Course to benefit grad students
By Genevieve Puppe
Staff
Writer
Ph.D. students in science and engineering are combining
with management students in a new course called Innovation 101.
This course forms various teams, which are made
up of master's management students and Ph.D. engineering and science
students, for a two-year time frame.
For the science and engineering students the program
is a fellowship one funded by a National Science Foundation grant. For
the management students the program is like an internship.
Marie Thursby, a Krannert Graduate School of Management
professor and primary investigator of the science foundation grant,
said this is a practical course for students because most science and
engineering doctorates go into industry.
Thursby said in a release that "the ultimate goal
over five years is to create an educational program that will attract
rigorous Ph.D. research scientists and management students interested
in transforming basic science and technology into viable marketplace
products."
The course takes place in the Innovation Realization
Lab and the overall goal is to educate students on patent laws, how
to identify markets and the value of new technologies.
"The course work we do here is primarily a
seminar series," said Tom Ortiz, a graduate student. "We discuss
ways to direct research so that it is more commercially viable."
This semester's course covers various subjects
such as ethical issues with new product developments, collecting data,
ownership and new drug developments.
Another important topic covered is market regulations
that would affect the Food and Drug Administration.
"Rather than advancing human knowledge for
our own sake, the course is more about getting graduate students more
in tune with the needs of the product development environment,"
said Ortiz. "The course makes engineers more comfortable with what
businesses do."
During the two years of realization lab, internship
students are committed to two credit hours per semester in seminar courses.
Students are also required to meet with the Ph.D.
member of the team to go over the development of market studies, business
plans and evaluation scenarios, and support faculty members interested
in commercializing their research.
During their second year, students are required
to develop a case-teaching document about their team's experience.
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