(613a) The I-REU: Integrating Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Industrially Relevant Research into an REU Site

Most REU sites are designed around a scientific theme which draws student interest from a single field or discipline.   These may include topics such as “Energy”, “Water”,  “Process Design”, or other similar themes.  Our site differs from this by offering broader scientific options and instead focusing on the commercialization potential of the technology.  Each project has both an academic and an industrial mentor that provides two unique perspectives for the student participants.  The industrial mentors range in size from small startups to large multinational corporations. The academic mentors are mostly anchored in the chemical engineering department, though faculty in Chemistry, Materials Science, and other closely related departments have participated. A key part of our program is the business oriented short course  that all students take. This course, taught by the former Dean of the UConn School of Business, teaches young engineers the mechanics of business, enabling them to at the very least communicate better with the business community and possibly inspire them to start their own businesses someday.