD Plastics Application Design Competition], which was held on October 2, 2013 in Miami, Florida. &nbsp;Lastly, the team was utilized as a role model by being featured in a [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLwLg4XHrck video] that was shown at all DifferenceMaker™ freshman orientation sessions throughout the summer&nbsp;due to their motivation and high entrepreneurial spirits.</span>

=<span style== "font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Departments and Programs<br/span> ===

= DEPARTMENTS AND PROGRAMS = <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship'''</span> ==

<span style== '''"font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship''' ==offers students and faculty of all disciplines the opportunity to work together to develop innovative and entrepreneurial solutions to the major problems facing our community, the region and the world. The Center hosts several programs that encourage social innovation and entrepreneurship among UMass Lowell students as well as the broader community in which we live. The DifferenceMaker program provides training, mentoring and other resources to UMass Lowell students and faculty who wish to address social, environmental and economic problems in our community.</span>

The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship offers students and faculty of all disciplines the opportunity to work together to develop innovative and entrepreneurial solutions to the major problems facing our community== <span style="font-family:verdana, the region and the world. The Center hosts several programs that encourage social innovation and entrepreneurship among UMass Lowell students as well as the broader community in which we live. The DifferenceMaker program provides traininggeneva, mentoring and other resources to UMass Lowell students and faculty who wish to address social, environmental and economic problems in our community.sans-serif;">'''DifferenceMaker™'''</span> ==

<span style== '''"font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">The DifferenceMaker™''' ==Program sponsors specific events and activities that support students in solving big problems through innovation and entrepreneurship. The Program is highly experiential by offering students a series of workshops that they can engage in to better understand innovation, entrepreneurship and launching a start-up of their interest.</span>

The DifferenceMaker™ <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Students of all majors and disciplines are welcome to join this Program sponsors specific events and activities that support students make a difference at UMass Lowell, in solving big problems the community or in the world through innovation innovative and entrepreneurship. The Program is highly experiential by offering students a series of workshops that they can engage in to better understand innovation, entrepreneurship and launching a start-up of their interestentrepreneurial action.</span>

Students === <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Goals of all majors and disciplines are welcome to join this Program and make a difference at UMass Lowell, in the community or in the world through innovative and entrepreneurial action.DifferenceMaker™</span> ===

*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Introduce all UMass students to creative problem solving, innovation and entrepreneurship</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Accelerate purpose in each students education</span>*<span style= Goals of DifferenceMaker™ =="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Connect current students to alumni experience</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Encourage a social responsibility ethos</span>

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=== <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Introduce all UMass students to creative problem solving, innovation and entrepreneurship">DifferenceMaker™ Available Activities</span> ===

