KEENzine1

6 The KEEN Program was established because higher education should foster both technical skills and an entrepreneurial mindset. The KEEN Program was established to enable individuals to achieve personal fulfillment and a high- impact life through entrepreneurially minded engineering. The Need for KEEN 1 2 3 The KEEN Program was established to support the development of entrepreneurially minded engineers who transform the U.S. workforce. Because commerce is fundamentally the exchange of value, the success of our economy relies upon individuals who are exceptionally capable of creating value as they engineer products and services in an increasingly global marketplace. In order to flourish, engineers must have a sound business case for their goods and services and understand the societal impact of their endeavors. Whether they are contributors to public or private sectors, through new ventures or corporations, engineers must be equipped with an entrepreneurial mindset if the United States is to remain economically competitive. Higher education fails students if they are merely required to memorize information and execute routine operations. A mindset transcends a single area of study, encompassing the entire educational experience – technical and broadening studies, experiential learning, and institutional culture. Engineering programs should expose students to a broad, practical, multidisciplinary education. Technical acumen alone is not enough. The study of engineering and scientific principles provides people with a lifelong advantage when faced with opportunities and challenges. Engineers must have the necessary skills to analyze complex problems and create solutions. This allows them to have a positive impact on customers, society, and the economy, leading to personal satisfaction and reward. Our deepest human needs for identity and purpose – for creativity and making a contribution to the world – can be realized through entrepreneurially minded engineering.