Priorities:Washington State University Student Priorities
Contents
Project Pitch Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKZtC5XPAvw&feature=em-upload_owner
Overview
Washington State University is a college that focuses on programs and opportunities in innovation for the student body. All the programs offered on the campus are focused around specific disciplines and give each student the opportunity to network within their field of interest. Even though Washington State University has limited connections due to its location, there is a strong alumni base that offers various opportunities to students.
Strategic Plan #1: Increasing Communication and Collaboration Across Campus Regarding Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Opportunities already exist on campus and have the potential to shift the way WSU teaches I&E in the classroom.
Resource Nights:
Resource Nights are part of a 6-week program that offers students the chance to talk to alumni who have created start-ups. They are held in the Spring and run the first 6 weeks into the Spring semester. The speakers' backgrounds are varied and they offer valuable insight on various topics. This program is limited to students who are taking specific courses at WSU. The goal would be to open this up to all disciplines on the campus and give students within STEM programs the opportunities to gain the same knowledge.
Plan of action:
- Work with the College of Business and Engineering to gain speakers and to network
- Find local businesses that will support the events
Harold Frank Entreprenuership Program:
The Harold Frank Engineering Entrepreneurship Institute is made up of junior-level engineering and business students who are interested in technological entrepreneurship. The program aims to give students the tools and experiences they need to pursue their ideas. This program also promotes students to be involved on-campus and apply for the business competition offered in the spring. It focuses on creating cohesion between the college of engineering and the college of business. This program gives the students a real experience of the process of working with others with different backgrounds while getting the experience of starting a business from scratch. To be a part of this particular program, there is an application process; however, a majority of the classes in this program are offered to all students. The goal is to make students more aware of the courses within this program that available to them.
Frank Innovtion Zone:
The Frank Innovation Zone (FIZ) is the first WSU maker space intended for multidisciplinary groups. Existing in the WSU engineering building, the FIZ has several tools to help bring student ideass to life:
- Collaberative tables with TV monitors
- The walls of the FIZ have large TV screens on them which allows students to hook up their labtops for group projects. This makes doing homework and other projects easier as all memebers can view what is being worked on.
- Laser cutter
- The laser cutter can take CAD models and use the specified dimensions to cut out either plastic or wood to help bring student ideas to life.
- Wood/Metal fabrication shop
- The wood and metal fabrication shop has many wood working tools to help shape or cut designs of various materials.
- 3D printing shop
- The 3D printing lab has several variations of 3D printers for plastic design
- Electrical circuits shop
- The electrical circuits shop has various tools to help bring electronic designs to life. Soldering machines is one of the tools they have avaliable
Strategic Plan #2: Increasing Awareness of Resources
These plans focus on what can happen within the next year at WSU.
Pitch Workshop and Resource Awareness:
Many students at WSU have great ideas for engineering designs, potential businesses, or interesting projects to work on. The problem, however, is that many of these students do not know how to refine their ideas or access some of the resource's we have on campus. Our plan is to create the first WSU pitch workshop where students will have the ability to work with like-minded individuals on an idea while also getting coaching from experts in various fields. At the pitch workshops, there will be a special focus on promoting awareness for WSU resources.
Centralized Location for Information:
WSU has many different resources and great opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and even community members, but one of the main challenges is that people do not know how to find the information or resources they need. Having one central location that is a physical space that can be used to meet and collaborate with individuals across campus, and is a place where information can be physically posted would be a step in the right direction. The other option would be to create a single website where the university's resources are listed and have links to their pages, but is a place where information can be collected and shared.
Related Links
University Innovation Fellows Spring 2017: Kevin Wolfrom, Kiera Rust, Alyssa Norris, Bardya Banihashemi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKZtC5XPAvw&feature=em-upload_owner
University Innovation Fellows Spring 2016: Mitchell Scott, Ryan Pitzer, Victor Charoonsophonsak
University Innovation Fellow Spring 2014: Amber Graviet
University Innovation Fellow Spring 2013: Viviana Tran
Related links