·*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''DifferenceMaker™ Enterprise Co-op'''</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Throughout each year, DifferenceMaker™ will hire several students from various majors to participate in paid co-op experiences. Student co-ops assist in conducting and summarizing entrepreneurial research, developing and distributing marketing materials for various center initiatives, and provide center support for faculty and innovation fellows affiliate with the center.&nbsp;</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Freshman Make A Difference Orientation'''</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">During the summer sessions, DifferenceMaker™ has a large presence in the Freshman Orientation days. Through the Office of Orientation, Student Activities and Leadership, and ResLife, DifferenceMaker™ was able to present to every attending freshman and gain exposure to all of the new students at UMass Lowell.</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Freshman DifferenceMaker™ Convocation'''</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">At the beginning of each academic year, we present DifferenceMaker™ to every incoming freshman at Convocation. Each year we perform a fun activity to engage students in our program.</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Introduction to DifferenceMaker™'''</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Freshman Seminars-A series of in-class discussions in collaboration with the Manning School of Business, The Francis College of Engineering, The College of Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, and The College of Health Sciences in order to introduce the DifferenceMaker™ Program to students of all disciplines and to inspire them to explore their passions through creative problem solving.</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Introduction to the DifferenceMaker™ Program'''</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">A series of events were held on both the north and south campuses to introduce students to DifferenceMaker™ Program concepts, allow them to share their ideas and interests, explore possible projects and solution, and to connected with each other to form teams. These events included the DifferenceMaker™ Convocation Pitch, the Climate Change Teach-in, a DifferenceMaker™ Team Building Dinner, and others.</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''DifferenceMaker™ LLC'''</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Having a presence in the student residence halls as well as the classroom is important to motivate students and discover new ideas waiting to happen. The DifferenceMaker™ Living/Learning Community brings new students together in the ResLife environment for innovation and brainstorming outside of the classroom.</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Honors DifferenceMaker™ Program'''</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">In collaboration with UMass Lowell Honors Program, this concerted effort to embed elements of social entrepreneurship in our Honors Program includes coursework and community-based student efforts that have specific focus on innovation and entrepreneurial practices.</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Introduction to Engineering Extra Credit Project'''</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">This activity was a collaboration effort between the DifferenceMaker™ Program and The Francis College of Engineering to introduce freshman engineering majors to the DifferenceMaker™ Program, innovation, and entrepreneurship. In this introductory activity, the students’ innovative ideas were explored and presented in a format which would enable their projects to be candidates for both the DifferenceMaker™ Program Idea Challenge and Campus Catalyst program.</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Creative Venture Competition'''</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">This contest held in October of 2013 hosted by DifferenceMaker™ focused on innovation from Arts, Humanities, and Social Science students. $2500 was awarded to the best entrepreneurial business a proposal, and $250 to each finalist team was also awarded.</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Digital Federal Credit Union Innovation Contest'''&nbsp;&nbsp</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;&nbsp">In November of 2013, DifferenceMaker™ along with DCU hosted an Innovation Contest focusing on banking and financial innovation in the industry. With a grand prize of $500 per team member and peripheral prizes of $100 per team member, the contest gave thousands to innovative teams and cutting edge ideas.</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;&nbsp">'''DifferenceMaker™ Reverse Pitch'''</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;&nbsp">This pitch event was debuted on November 19, 2013. This event was a spin-off of “normal” idea challenges and hackathons. Instead of students pitching their ideas to funding sources or judges, businesses and community partners actually pitched their existing problems to a student audience in the hopes that they can develop a solution.</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;&nbsp">'''DifferenceMaker™ Idea Challenge'''</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;&nbsp">'''​'''DifferenceMaker™ is hosting its fourth annual Idea Challenge; Accelerate purpose this challenge is for student entrepreneurial teams to come up with sustainable ideas that will make some sort of impact on the world or their community. Help in the form of various workshops in the months leading up to the Idea Challenge is available, teaching students how to properly pitch their ideas and how to flesh out their business plans. There are various subcategories for each team to have a chance at winning spread out across over many different disciplines, encouraging all students to participate and welcoming all ideas.</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''DifferenceMaker™ Workshops'''</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Team Building Mixer</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Identifying Problems and Opportunities</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Developing Solutions</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Identifying Resources</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Rocket Pitch Coaching</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Campus Catalyst Program'''</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''​'''The DifferenceMaker™ Program works closely with 'E For All', a community business accelerator funded by the Deshpande Foundation, in order to encourage students educationto generate and develop their entrepreneurial ideas. The Sandbox Campus Catalyst program provided seed funding for student social and business solutions with potential.&nbsp;</span>

·&nbsp=== <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Connect current students to alumni experience">'''DifferenceMaker™ Program Available Resources'''</span> ===

·*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''DifferenceMaker™ Central'''</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Large open office collaboration space equipped with Wi-Fi, 3 Mac computers, printer/copier, 2 46” LCD TV monitors with projection capabilities, 6 white boards, 10 tables with chairs all equipped with wheels that can be easily rearranged for optimal use and collaboration, refrigerator, sink, cabinet space, coffee maker and other necessary office supplies.</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Hawk&nbsp;&nbspHatch'''</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Philanthropic Crowd Funding Source</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Grants'''</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Networking'''</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;&nbsp">Mentors</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;&nbsp">Faculty Fellows and DifferenceMaker™ Staff</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;&nbsp">'''Events'''</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;&nbsp">Series of Educational Entrepreneurial Workshops including materials</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;&nbsp">Problem, Opportunity, Solution, Resources, Pitch Coaching</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;&nbsp">Team Building Assistance</span>**<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif; Encourage a social responsibility ethos">TeamMaker Platform, Team Building Mixer</span>

<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Through the Center for Innovation &nbsp;Entrepreneurship, along with affiliated faculty and other campus programs, the University has introduced a range of activities that help students make a difference in the world.</span>

