State has been selected to participate in the upcoming Pathways to Innovation Program, a program run by the National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation, or Epicenter. The program, which is designed to help institutions fully incorporate innovation and entrepreneurship into undergraduate engineering education, is funded by the National Science Foundation and directed by Stanford University and VentureWell.
“Innovation and entrepreneurship are high priorities for the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering. The opportunity for our students to partner with their contemporaries in peer/prestigious schools like James Madison University, Case Western University and Temple University can only strengthen these qualities in our undergraduates,†said Dean Lew Brown, noting South Dakota State joins 13 others in the third cohort of the two-year program. “We feel very fortunate to have been selected. I know that the cross-disciplinary team-building and communication skills required with the Epicenter will enhance the strong technical skills our students already gain.â€
Thirty-six U.S. schools are currently participating in the program. Their projects include innovation certificates and majors, flexible learning spaces, first-year and capstone courses, faculty fellows programs and innovation centers. Several cross-institutional collaborations have resulted from the first group of schools, and participants are able to connect regularly to share best practices and resources.
The Pathways to Innovation Program is designed to help institutions fully incorporate innovation and entrepreneurship into undergraduate engineering education. Participating schools assemble a team of faculty and academic leaders to assess their institution’s current offerings, design a unique strategy for change and lead their peers in a transformation process. Program teams receive access to models for integrating entrepreneurship into engineering curriculum, custom online resources, guidance from a community of engineering and entrepreneurship faculty, and membership in a national network of schools with similar goals.
