Prizes Awarded at 4th Annual Innovation Forum
On April 2nd, the Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education and the Jumpstart New Jersey Angel Network, in conjunction with Princeton's Office of Technology Licensing, held the 4th Annual Innovation Forum. The purpose of the event was to showcase Princeton research that offers the potential to be commercialized. Audience members included angel investors, venture capitalists, students, faculty, staff, and members of the Princeton area entrepreneurial community.
This year, for the first time, the top three innovations were awarded research funds in recognition of their work. The funds were awarded to the Principal Investigator for the research and will be used for the purpose of advancing the research for the presented innovation. The prize winners were:
- First Place, $25,000
- Innovation: Deep Penetrating Upconverting Nanoparticles for Photodynamic Cancer Therapy
- Presenter: Stephanie Budijono, Graduate Student, Chemical Engineering
- Principal Investigator: Robert Prud'homme, Professor, Chemical Engineering in collaboration with Yiguang Ju, Associate Professor, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and Jingning Shan, Associate Research Scholar, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
- Second Place, $10,000
- Innovation: Ultra Efficient Laser Spectroscopic Trace-Gas Sensors for Sensor Networks and Portable Chemical Analysis
- Presenter: Stephen So, Post Doctoral Research Associate, Electrical Engineering
- Principal Investigator: Gerard Wysocki, Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering
- Third Place, $5,000
- Innovation: EdgeXL: An Edge Acceleration Box for Slow Networks
- Presenter: Vivek Pai, Associate Professor, Computer Science
- Principal Investigator: Vivek Pai, Associate Professor, Computer Science
The following innovations were presented at this year's forum. Applications ranged from drug discovery to computer architecture to monetizing online content. A two-page summary of each innovation is accessible in the links below. For a single pdf that combines all the summaries, download it here.
- Tissue-Like Electronic Interfaces (pdf)
- A multiple-people MRI scanner that can simultaneously scan more than one person for studying brain responses of inter-person communication and physical contact (pdf)
- 3rd Place, EdgeXL: An Edge Acceleration Box for Slow Networks (pdf)
- Commercialization of Research in Holographic Optical Storage (pdf)
- 1st Place, Deep Penetrating Upconverting Nanoparticles for Photodynamic Cancer Therapy (pdf)
- Sharing Mart: A Monetary System for Online Content Trading (pdf)
- Efficient and Scalable Analysis Tool for Surveying Relative Abundance of Biologically Important Compounds in High Resolution LC-MS/MS Data (pdf)
- CoBlitz Unified: Leveraging Network Ownership for ISPs and Telcos (pdf)
- Rare Earth Doped Upconverting Nanophosphors (UCNPs) for Bio-imaging, Energy and Security Applications (pdf)
- 2nd Place, Ultra Efficient Laser Spectroscopic Trace-Gas Sensors for Sensor Networks and Portable Chemical Analysis (pdf)
- Addressing the Multicore Problem (pdf)
- Discovery of Entry Inhibitors for HIV-1 via a Novel De Novo Protein Design Framework (pdf)
The Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education extends its sincere thanks to our partners and sponsors, the Jumpstart New Jersey Angel Network, the law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, Princeton's Office of Technology Licensing, as well as to the presenting researchers, the judges, and the entrepreneurial community for making the 4th Annual Innovation Forum a success.
Greg Olsen, Entrepreneur in Residence, office hours for Spring 2009 are now available
Office hours for Dr. Greg Olsen, Entrepreneur in Residence in the School of Engineering and Applied Science (see announcement), have been scheduled for the spring 2009 semester.
If you competed in the TigerLaunch business plan competition, are taking Ed Zschau's High-Tech Entrepreneurship course, are participating in the Idea Factory, or you plan to present at the April 2nd Innovation Forum, Greg can help you think through your ideas to help move them to the next level.