=== <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''DifferenceMaker™ Available Activities Future Efforts'''</span> ===

*'''DifferenceMaker™ Enterprise Co<span style="font-op'''**Throughout each yearfamily:verdana,geneva, DifferenceMaker™ will hire several students from various majors to participate in paid cosans-op experiences. Student co-ops assist in conducting and summarizing entrepreneurial research, developing and distributing marketing materials for various center initiatives, and provide center support for faculty and innovation fellows affiliate with the center.&nbspserif;*'''Freshman Make A Difference Orientation'''**During the summer sessions, DifferenceMaker™ has a large presence in the Freshman Orientation days. Through the Office of Orientation, Student Activities and Leadership, and ResLife, DifferenceMaker™ was able to present to every attending freshman and gain exposure to all of the new students at UMass Lowell.*'''Freshman DifferenceMaker™ Convocation'''**At the beginning of each academic year, we present DifferenceMaker™ to every incoming freshman at Convocation. Each year we perform a fun activity to engage students in our program.*'''Introduction to DifferenceMaker™'''**Freshman Seminars-A series of in-class discussions in collaboration with the Manning School of Business, The Francis College of Engineering, The College of Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, and ">The College of Health Sciences in order to introduce the DifferenceMaker™ Program plans to students continue many of all disciplines and to inspire them to explore their passions through creative problem solving.*'''Introduction to the DifferenceMaker™ Program'''**A series of events were held on both the north and south campuses to introduce students to DifferenceMaker™ Program concepts, allow them to share their ideas and interests, explore possible projects and solution, activities and to connected with each other to form teams. These events included the DifferenceMaker™ Convocation Pitch, the Climate Change Teach-in, a DifferenceMaker™ Team Building Dinner, and others.*'''DifferenceMaker™ LLC'''**Having a presence initiated in the student residence halls as well as the classroom is important to motivate students and discover new ideas waiting to happen. The DifferenceMaker™ Living/Learning Community brings new students together in the ResLife environment for innovation and brainstorming outside first year of the classroomprogram.*'''Honors DifferenceMaker™ Program'''**In collaboration with UMass Lowell Honors Program, this concerted effort to embed elements &nbsp; Some of social entrepreneurship in our Honors Program includes coursework these programs will be revised and community-based student efforts that have specific focus on innovation and entrepreneurial practices.*'''Introduction they intend to Engineering Extra Credit Project'''**This activity was launch several new initiatives, including a collaboration effort between the DifferenceMaker™ Program and The Francis College of Engineering to introduce freshman engineering majors to the DifferenceMaker™ Passport Program, innovation, and entrepreneurship. In this introductory activity, the students’ innovative ideas were explored and presented in a format which would enable their projects to be candidates for both the DifferenceMaker™ Mentor Program Idea Challenge and Campus Catalyst a seed grant program.*'''Creative Venture Competition'''**This contest held in October of 2013 hosted by DifferenceMaker™ focused on innovation from Arts, Humanities, and Social Science students. $2500 was awarded to the best entrepreneurial business a proposal, and $250 to each finalist team was also awarded.*'''Digital Federal Credit Union Innovation Contest'''&nbsp;**In November of 2013, DifferenceMaker™ along with DCU hosted an Innovation Contest focusing on banking and financial innovation in the industry. With a grand prize of $500 per team member and peripheral prizes of $100 per team member, the contest gave thousands to innovative teams and cutting edge ideas.*'''DifferenceMaker™ Reverse Pitch'''**This pitch event was debuted on November 19, 2013. This event was a spin-off of “normal” idea challenges and hackathons. Instead of students pitching their ideas to funding sources or judges, businesses and community partners actually pitched their existing problems to a student audience encourage faculty participation in the hopes that they can develop a solution.*'''DifferenceMaker™ Idea Challenge'''**'''​'''DifferenceMaker™ is hosting its fourth annual Idea Challenge; this challenge is for student entrepreneurial teams to come up with sustainable ideas that will make some sort of impact on the world or their communityprogram. Help in the form of various workshops in the months leading up They also plan to the Idea Challenge is available, teaching students how to properly pitch their ideas and how to flesh out their business plans. There are various subcategories for each team to have a chance at winning spread out across over many different disciplines, encouraging all students to participate and welcoming all ideas.*'''DifferenceMaker™ Workshops'''**Team Building Mixer**Identifying Problems and Opportunities**Developing Solutions**Identifying Resources**Rocket Pitch Coaching*'''Campus Catalyst Program'''**'''​'''The DifferenceMaker™ Program works closely expand our collaboration with 'E For All', a community business accelerator funded by the Deshpande Foundation, in order to encourage students to generate and develop their entrepreneurial ideas. The Sandbox Campus Catalyst program provided seed funding for student social and business solutions with potentialseveral University colleges.&nbsp;</span>

