FLORENCE– The University of North Alabama was one of the 14 new U.S. colleges and universities recently selected by the National Science Foundation-funded National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation to join the Pathways to Innovation Program.
The Pathways to Innovation Program is designed to help institutions fully incorporate innovation and entrepreneurship into undergraduate engineering education. The program is run by Epicenter, which is funded by the NSF and directed by Stanford University and the VentureWell.
UNA’s Director of Innovation and Engineering,
Mitch Hamm
, along with leaders from each new Pathways team, recently met at Stanford University in November. A second meeting slated for January will bring together teams of four-to-five faculty members and administrators from each school to analyze the needs and opportunities at their schools and develop plans for transforming the undergraduate engineering experience.
“Being selected to the Pathways to Innovation initiative is one of the most illuminating opportunities I have experienced,” said Hamm. “I feel it will allow us to fast track how we integrate innovation and entrepreneurship experiences for all of our students, regardless of their major.”
UNA and the 14 other new teams will join 36 institutional teams that are currently participating in the program. Projects include innovation certificates and majors, maker and flexible learning spaces, first-year and capstone courses, faculty fellows programs, and innovation centers. Program teams receive access to models for integrating entrepreneurship into engineering curriculum, custom online resources, networking opportunities, and guidance from a community of engineering and entrepreneurship faculty, and membership in a national network of schools with similar goals.
The following university teams were selected for the 2016 Pathways program:
Binghamton University, SUNY
California State University, Northridge
City College of NY, CUNY
Florida A&M University / Florida State University
Grand Valley State University
Louisiana Tech University
Portland State University
South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
South Dakota State University
University of New Hampshire
University of North Alabama
University of South Florida
Western Carolina University
Western Kentucky University
For more information about the Pathways to Innovation Program: http://epicenter.stanford.edu/pathways-to-innovation.
media release/University of North Alabama/Bryan Rachal, University Communications
