CHECK THESE OUT Are you passionate about engineering but also business-savvy? Interested in realworld applications of your knowledge in the greater Boston area’s thriving startup scene? Just want to learn something new— and maybe discover a new passion along the way? Tufts Gordon Institute is just one of the ways that innovation-minded Jumbos can learn new skills, get involved in the broader community, and even find funding for their own projects! Read on to discover new ways to get involved and get a rundown on the entrepreneurship scene at Tufts. Tufts Gordon Institute Offers New Minor for Engineers The foundations for future leadership minor, recently launched in Fall 2023, aims to provide Jumbo engineers with the skills and mindset to become innovative leaders who tackle the complex challenges facing our society. In addition to serving as the foundation to a student’s education, the minor will also act as a gateway to additional studies in leadership, innovation, management, and entrepreneurship. The cluster of specialties at Tufts Gordon Institute and the Derby Entrepreneurship Center at Tufts (DEC) collectively reach 15% of Tufts undergraduates, including the entrepreneurship minor—the most popular minor at Tufts with 100 graduating students in the 2022–2023 academic year. Reflecting on the new foundations for future leadership minor, Director of Programs & Operations for Tufts Gordon Institute and faculty lead Will Trevor, shared, “This minor will help to develop the next generation of leaders who will have an important role in transforming society, while also teaching them vital skills in financial literacy, communications, and the importance of acting with an ethical purpose. Central to the mission of the Tufts Gordon Institute is developing transformative leaders with heart, and this minor helps spread that vision to all Tufts students.” To receive this minor, students complete three half-semester core courses in Leadership, Communications, and Financial Literacy, and at least one elective course from Tufts Gordon Institute’s portfolio of 100-level courses. This minor is available exclusively to students in the School of Engineering, however students across other Tufts schools are invited to take the cluster of courses as an addition to their studies. George Blount, Lecturer at Tufts Gordon Institute, shares the educational goal that drives him and his fellow faculty in teaching the foundations for future leadership minor: “Our aim is to help the next generation of leaders, whatever their chosen career path, to develop the skills and mindset to make a real difference in the world and take from their Tufts education a sense of profound purpose to use their leadership skills for the benefit of all society.” Blount teaches the course Mastering Money: Developing Financial Literacy, in which students learn sound money management in personal and professional finance. In addition to developing financial awareness and vocabulary in students, the course teaches basic business finances such as budgeting, accounting statements, and taxation.
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