<span style=== '''"font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">This year they plan to increase the role of DifferenceMaker™ Living Learning Community students in the DifferenceMaker™ program by training the members to become DifferenceMaker™ ambassadors once they transition into their sophomore year &nbsp;through weekly meetings and monthly events. The training will allow LLC members to learn more about entrepreneurship and the DifferenceMaker™ Program Available Resources''' ===so they can promote it to student clubs and campus classes.&nbsp; Once the LLC students become sophomores they will transition into a DifferenceMaker™ Ambassador role, and hopefully will form the nucleus of a yet-to-be-formed DifferenceMaker™ student club. &nbsp;</span>

*DifferenceMaker™ Central**Large open office collaboration space equipped with Wi<span style="font-Fifamily:verdana, 3 Mac computersgeneva, printer/copiersans-serif;">In order to assist students to both record and encourage their participation in DifferenceMaker™ events, 2 46” LCD TV monitors they are planning the development and implementation of a DifferenceMaker™ Passport Program. Consistent with projection capabilities, 6 white boards, 10 tables with chairs all equipped with wheels that can be easily rearranged for optimal use and collaboration, refrigerator, sinkthe goals of the UMass Lowell DifferenceMaker™ Program, cabinet spacethe Passport Program will assist students to identify, coffee maker record and other necessary office supplies.*Hawkcollect experiences meant to:&nbsp; Hatch**Philanthropic Crowd Funding Source*Grants*Networking**Mentors**Faculty Fellows and DifferenceMaker™ Staff*Events**Series of Educational Entrepreneurial Workshops including materials**Problem, Opportunity, Solution, Resources, Pitch Coaching**Team Building Assistance**TeamMaker Platform, Team Building Mixer</span>

Through the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Develop individual entrepreneurial identity</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Develop entrepreneurial skills and self-confidence</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva, along with affiliated faculty sans-serif;">Develop creative and other campus programssustainable solutions to complex problems</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva, sans-serif;">Connect with the University has introduced a range of activities that help students make a difference in the world., E For All&nbsp;and community entrepreneurial ecosystems</span>

&nbsp<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">They anticipate that the number of students engaged in the DifferenceMaker™ Program and related activities will increase each year. As they encourage and reward the formation of various types of student ventures and projects, the need for mentors who can consult with student teams will increase. They plan to guide these students and track their progress through a professional Mentor Program. The UMass Lowell Mentor Program will provide a committed network of mentors with a broad set of skills and professional experiences, who can assist UMass Lowell entrepreneurs in developing the knowledge and skills, needed to grow an idea into a successful, new venture.</span>

<span style=== '''"font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">The DM UMass Lowell Mentor Program will seek to connect DifferenceMaker™ students with successful experienced entrepreneurs and alumnus, as well as faculty and staff.&nbsp; The Mentor Program will focus on assisting students to further develop solutions as part of the DifferenceMaker™ Inaugural Year Statistics''' ===Program. Mentors will provide guidance in further refining student team objectives and help them in building their entrepreneurial skillsets.</span>

*72 DifferenceMaker™ events held in inaugural year*3<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,500 &nbspsans-serif;">They are planning to offer DifferenceMaker™ Faculty Workshops to help faculty consider how they might engage their own students who participates in a DifferenceMaker™ event this past year*$25activities through course related activities and through co-curricular activities. Our hope is that by engaging more faculty,000 &nbsp;of funds awarded to 10 IdeaChallenge finalist they in turn will serve as both mentors and catalysts for students, encouraging and guiding student project selection and development. They have also observed that student teams*1often need support and guidance from faculty from different disciplines,265 &nbsp;freshman participating in summer rapid ideation these workshops*112 &nbsp;students who participated in the First Annual IdeaChallenge*22 &nbsp;cross discipline relationships notes between students and an accompanying seed grant program are meant as catalysts to encourage interdisciplinary engagement among IdeaChallenge teams*24 &nbsp;academic disciplines represented by students in the IdeaChallenge teamsfaculty,</span>