During office hours, Greg will offer researchers and students one-on-one advice regarding potential entrepreneurial endeavors. To sign up for an appointment during Greg's office hours:
- Go to Greg's office hour schedule
- Login with your Princeton netID and password
- Select one of the time slots available as shown on the calendar
- Be sure to enter your home department, class year, and the topic you'd like to discuss with Greg
- Appointments are held in room ACE-26 in the EQuad
Dr. Olsen's appointment is with Princeton's Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education, in collaboration with the Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM).
A Sharp Knife and a Steady Hand: Perspectives on Leadership from a Surgeon
Laura Forese, MD '83, Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Medical Officer of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, gave the third talk in this year's "Leadership in a Technological World" lecture series on February 26, in the Friend Center Convocation Room.
About Laura Forese, MD '83
At New York Presbyterian, ranked number #6 by US News and World Report, Dr. Forese has responsibility for programs and operations for 1000 medical, surgical and psychiatric beds on two campuses.
She graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Princeton University and Alpha Omega Alpha from Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. A board-certified orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Forese also holds a degree in health services management from Columbia University. Through her membership in multiple professional and academic organizations, she is a frequent speaker on management topics in medicine including communication skills, risk management, and quality.
Dr. Forese is a Steering Committee member of the Women in Leadership Initiative at Princeton University where she also sits on the Leadership Council of the School of Engineering and Applied Science. An active participant in community and charitable organizations, Dr. Forese is a board member and Medical Advisory Committee chair of the Matthew Larson Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. She is married to Robert J. Downey, a thoracic surgeon; they have twin daughters and a son.
Fundamentals in Machining: a 5-week, 15-hour Workshop; Starts Feb 16
Come and learn to use machine shop and make the most of your research projects. If you can dream it up, you can learn how to make it.
This non-credit course provides undergraduate, graduate, and technical staff with hands-on experience in safe operating practices in the machine shop environment. In this 5-week, 15-hour workshop you will learn how to machine various types of metals by way of four different projects. Students will learn how to operate the most versatile and most commonly used machines in the industry today, the Bridgeport Milling Machine and the Engine Lathe.
After completing the course, you will be able to use, under supervision, the facilities in the student shop for fabrication of lab/research projects in order to enhance your learning experience at the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Read more about the course and the instructor, Larry McIntyre (pictured above, right), in this EQuad News article.
- Start date: Monday, February 16
- Class time: 1:30 to 4:30pm (4 students per section; once per week)
- Class size: 20 students
- Location: SEAS Machine Shop, lower level, C-wing, E-Quad
- Registration: Email to Larry McIntyre at mcintyre@princeton.edu. Please include these items in your email: status at Princeton (undergraduate/graduate & class) and your first and second choice of days (Mon-Fri).
Space is limited. Students will be accepted on a first-come first-served basis.
NetApp Founder traces path from the lab to the boardroom
Dave Hitz '86, Founder and Executive Vice President of NetApp gave the second talk in this year's "Leadership in a Technological World" lecture series on December 2nd in the Friend Center Convocation Room.
In his talk titled "How to Engineer Your Way From the Lab to the Boardroom," Dave shareed stories and lessons on his journey from Princeton CS student to the boardroom of a major technology company. Many of these lessons are highlighted in his forthcoming book, titled "How to Castrate a Bull: Unexpected Lessons on Risk, Growth, and Success in Business."
Dave Hitz co-founded NetApp in 1992 with James Lau and Michael Malcolm. He served as a programmer, marketing evangelist, technical architect, and vice president of engineering. Currently, he focuses on future strategy and setting the direction for the company. Dave graduated from Princeton in 1986 with a BSE in computer science.
MoreMark Jung shares insights into what it takes to pursue en entrepreneurial career
Mark Jung '82, Chairman of Songbird gave the first talk in this year's "Leadership in a Technological World" lecture series November 24th in the Friend Center Convocation Room.
