Community Catalysts

Meet Cohort 11

Dr. Ahmed Oun

Assistant Professor, Ohio Northern University

"By integrating an entrepreneurial mindset (EM) in the class, this teaching approach highlights the importance of the different topics, fostering critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills crucial for the student's careers. Real-world examples and hands-on activities enhance subject relatability, illustrating the tangible impact of engineering in diverse industries. Enabling a creative problem-solving approach, emphasizing leadership through difficult discussions, and promoting innovative thinking prepare students for technical challenges and interpersonal aspects of future careers. This commitment creates a dynamic learning environment, bridging the gap between ideas and real-world applications and influencing students' engagement and understanding of different subjects."

Dr. Ahmed Sayed

Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, EECS Dept., Milwaukee School of Engineering

"I try to gather my practical knowledge and hands-on experience to add the entrepreneurial mindset (EM) flavor to all my courses. I now consider the 3 Cs as an integral part of my my teaching style. Since I started applying the EM framework in my courses, my student’s satisfaction rates went significantly higher. My favorite C is the making Connections, and that mainly comes out of me being a biomedical engineer, which connects many engineering disciplines and medical knowledge to help our stake holders achieve their goals."

Amy Trowbridge

Associate Teaching Professor & Director, Grand Challenges Scholars Program, Arizona State University

"When I first learned about the entrepreneurial mindset (the 3Cs), it gave me language to describe the mindset that I think all engineers should have: being curious, and making connections to create value for society. Engineering is all about impact, and exploring how we can make a difference in the lives of people around the world. Utilizing EML strategies, I can encourage students to let their curiosities drive and direct their learning, and I act as a facilitator helping to ensure they stay on track toward their own skills development while creating value for others."

Dr. Carmen Cioc

Associate Professor, The University of Toledo

"Incorporating EML into my courses proved transformative for me and my students, and I observed firsthand its profound impact on engineering students. Beyond enhancing their engineering skillset, it nurtures curiosity, innovation, resilience, teamwork, professionalism, and a proactive mindset. EML is a catalyst for change, shaping well-rounded engineers and future leaders with a comprehensive skill set essential for success in an ever-evolving engineering environment. #KEENimpact."

Dr. Dana Marmolejo

Assistant Professor, Saint Louis University

"EM is the heartbeat of my engineering courses. It's about more than just teaching; it's about shaping students' outlook on life and work. I weave EM principles into our learning journey. From brainstorming sessions to hands-on projects, I encourage students to think outside the box, forge connections between ideas, and create something meaningful. Whether it's through problem-solving exercises or collaborative endeavors, I aim to cultivate in them a spirit of innovation and resilience. Seeing them embrace this mindset and apply it to their academic and personal lives is incredibly rewarding and reaffirms the importance of integrating EM into engineering education."

Dr. Kapil Gangwar

Assistant Professor, Wentworth Institute of Technology

"At the confluence of 'So-what' and 'What-if' lies a 'Let’s go see!' attitude that germinates innovation and entrepreneurial mindset. Cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset among engineering students is not just about creating products, but about shaping the future through creativity, resilience, and a relentless drive to solve the world's challenges."

Dr. Khaled Adjerid

Professor, Tulane University

"Possessing EM is crucial for the professionals of the future to take the material we teach them in our classrooms out into the real world. At Tulane in Science and Engineering, we start teaching Entrepreneurially Minded Learning from the first courses offered Freshman year all the way through Senior Thesis and Capstone courses. We connect their project and coursework with real world stakeholders giving a value creation mind-set at the outset. Graduates of our programs are industry leaders and innovators at major companies and hospitals, or go on to start their own companies, being forces of value creation wherever they are."

Dr. Maria Kyrarini

Assistant Professor and David Packard Jr. Faculty Fellow, Santa Clara University

"Students who are exposed to entrepreneurial mindset during their studies can identify real-world problems and find solutions by using creativity, innovation, problem-solving, and collaboration. Learning about the 3Cs plays an important role in shaping the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs."

Dr. Melissa Montalbo-Lomboy

Lecturer, Rowan University

"EM is such a beautiful universal approach that it can be easily integrated everywhere. I infused EM into many multi-discipline projects, such as algae-to-biofuel, water under the bridge, autonomous car, and tire design projects. It is incredible to see the students' journey through curiosity about the design process, connecting it to their discipline and various applications, to creating value that impacts the community. It is truly fulfilling, especially when students say, 'Ah, so that's how it connects!'"

Dr. Michelle Marincel Payne

Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

"EM allows us to engage with our students as co-collaborators in learning. Not only is it necessary to think bigger, rebelliously, creatively, it is fun! My students hone their engineering identities through storytelling and their leadership skills through practice with difficult conversations with entrepreneurial mindset as the throughline."

Mitra Anand

Advanced Technology and Prototyping Specialist, Associate Director Makerspace, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

"As the Associate Director of Makerspace and I&E Integration at WPI, I consider the entrepreneurial mindset crucial within our engineering education framework. It propels students to tackle challenges, innovate, and persevere through difficulties. Integrating this mindset into our project-based learning curriculum enables students to identify and seize opportunities, fostering a culture of resilience and innovation. The impact on our students is significant—they not only become adept problem solvers but also amazing innovators capable of making a difference in the rapidly evolving world."

Dr. Neil Petroff

Associate Professor and Department Head, Tarleton State University

"I enjoy the thrill of exploring creative methods to educate and create a collective learning experience with students in their academic journey. As a component of the engineering field, engineering technology utilizes hands-on learning and real-world applications to foster the integration of theoretical knowledge and practical skills. This approach enables our students to perceive technology from the perspectives of theory, implementation, and advancement. Especially with the world changing so fast, adopting entrepreneurial mindset learning serves as a natural framework to further build this ecosystem of learning."

Dr. Rachel Kohman

Director of Kummer Student Programs, Missouri University of Science and Technology

"I’ve found incredible value for students when they start to think differently and apply the 3C’s to their experiences both in and out of the classroom setting. EM pushes students to go outside the box and dig into the untapped potential through the framework of the 3C’s. That mindset shift is what is going to make a difference for the world around us, to reframe how we approach the big challenges facing our world. Integrating the EM mindset in students’ undergraduate programs is the best way to help them be prepared to tackle those challenges."

Dr. Reza Mehrabian

Assistant Professor, South Dakota Mines

"Entrepreneurial mindset (EM) is pivotal in STEM education, infusing innovation into the fabric of learning. As an educator and researcher in robotics, cyber-physical systems, and AI, I believe EM empowers students to transcend conventional boundaries. It fosters an environment where students don't just absorb knowledge but actively engage as co-creators."

Dr. Soheil Fatehiboroujeni

Assistant Professor of Practice, Colorado State University

"Our engineering students are the future of the profession. As they engage with the entrepreneurial mindset in my classes, seeing their inspiration for creative, enterprising, and empowering ways of solving engineering problems has a been the most effective way for me to discover their core motivations and help them along their nascent journey in the field of mechanical engineering."

Dr. Vedang Chauhan

Assistant Professor, Western New England University

"EM helps me stay up to date with the current developments in my field of work. We live in an ever-changing world where innovation happens at a rate faster than ever. Educators must stay current to prepare students for the future. At Engineering Unleashed events, I learn new EM-based teaching pedagogies. The entrepreneurial mindset boosts positivity and drive in me and my students, sparking curiosity and innovation. I support integrating this mindset into education to empower future innovators."