<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">While the overarching goal of the DifferenceMaker™ program is to encourage UMass Lowell students to develop sustainable and entrepreneurial solutions to the challenges and opportunities they will confront in this world, they anticipate another, potentially significant impact on the University community itself. Our students will only be successful if they have the support of faculty, alumni, business and community members. During our first year of program activities, they have found these constituents to be most supportive and willing to mentor and work with our students.&nbsp;Alumni are mentoring and investing in student ventures.&nbsp;Faculty are working across disciplines to ensure their student teams make progress. Local profit and non-profit businesses are eager to work with student teams, providing real-world problems and opportunities for student projects. In one short year, the DifferenceMaker™ program has been embraced by the greater University community. Our hope and plan is to anchor this program in the curriculum and culture of the University, so all UMass Lowell students have an opportunity to make a difference in this world.</span>

<span style=== '''2015 DifferenceMaker™ Idea Challenge Finalists''' ==="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span>

== <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Campus-Wide DifferenceMaker™Commercial Venture and Intellectual Property Office (CVIP)'''</span> ==

<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''$7,000CVIP Mission'''</span>

'''1st Place *<span style="font- $4family:verdana,000'''geneva,sans-serif;">to license patents and other protections to industry in order to promote the development of inventions toward practical application;</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">to foster a culture of innovation, facilitate commercially promising endeavors, and positively contribute to the University’s entrepreneurial ecosystem;</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">to seek new business opportunities and form productive collaborations with industry in an effort to increase research and licensing revenue to the University;</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">to generate income for inventors and the University as a whole for use in supporting further research, technology development and transfer;</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">to advocate for the research community and seek to create incentives, provide rewards and obtain resources to advance commercialization of the technologies they generate.</span>

&nbsp== <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center (M2D2):'''</span> ==

'''2nd Place <span style="font- $2family:verdana,000'''geneva,sans-serif;">The Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center (M2D2) is a lifeline for the state’s smaller medical device companies, offering inventors and executives easy, affordable, and coordinated access to world-class researchers and resources at the Lowell and Worcester campuses of the University of Massachusetts.</span>

&nbsp== <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Entrepreneurship For All'''</span> ==

<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'E for All'is a project of the&nbsp;Deshpande Foundation, which has encouraged the use of entrepreneurship and innovation as catalysts for sustainable change in the United States, India and Canada since 1996. Deshpande supported centers including the&nbsp;MIT Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation, the Deshpande Center for Social Innovation&nbsp;in Hubli, India, the Pond-Deshpande Centre&nbsp;at the&nbsp;University of New Brunswick, and our own 'Sustainable EnvironmentE For All'&nbsp;at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. 'E for All'includes higher education partners (Middlesex Community College, Merrimack College and Northern Essex Community College) and a host of regional community and business partners.</span>

*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Innovative TechnologyCatalysts '''- The Catalyst program provides seed funding and mentoring support to foster initiative around new ideas and programs among local high school and college students.</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Entrepreneurship&nbsp;'''- The Entrepreneur Program is a community-wide initiative supporting entrepreneurship. More than 30 partner organizations and institutions are participating in this initiative,&nbsp;which gives entrepreneurs a greater chance at success through pitch contests, workshops and intensive programs.&nbsp;</span>*<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Leadership&nbsp;'''- The 'E For All' Leadership Institute (SLI) offers leadership development for individuals that live, work or are interested in the communities of Lawrence and Lowell.&nbsp;</span>

'''1st Place == <span style="font- $4family:verdana,000''' '''OTTOnomous'''geneva,sans-serif;">Other Organizations</span> ==

==== <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''2nd Place - $2,000The Manning School of Business'''&nbsp;</span><br/> ====

<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''2nd Place Graduate - $2,000Master of Science in Innovation and Technological Entrepreneurship (MSITE)''': Provides engineers, business majors and scientists with the skills and knowledge required to drive innovation in today's collaborative, global workforce.</span>