Mark's talk, titled "The Entrepreneurial Career," provided members of the Princeton community with a sense of what to expect from the decision to pursue an entrepreneurial career, focusing on personal growth & development, challenge, and reward.
Mark has spent the last 20 years as a successful internet media CEO and entrepreneur. Most recently, Mark was the CEO at Vudu, a leading provider of digital home entertainment and interactive television services. Prior to Vudu, Mark was the Chief Operating Officer of Fox Interactive Media (FIM) where he was responsible for all of its internet properties including MySpace, IGN Entertainment, FoxSports.com, AmericanIdol.com, and Scout Media. Prior to Fox Interactive Media, Mark was the co-founder and CEO of IGN Entertainment, a leading Internet media and services company for videogaming and other forms of digital entertainment that he took public in 2000 and then private in 2003. Mark led IGN's sale to NewsCorp, the parent company of Fox Interactive Media in 2005. Mark holds an MBA from Stanford Business School and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University.
He is currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Songbird (POTI), and is a member of the Board of Directors of 3PAR. He is also a member of the Management Board of the Stanford Graduate School of Business as well as a member of the Board of Governors of the San Francisco Symphony.
MoreFive Princeton panelists describe the commercialization of university technology
A five member panel, moderated by Professor Ed Zschau, discussed various perspectives on what it takes to bring university research to the marketplace on November 19th in the Friend Center Auditorium. The panel session was the first event of the year in the Princeton-Jumpstart Lecture Series on Technology Entrepreneurship, a partnership between Princeton University and the Jumpstart New Jersey Angel Network.
The panel featured five members of the Princeton University community:
- Paul Prucnal, Professor of Electrical Engineering, Princeton University
- Jeffrey Rosedale '86, Patent Attorney, Woodcock Washburn
- Laura Schoppe *88, President, Fuentek, LLC
- John Lettow '95, Co-founder & President, Vorbeck Materials
- Ralph Taylor-Smith *94, Partner, Battelle Ventures
Ventures to Address Global Challenges: Doing Well by Doing Good
On November 18, 2008, John Danner, the Dean's Visiting Professor in Entrepreneurship and a Fellow in the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS), presented a lecture on "Ventures to Address Global Challenges: Doing Well by Doing Good."
Despite decades of international aid, extensive philanthropic attention, emerging corporate social responsibility initiatives and local government programs, major global challenges persist - from widespread poverty and preventable disease to inadequate education and unsafe water. An emerging cadre of entrepreneurs around the world are exploring new ways to tackle these issues with innovative ventures and technologies that complement more traditional approaches. Some of these efforts focus on "bottom of the pyramid" customers living on less than $2/day, while others work in different arenas. This talk described some of these ventures in a variety of international settings, the challenges they themselves face and the potential they represent.
About John Danner
John Danner is the Dean's Visiting Professor in Entrepreneurship this semester from the University of California Berkeley and also serves as a fellow in the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS). He is Senior Fellow of The Lester Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, where he teaches the core MBA course on entrepreneurship, as well as other graduate courses on business model innovation and strategies for startups. He also launched UC's campus-wide undergraduate course on entrepreneurship and global poverty. He began his entrepreneurial career as an undergraduate at Harvard, and has since been involved in startups of various types as entrepreneur, advisor and investor. In addition, he has worked as a management consultant, lawyer or senior executive in the private, nonprofit and public sectors in fields from education and healthcare to telecommunications and energy. A frequent speaker at conferences and seminars around the world, he is also senior moderator with The Aspen Institute's executive and global leadership programs. He received his J.D., M.P.H. and M.A.Ed. degrees from UC Berkeley. During his visit to Princeton, he will be teaching a course titled "Special Topics in Entrepreneurship: Ventures to Address Global Challenges."
Ventures to Address Global Challenges: Doing Well by Doing Good
On November 18, John Danner, the Dean's Visiting Professor in Entrepreneurship and a Fellow in the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS), presented a lecture on "Ventures to Address Global Challenges: Doing Well by Doing Good."
