Home : Volume 33 : Winter 2007
Pinpoint: A message from the dean

Dean Paul S. Peercy (Large image)

In recent PINPOINT articles, I discussed some of the challenges we face in preparing our students to compete in an increasingly global, knowledge-based economy. Modern computing and communication tools now allow engineers in advanced developing nations such as India and China to compete for work with U.S. engineers. As the quantity of engineers educated in developing countries increases and their quality improves, our students must acquire expertise that equips them for success in this new environment.

Thanks to the generous support of our alumni and the hard work of our faculty and staff, we have planted the seeds of programs that can give our students an edge in a global economy. While making sure that our students obtain an education that is strong in the foundation and fundamentals of their chosen discipline, we also are enabling them to add breadth to their education in various ways. For example, we are infusing the curriculum with the concepts of entrepreneurism. Not only will our graduates have the ability to design new products, they will also understand what is required to bring those products and solutions to market.

Our Innovation Days competition is in its 13th year. Chemical engineering alumnus Dick Schoofs (BS ’53) and electrical and computer engineering alumnus Peter Tong (MS ’65) generously support the Schoofs Prize for Creativity and Tong Prototype Prize each year, offering not only engineering students, but every undergraduate on the UW-Madison campus, the opportunity to come up with his or her own idea and then learn about prototyping a device or process, assessing market potential, protecting intellectual property, marketing an idea to investors, and much more.

This year, Peter Tong created a new prize for biomedical engineering (BME) students. Teams of these innovative students work closely with faculty to solve problems in healthcare. One of the unique aspects of our BME program is that every undergraduate student is required to work on a design project each semester. Because these projects are ineligible for the Innovation Days competitions, Peter Tong created an award program to encourage BME students to also build prototypes. In the BME student competition, in addition to an award for best presentation, the student with the most promising innovation will be given a faculty-supervised job. The student’s responsibility under this paid position is to move his or her innovation to the next phase of commercialization.

Tong also sponsors the college Business for Engineers course, which introduces students to issues in business. The course uses guest speakers from the private sector to illuminate the subtleties of various business case studies. Students work in groups, reading and preparing for detailed in-class discussions of critical issues in the operation of a business, such as introducing a new product or assessing the competitive risks of entering (or not entering) a new market. Business for Engineers depends, and is graded on, class participation, discussion, and even debate.

Last fall, this course was team taught by Pehr Anderson and Teresa Esser. Esser holds bachelor’s degrees from MIT in both brain and cognitive science and creative writing. Anderson is co-founder of NBX Corporation. NBX developed a packet-based voice and data telephone system for the small and midsize office market and was acquired by 3Com Corporation in 1999.

Another biomedical engineering initiative started this academic year is the Biomedical Engineering Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) program. The EIR is intended to stimulate interest and educate faculty and students about entrepreneurial opportunities and mechanisms for commercializing translational biomedical engineering research. The honorary title is extended to entrepreneurs from around the United States who have diverse experience in biomedical entrepreneurship. Matt Ogle, president and CEO of Lumen Biomedical Inc., with headquarters in Minneapolis, is the EIR this year.

We have a new opportunity to build upon these programs. Working with the UW Office of Corporate Relations, a campus-wide committee secured $5 million in matching funds from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to help train students in the principles and practices of entrepreneurship and spur greater research commercialization statewide. The Kauffman Foundation named UW-Madison as one of its nine “Kauffman Campuses.” As a Kauffman Campus, UW-Madison has pledged to raise more than three times the money received from the Kauffman Foundation to sustain new entrepreneurial programs long-term.

With a share of these funds and your support, the college will create a full-time faculty position dedicated to teaching students how to start a business and to expanding entrepreneurism on our campus.

The growing complexity of engineering issues requires engineers of the 21st century to have knowledge beyond their core discipline. With your support, we will continue to reshape and improve the College of Engineering so that our graduates will be equipped for success and leadership in today’s rapidly changing world.

Paul S. Peercy, Dean

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Date last modified: 29-Mar-2006
Date created: 03-Feb-2006

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