<divspan style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Honorable Mention DifferenceMaker™Graduate Certificate - New Venture Creation''': This program is focused specifically on the creation of technology-based ventures and is designed to assist professionals with undergraduate and career experience in science, engineering, technology or business fields in better understanding how to develop and launch a technology-based business.</divspan>'''$1000'''

&nbsp==== <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''College of Sciences, Computer Science Department'''</span> ====

=== <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Fan FavoriteThe Mark and Elisia Saab Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center'''</span> ===

<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;" '''$>This new UMass Lowell 2012-13 construction is a building developed for bringing innovation and industry together. Faculty and student researchers use the resources available in this building to meet industry challenges and improve lives using UMass Lowell technologies and patents. Core facilities for use in fundamental and translational research are available to faculty and students; it contains class 100, 1,000&nbsp;'''&lt;, and 10,000 cleanroom spaces, wet lab and engineering lab space, and a plastics processing high bay. The ETIC is has LEED Gold Certification, and is considered green. The construction of this building also is estimated to supporting at least 130 new jobs.</span&gt;<div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;"><br/></div>'''DifferenceMaker™ Future Efforts:'''

The DifferenceMaker™ Program plans to continue many of the activities and events initiated in the first year of the program.&nbsp; Some of these programs will be revised and they intend to launch several new initiatives<span style="font-family:verdana, including a DifferenceMaker™ Passport Programgeneva, a DifferenceMaker™ Mentor Program and a seed grant program to encourage faculty participation in the DifferenceMaker™ program. They also plan to expand our collaboration with several University colleges.sans-serif;">&nbsp;</span>

This year they plan to increase the role of DifferenceMaker™ Living Learning Community students in the DifferenceMaker™ program by training the members to become DifferenceMaker™ ambassadors once they transition into their sophomore year &nbsp;through weekly meetings and monthly events. The training will allow LLC members to learn more about entrepreneurship and the DifferenceMaker™ Program so they can promote it to student clubs and campus classes.&nbsp=== <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif; Once the LLC students become sophomores they will transition into a DifferenceMaker™ Ambassador role, ">'''Health and hopefully will form the nucleus of a yet-to-be-formed DifferenceMaker™ student club. Social Sciences Building'''&nbsp;</span> ===

In order to assist students to both record <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">This new building that houses criminal justice and encourage their participation in DifferenceMaker™ eventscriminology, nursing, they are planning the development and implementation of psychology provides classrooms, simulation laboratories, observation facilities, a DifferenceMaker™ Passport Programdemonstration hospital wing, and ample meeting space for community projects. Consistent with the goals The construction of the UMass Lowell DifferenceMaker™ Programthis new building supported more than 800 construction and related jobs, and provided the Passport Program will assist students to identify, record much needed resources and collect experiences meant to:&nbsp;space for UMass Lowell’s growing social science population.</span>

·&nbsp= <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Develop individual entrepreneurial identity">'''University-Industry Collaboration'''</span> =

·&nbsp;&nbsp<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Develop entrepreneurial skills and self-confidence">'''Research Activities'''</span>

·&nbsp;&nbsp<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">UMass Lowell places a large focus on professional research, as evidenced by the ample lab space professors have to work with in buildings such as the ETIC. A comprehensive list of all research areas and information about them can be found on the UMass Lowell website.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Develop creative and sustainable solutions to complex problems</span>

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Connect with the University==== <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva, E For All&nbspsans-serif;and community entrepreneurial ecosystems">Center for Industrial Competitiveness</span> ====

They anticipate that the number of students engaged in the DifferenceMaker™ Program <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">For nearly 20 years, UMass Lowell’s Center for Industrial Competitiveness has conducted research on industrial innovation, regional development, corporate governance, financialization, and related activities will increase each yearsustainable prosperity. As they encourage and reward Resources available stretch all around the formation of various types of student ventures world through collaborative networks and projectsrelationships, the need for mentors who can consult with student teams will increase. They plan to guide these students providing ample information and track their progress through a professional Mentor Programglobal understanding on development. The UMass Lowell Mentor Program will provide a committed network of mentors with a broad set of skills and professional experiences, who can assist UMass Lowell entrepreneurs Research also includes local industrial development in developing the knowledge and skills, needed to grow an idea into a successful, new ventureMassachusetts.&nbsp;</span>