Despite decades of international aid, extensive philanthropic attention, emerging corporate social responsibility initiatives and local government programs, major global challenges persist - from widespread poverty and preventable disease to inadequate education and unsafe water. An emerging cadre of entrepreneurs around the world are exploring new ways to tackle these issues with innovative ventures and technologies that complement more traditional approaches. Some of these efforts focus on "bottom of the pyramid" customers living on less than $2/day, while others work in different arenas. This talk described some of these ventures in a variety of international settings, the challenges they themselves faced and the potential they represent.
About John Danner
John Danner is the Dean's Visiting Professor in Entrepreneurship this semester from the University of California Berkeley and also serves as a fellow in the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS). He is Senior Fellow of The Lester Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, where he teaches the core MBA course on entrepreneurship, as well as other graduate courses on business model innovation and strategies for startups. He also launched UC's campus-wide undergraduate course on entrepreneurship and global poverty. He began his entrepreneurial career as an undergraduate at Harvard, and has since been involved in startups of various types as entrepreneur, advisor and investor. In addition, he has worked as a management consultant, lawyer or senior executive in the private, nonprofit and public sectors in fields from education and healthcare to telecommunications and energy. A frequent speaker at conferences and seminars around the world, he is also senior moderator with The Aspen Institute's executive and global leadership programs. He received his J.D., M.P.H. and M.A.Ed. degrees from UC Berkeley. During his visit to Princeton, he will be teaching a course titled "Special Topics in Entrepreneurship: Ventures to Address Global Challenges."
Schlumberger technology advisor described the myths, realities and technical challenges facing the oil and gas industry
As demand for both oil and gas remain robust--propelled by energy needs in both the developed and the developing world, we wonder if production capacity has become much thinner, and is proving elusive to replace. On November 6th, François Auzerais *89, Houston-based Technology Advisor for Schlumberger presented the company's perspective on the current challenges of adding new oil and gas production capacity while maintaining that from existing fields. During his talk, he showed how the combination of better technology and smarter knowledge can ensure that sufficient reserves of oil and gas exist until substitute sources of energy become available.
Download the presentation (zip, 182 MB, includes ppt and embedded video files)
François Auzerais *89 joined Schlumberger in 1982 as a field engineer with several postings in South America. He later worked at Schlumberger-Doll Research in Ridgefield, Connecticut, as a research scientist before becoming Vice President Research for Schlumberger Oilfield Services. In his 26 years with Schlumberger, Francois covered all the aspect of the oilfield services and held jobs not only in operation and research but also in Engineering as VP product development for the Well Completion and Productivity Segment. François received a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University.
Student funding available for engineering projects and policy
We are pleased to announce the availability of two funds to support (a) "engineering students pursuing projects that offer exposure to engineering applications outside the classroom," and (b) "engineering students pursuing projects that combine engineering and policy".
Made possible by the Norman D. Kurtz '58 Fund for Innovation in Engineering Education and the Eugene Wong '55 Fund for Engineering and Policy, students (either as individuals or in groups) can apply for funding.
- Funding is open to all School of Engineering and Applied Science undergraduate students
- Students require the support and supervision of a faculty adviser
- Applications MUST be submitted no later than November 12, 2008
Later this year, funds will also be made available through the Wong '55 fund to support "engineering students pursuing internships that combine engineering and policy."
Completed applications should be delivered to the Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education (ACE-21 EQuad). More details are contained in the application.
To learn more about Norman Kurtz '58, download this article (pdf, 176KB) from the Spring/Summer 2006 edition of the EQuad News.
To learn more about Eugene Wong '55, read this article from the Summer 2007 edition of the EQuad News.
Please direct any questions to Stephanie Landers in the Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education.
