Embracing an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

Embracing an Entrepreneurial

Ecosystem Bold Moves to Elevate Science Education By Kris Ross

Success doesn’t come from doing certain things. It comes from doing things a certain way. That’s Darryl Scriven’s practical yet brazen approach to life, learning and leadership. Now, as the new dean of the School of Arts & Sciences and fellow in The Shipley Center for Innovation, he’s ready to take Clarkson’s programs to the next level, with a focus on entrepreneurial science. >

Scriven studied mathematics, philosophy and religion at Florida A&M University and went on to earn an MA and PhD in philosophy from Purdue University. His curriculum vitae shines with progressive leadership positions in higher education as a professor, program chair and administrator. Scriven is also an author, filmmaker and entrepreneur who took a four-year break from his academic career to concentrate on establishing and growing one of his four businesses.

A divergence from academia is sure to raise questions when being considered for a new university leadership position. But when Scriven began conversations with Clarkson, the response was different than he expected.

“I talked with President Tony Collins and Provost Robyn Hannigan,” he recalls. “I kept hearing the same message — that Clarkson values entrepreneurs. So instead of the usual question, ‘Why’d you quit your job and start a business?’ Tony said, ‘You have a fantastic CV. Look at all this business experience you have.’ That’s when I knew I was talking to the right people.” “The future of science education is application,” says Scriven. “Employers want candidates who are job-ready from day one. They don’t have three to five years to train somebody to translate theory into practice. So practical education, applied science, entrepreneurial science — that’s the way of the future.”

Students who complete internships and co-ops gain invaluable experience, real-time understanding and exposure to industry. Scriven believes Clarkson is ahead of the curve in producing career-ready graduates, especially in engineering. However, to stay ahead, we must keep moving and progressing in all programs.

The current development stage of Clarkson’s strategic plan, Golden Knights Rise — which will roll out later this year — is the opportunity to bring all schools within the University into alignment and push them to the cutting edge. “Part of my methodology is speed and implementation,” says Scriven. “If you have those two things, you can get out ahead and be a thought leader.” Advances in technology evolve from a solid foundation of brilliant scientific research. Successes and failures stoke innovation and ignite the drive to solve life’s most complex mysteries. However, academic institutions do not formally teach scientists to innovate or to be entrepreneurial. More often than not, we train them to be iterative and risk-averse.

In a bold move, Clarkson is changing how students will learn and approach science. Scientific research and training will shift from iterative to innovative, from risk-averse to risk-tolerant.

“Our students will not only compete, but they will dominate. They will be the ideal job candidates and go on to address serious issues that we need to solve globally.” DARRYL SCRIVEN

Entrepreneurial Science in Action — What Could It Look Like at Clarkson?

The Innovation Clinic

How can we tell, without finding out the hard way, if raw oysters contain Vibrio toxin produced by Vibrio bacteria? In the Innovation Clinic, a two-semester course sequence, student teams — with faculty mentors who are experts in paper sensor design — will enter the Project Sandbox to develop a nanomaterial that can sense the bacteria’s presence and the resulting toxin.

Teams will integrate the nanomaterial into a paper sensor and evaluate the sensitivity and selectivity of their prototype. Students will also work in the Design Studio, learning from seafood safety experts, sensor manufacturers and entrepreneurial scientists. Topics will include practical use of the sensor, regulatory constraints of using the sensor, market preparation for the sensor (e.g., hardening) and communication of the science behind the product.

Once proof-of-concept has been completed, the Entrepreneurial Science teams will come together with the Reh

“This fail-forward, modern approach to scientific research and training will provide the education and experiences key to producing innovative scientists who know how to commercialize technologies and bring products to market,” says Hannigan.

All students, from day one, will learn new ways of doing science as part of their core curriculum. And for those students majoring in the sciences, through an entrepreneurial lens, they will gain skills in design thinking and business practices to ignite ideas, pioneer new approaches and generate solutions to real-world challenges. The Reh Center for Entrepreneurship, Clarkson Ignite and The Shipley Center will provide programming, training and guidance as Entrepreneurial Ecosystem partners.

In addition, to ensure students are learning and applying relevant content and skills, a backward-design approach will further align curriculum to industry needs. “Our students will not only compete, but they will dominate,” says Scriven. “They will be the ideal job candidates and go on to address serious issues that we need to solve globally.”

Hannigan says that this paradigm shift is necessary to meet the demand for entrepreneurial scientists — those who bring the skills of innovation and business acumen together with the courage to challenge norms and take risks in pursuit of discoveries.

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Thoughtfully designed spaces in the new Tower of Innovation, an addition to the west end of the Science Center, will elevate the learning experience and better prepare students for future careers.

School of Business teams, who will have been working with The Shipley Center on a commercialization strategy, and Coulter School of Engineering teams, who will support the hardening and manufacturing of the nanomaterials and paper sensors.

Sustainable Solutions

While the biofuel industry is growing by 7% annually, it remains largely dependent on the growth of primary biofuel producers, such as switchgrasses, which consume 17% of U.S. land, or marine algae that cannot yet produce at levels to meet demand. However, the solution could be right in our backyard.

Imagine that a team of students secure funding from Clarkson’s Entrepreneurial Science Fund to cleanly and sustainably extract pectin from apple waste (peels, meat and seeds). Pectin, a component of cell walls that is the target for biodigestion, is more abundant in apples and some other fruits and vegetables than in grasses and algae. Extracting pectin from fruit and vegetable waste would enable the bioenergy sector to achieve production goals while reducing grass and algal farming’s environmental impacts.

Students, now acclimated to Clarkson’s entrepreneurial science culture, will leverage their skills and talents as they come together with faculty experts in green chemistry, plant biology and organic synthesis to explore new research areas that will have direct, local economic impact.