The DM UMass Lowell Mentor Program will seek to connect DifferenceMaker™ students with successful experienced entrepreneurs and alumnus= <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva, as well as faculty and staff.&nbspsans-serif; The Mentor Program will focus on assisting students to further develop solutions as part of the DifferenceMaker™ Program. Mentors will provide guidance in further refining student team objectives ">'''Regional and help them in building their entrepreneurial skillsets.Local Economic Development'''</span> =

They are planning to offer DifferenceMaker™ Faculty Workshops to help faculty consider how they might engage their own students in DifferenceMaker™ activities through course related activities and through co<span style="font-curricular activities. Our hope is that by engaging more facultyfamily:verdana, they in turn will serve as both mentors and catalysts for studentsgeneva, encouraging and guiding student project selection and development. They have also observed that student teams often need support and guidance from faculty from different disciplines, these workshops sans-serif;">'''Economic and an accompanying seed grant program are meant as catalysts to encourage interdisciplinary engagement among faculty,Social Development of Regions Department:'''</span>

While the overarching goal of the DifferenceMaker™ <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">This graduate program focuses on giving an interdisciplinary education that is tailored to encourage UMass Lowell students to develop sustainable and entrepreneurial solutions to fit the challenges and opportunities they will confront in this world, they anticipate another, potentially significant impact on needs of the University community itselfindividual. Our students will only be successful if they have By educating both the support private and public sectors of facultyeconomic and social development, alumni, business and community members. During our first year of this program activities, they have found these constituents to be most supportive and willing to mentor and work with our students.&nbsp; Alumni are mentoring and investing in student ventures.&nbsp; Faculty are working across disciplines to ensure their student teams make progress. Local profit and non-profit businesses are eager aims to create work with student teams, providing real-world problems and opportunities for student projects. In one short year, the DifferenceMaker™ program has been embraced by the greater University community. Our hope ready individuals that can bring innovation and plan is change to anchor this program in the curriculum shifting social and culture of the University, so all UMass Lowell students have an opportunity to make a difference in this worldeconomic environment.</span>

<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''Lowell Makes'''&nbsp;</span>

'''DifferenceMaker™ Contact<span style="font-family:'''verdana,geneva,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="color: rgb(68, 68, 68); line-height: 22px;">Lowell Makes&nbsp;is a non-profit, shared community workshop and laboratory. It is an organized group of local artists, engineers, makers, and thinkers who work together to provide tools and learning resources to the public.&nbsp;They use these resources to collaborate on individual and community projects in order to promote science, technology and art; while working and experimenting on innovative ideas to encourage learning within the community.</span></span></span>

<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">'''twitter: @difference_UMLMill No.5'''</span>

<span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Mill No.5 is one of the few non-UML entrepreneurial constructs in the Lowell urban environment. Like many mills in Lowell, it has been renovated and repurposed. Being subdivided and updated to proper code, there are rooms available for offices and start-ups looking to have an office space to centralize their resources.&nbsp;</span>

=<span style== '''Commercial Venture and Intellectual Property Office (CVIP)"font-family:''' ==verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Related Links</span> =

Commercial Ventures and Intellectual Property (CVIP) is responsible for the protection and commercialization of intellectual property at <span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">University Innovation Fellows:</span><p style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;"><span style="color:#0000cd;"><span style="font-size:small;">[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Stephen_Kender Stephen Kender]</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;"><span style="color:#0000cd;"><span style="font-size:small;">[[Ana Gouveia|Ana Gouveia]]</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;"><span style="color:#0000cd;"><span style="font-size:small;">[[James Abdallah|James Abdallah]]</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;"><span style="color:#0000cd;"><span style="font-size:small;">[[KevinMDesjardins|Kevin Desjardins]]</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;"><span style="color:#0000cd;"><span style="font-size:small;">[[Jacob Hulme|Jacob Hulme]]</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="font-family:verdana,geneva,sans-serif;"><span style="color:#0000cd;"><span style="font-size:small;">[[UMass Lowell.&nbsp;Student Priorities|UMass Lowell Student Priorities]]</span></span></span></p>