MoreMATLAB short course, Sep 30 and Oct 1
This is a School of Engineering and Applied Science short course on the basics of programming in MATLAB. It is intended for students who have some prior exposure to programming and who want to learn the MATLAB programming environment. MATLAB is used in many upper level engineering courses and students find it useful for performing a wide variety of technical computing tasks for their senior independent work.
The course has two meetings. Each meeting consists of a lecture presentation followed by a hands on programming tutorial under the guidance of teaching assistants. The course carries no credit and will not appear on your transcript. Enrollment is limited. To register please email slanders@princeton.edu with MATLAB (for undergraduate students) and MATLAB GRAD (for graduate students) in the subject line.
Meeting times:
Sep 30 and Oct 1 (Tue and Wed); 6:30-7:30pm lecture, 7:30-8:30pm computer lab for undergraduate students and 8:30-9:30pm computer lab for graduate students.
Location:
Lectures are in Friend 101; and the Lab on Tuesday will be in Friend 009 and 016, and on Wednesday in Friend 016 and in the Electrical Engineering Teaching Lab, F Wing, 100 Level, Under EQuad Cafe.
Keller gift of $25 million to support innovation in engineering education
PRINCETON, N.J. -- Recognizing an international need for leaders who can harness technology to solve societal problems, alumnus and innovator in education Dennis J. Keller and his wife Constance Templeton Keller have given Princeton University $25 million to strengthen links between engineering and the liberal arts.
The Kellers' gift will endow and name the University's recently created Center for Innovation in Engineering Education in addition to supporting other initiatives in engineering and ecology.
The new center fosters teaching and student projects that cross conventional academic disciplines, preparing students in all fields -- within engineering and across the natural sciences, humanities and social sciences -- to work side by side to solve problems.
"Major issues facing society today -- energy, environment, health, security -- require a mix of technological, political, economic and historical perspectives," said President Shirley M. Tilghman. "The Kellers, in their tremendous generosity, recognize that need and have given us an exceptionally strong foundation on which to integrate engineering into a liberal arts education."
The gift builds on Princeton's longstanding strength in educating engineers who are broadly grounded in the liberal arts and can reach beyond purely technical approaches to achieve wise and creative solutions. The new center also seeks to extend those connections by creating and supporting engineering courses that attract liberal arts students. For all students, the center emphasizes entrepreneurship, leadership and service.
This initiative comes at a time when studies of the engineering profession and economic competitiveness, including two recent reports from the National Academies, are calling for better integration of technical problem solving within a general education. "With its strengths in both engineering and the liberal arts, Princeton is in a unique position to respond to the need for a new approach to engineering education," said H. Vincent Poor, dean of engineering. "The gift from Dennis and Connie Keller will help set a standard that we expect will have an impact well beyond Princeton."
The pursuit of innovation in engineering education has a personal resonance for Dennis Keller, a charter trustee and vice chair of the executive committee of the Princeton University board of trustees. Keller is the founding chairman of DeVry Inc., one of the world's largest publicly held higher education organizations. DeVry provides educational opportunities to more than 100,000 students worldwide, with an emphasis on preparing them for careers in technology, healthcare, business and management.
MoreDemystifying innovation: SRI chief calls for focus on 'value creation'
The ability to innovate is not a skill limited to an elite few -- it is something everyone can learn to do, entrepreneur and executive Curtis Carlson told a Princeton audience Feb. 13.
More important, it is something more people must do if our society is to prosper and become sustainable, said Carlson, who is president and chief executive of SRI, an independent, non-profit research institute.
"The good news is that we live in a world of abundance, not scarcity," he said, speaking not of material things, but human ability. "There are no limits to ideas and creativity in the knowledge age."
Carlson's talk, "The Journey from Invention to Innovation," was the first of two events in this year's Princeton-Jumpstart Lecture Series on Technology Entrepreneurship.
Innovation can come in many forms, he said, from the classic disposable razor blade to a revolutionary approach for the manufacturing and distribution of computers. It is not limited to the technical disciplines or the corporate realm and can come from artists and nurses, or chefs and professors, he added.
