Page 46 - Technology and Innovation Journal - 19-1

384 FOSSUM ET AL.

both domestic and international universities. We’ve from students is strongly positive, and we continue
also experimented with positioning the opportu- to evolve the program and its features based on
nity as a program versus a fellowship opportunity our assessment activities.
but have not yet made any conclusions about which
presentation is more attractive to students. We con- ASSESSMENT
tinue to refine these approaches in the program. The program has joint goals of teaching skills
for innovation and preparing students for gener-
Admissions ating intellectual property and forming or joining
Candidates submit the same core application mate- enterprises that bring intellectual property to fru-
rials as for the regular engineering Ph.D. program, ition. In addition to assessing outcomes in terms
including GRE/TOEFL scores, intent essays, letters of of intellectual property generated, technology
recommendation, and transcripts. Additional materi- enterprises formed or joined, and student feed-
als required are a two-page essay elaborating on their back on courses targeting innovation skills, we
interest in innovation and providing an example of have employed high-touch mechanisms such as
creativity in arriving at a solution, a sample funding student meetings and check-ins with the dean and
proposal for a technology development project, and the program faculty coordinator and an annual
a C.V. Applications are due at the same time as our meeting with at least one member of the school’s
regular Ph.D. program applications, and the screen- Board of Overseers. In addition, a comprehen-
ing process begins in a similar way but is performed sive assessment interview was conducted with all
by a dedicated faculty panel focused on innovation current and finishing participants in 2012, with
requirements and fit. Students who are chosen for another scheduled for 2017.
consideration are invited to a panel interview. The Assessment interviews indicated the need to
panel further confirms the interest and aptitudes of enhance networking and informal events for the
the candidate and provides the candidate an opportu- program participants. In response to this feed-
nity to demonstrate fundamental knowledge, critical back, several events were planned on an annual or
thinking, and presentation skills around their tech- semi-annual basis to bring participants together to
nology interest area. Each student offered admission meet with inventors and entrepreneurs, network
into the program must have an established faculty with each other and faculty, and connect with
sponsor who will be their adviser and who may pro- cross-campus student and alumni entrepreneur
vide financial support during the student’s first two networks and programs. Students also gave feed-
years. back about courses, including the Introduction to
Innovation course. Students have noted positive
Brief History To Date learning outcomes in the innovation skill and
The program began in July 2008 with a goal of knowledge areas of intellectual property and law,
enrolling up to five students a year based on interest marketing, finance and accounting, enterprise
and match. As of Fall 2017, thirty-six students (twen- planning and formation, and the development
ty-six men and ten women) will have entered the and oral presentation of enterprise proposals. In
program. Of the fourteen who have received Ph.D. the area of the internship, students asked for addi-
degrees, six founded start-ups, two became postdocs tional mentoring and support in order to be able
in the medical field, and the rest are involved with to optimize the integration of their internships
start-ups. None of them have gone on to academic with other Ph.D. activities.
teaching positions. Two have withdrawn, and twenty Since the program is entering its ninth year and
are currently in the program. The curriculum has has had thirteen participants who have completed
remained consistent during this period, with mod- a Ph.D., it is possible to begin looking at outcomes
est changes to innovation coursework content and in terms of intellectual property generated and
approach. Internships have taken a variety of forms, start-up enterprises formed or joined by partic-
but most involve early-stage enterprises: the student’s ipants. While looking at the number of patent
own venture, early- and later-stage start-ups, technol- filings can be misleading and ignores issues of
ogy incubators, and venture capital firms. Feedback quality vs. quantity, it is a convenient metric. The