Innovation Initiative

Academic Year Activities

Under the direction of Bailey College Innovation Faculty Lead professor Erik Sapper, the following activities are currently being launched:

Academic Year Innovation Fellows

Each year, three summer Innovation Fellows will continue to develop their summer research projects through the academic year that follows. Fellows will work with their faculty advisors and initiative mentors take their project off campus, performing customer development exploration, securing external funding and considering project viability as a profit-making venture outside of academia.

Shadow-an-Executive program

Mentors and supporters of our initiative will visit campus to give college-wide seminars on their career path and work experience as start-up founders, executives, and innovation champions. After visiting with Bailey College students, select students will travel to visit the speaker on-site at their workplace, shadowing them through a day of work.

Quarterly speaker series

Quarterly speaker series to feature an alumni mentor/advisor in the program, stoking student and faculty interest and creating broader awareness of the initiative.

Exploration of a capital project

Exploration of a capital project to create a named Bailey College Innovation Space to include a wet lab and gathering space for students and faculty participating in the initiative.