"Innovation is the creation and delivery of new customer value in the marketplace," he explained. "An invention is not innovation. Creativity is not innovation. Clever ideas are not innovation. Until someone uses the idea, it's just another interesting idea."
MoreGrowing up: Advertising.com chief shares secrets for success
Teamwork, trust and collaboration are key to helping a startup grow in a constantly changing marketplace, Advertising.com chief executive Lynda Clarizio '82 said at a Feb. 7 talk.
"It's not about individual contribution," Clarizio said. "You can't make anything successful unless you have teamwork."
In her talk, "Advancing a Startup: Becoming a Big Business," Clarizio shared insights from her experiences at Advertising.com since joining the company as CEO in 2006 with a mandate to grow the organization.
"How do you achieve great results?" she asked. "You have to make sure everyone understands how their work contributes to the success of the business."
The talk was part of the "Leadership in a Technological World" lecture series, sponsored by Princeton's Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education. The annual series is underwritten by the William Pierson Field Lectureship fund.
Prior to joining the Baltimore-based Advertising.com, Clarizio spent seven years at AOL, holding a variety of senior positions, including executive vice president of AOL's audience business and senior vice president for corporate strategic and financial planning. Before joining AOL, she was a partner in the Washington, D.C.-based law firm of Arnold & Porter. She is on the board of Human Rights First and the Princeton University Women in Leadership Steering Committee.
MoreBeyond start-ups: Harnessing entrepreneurship for wide-ranging endeavors
Entrepreneurial thinking is not just for start-up companies and can be applied to all situations, business school professor Julian Lange told a Princeton audience Oct. 4 as he kicked off a five-workshop series on "Harnessing the Power of Entrepreneurship."
Entrepreneurship is about creating new ideas, putting them into action and creating value for the stakeholders, he said. While value is often equated with money, Lange encouraged audience members to broaden their definition of the term.
"Nothing is wrong with creating companies that produce useful goods for society, but there are many other organizations that entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial ways of thinking can benefit," he said. These include governments, large corporations and nonprofit organizations.
Whatever the endeavor, successful entrepreneurs pursue their passions relentlessly, take action and have fun, Lange said. But, they aren't perfect.
"If you're not making mistakes, you're not trying hard enough, not taking enough chances," he said, offering a quote from hockey legend Wayne Gretzky: "You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take."
MorePeople, innovation and fun: Xerox executive discusses leadership and technology
From conducting "dreaming sessions" with customers to hiring a high school student to run errands, Xerox executive Sophie Vandebroek shared professional and personal insights into leadership and technology at a talk Nov. 15.
"You have to create an environment where the researchers and the scientists and all the people working with you have fun," said Vandebroek, Xerox's chief technology officer, as she outlined five basic principles that guide her work and personal interactions.
"It's all about making someone passionate because only if you're passionate do you do really great work."
Her talk, "Xerox Innovation," was part of the "Leadership in a Technological World," lecture series sponsored by Princeton's Center for Innovation in Engineering Education and underwritten by the William Pierson Field Lectureship fund.
In addition to creating an inspiring environment, Vandebroek said she focuses on hiring the best and most diverse group of people and building strong working relationships within the company; listening to customers; supporting open innovation and partnering with outside companies with strong ideas; and looking for opportunity even in the worst of situations.
The principles have all been important as Xerox has executed one of the most dramatic corporate turn-arounds in recent history. The company was on the verge of bankruptcy in 2000 when its current chief executive Anne Mulcahy (who delivered a previous address in the same lecture series) took over. Refocusing its products and level of innovation, the company quickly returned to profitability, going from a loss of $400 million per year to a net income of $1.2 billion. In the last two years, the company refreshed 95 percent of its product line, Vandebroek said.
MoreBeyond startups: Entrepreneurial thinking in corporations
Classic entrepreneurial thinking -- creating new markets for entirely new products -- can be a route to failure at large corporations, even when very well managed, a senior Boeing executive told a Princeton audience Nov. 13.
Walter Skowronski (left in photo), president of Boeing Capital and senior vice president of Boeing Corp., spoke about corporate entrepreneurship at the last of five workshops on applying the principles of entrepreneurship in settings other than start-up companies.
Calling Boeing an exceptionally well run company and an "absolute powerhouse when it comes to technology," Skowronski described several of the company's entrepreneurial initiatives that ended well short of original expectations, from a $200 million fund for seeding spin-off technology ventures to a new system for air traffic management. All were attempts to significantly increase revenue -- or "move the needle" -- at a company that already has more than $60 billion in annual revenues.
Boeing launched a number of new ventures and initiatives earlier this decade. Many ended the victim of bad timing, either a) being ahead of their time, or b) caught in the downdraft of major economic shifts. Others simply lacked the appropriate resources or expertise required for success.
MoreBeyond startups: Barriers to entrepreneurship in academia can be surmounted
University researchers do not often bring new products and services directly to the marketplace, but a key part of their job is same as that of entrepreneurs, according one panelist at a Nov. 8 workshop on entrepreneurship.
"We find ways of doing things that weren't done before and find things out about the world that weren't known before," said Ed Felten, a Princeton professor of computer science and director of the Center for Information Technology Policy. "That's our core job."
The panel discussion on "Entrepreneurship in Higher Education" was the fourth in a series of five workshops on applying the principles of entrepreneurship in settings other than start-up companies. Other topics in the series, led by visiting professor Julian Lange, included government, economic development, non-profits and large corporations.
While intellectual entrepreneurship is the bread and butter of faculty research, Felten said, organizational entrepreneurship within institutions of higher education is a different matter and happens less often. His co-panelists, Nancy Malkiel, Princeton's dean of the college, and David Botstein, a geneticist and director of the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, told the audience about their own efforts to bring about change within the teaching and administrative structure of Princeton.
"I have no ability to make change happen unless I can persuade a significant fraction of some 800-plus faculty members that it makes sense," Malkiel said. "Unlike someone in the corporate world, I can't say: Do this. I have to rely on persuasion and analysis and a variety of other efforts that might be described as soft, rather than hard power."
MoreBeyond startups: Entrepreneurship in non-profit organizations
Entrepreneurial thinking is essential to the growth of non-profit and non-governmental organizations, Francis Pandolfi, the former chief operating officer of the U.S. Forest Service, said Oct. 18 at Princeton.
"Entrepreneurs have to be ready to deal with change and develop new opportunities from things that change. It is no different in the not-for-profit sector," he said. Pandolfi, who earned his B.S.E. in chemical engineering at Princeton in 1965, has experience in both the private and the public sectors. Prior to his position in government, he served as the chief executive officer of the Times-Mirror Magazines Corp.
Now working as a consultant to non-governmental organizations, Pandolfi discussed four important topics for non-profit entrepreneurs in the third workshop in the "Harnessing the Power of Entrepreneurship" series, sponsored by the Center for Innovation in Engineering Education. The series explores the application of entrepreneurial practices in settings other than startup ventures.
First, Pandolfi stressed the importance of a statement of purpose to non-profit organizations of all sizes.
"Private-sector organizations are profit-driven, non-governmental organizations are mission-driven," he said. "It's a very crucial distinction." This emphasis makes it imperative for organizations to have a compelling and competitively distinct statement that provides guidance and definition. "You're looking for an action tool versus a slogan."
All operations are faced with options and must decide between alternative uses for resources, whether a publishing house trying to choose whether to acquire another magazine or a small non-profit organization selecting particular programs to fund. A clear statement of purpose will help non-profit managers decide whether a given option will help accomplish their overarching goals, Pandolfi said.
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