Northwestern University

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Northwestern University McCormick School of
Engineering Engineering Entrepreneurship
Prof. Bill White Industrial Engineering
Department w-white3_at_northwestern.edu Barbara
Mueller Office of Industry Relations bjmueller_at_n
orthwestern.edu Cooper Marcus (student Pres.,
InNUvation) cmarcus2005_at_kellogg.northwestern.edu
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The primary objective of our activities within
the engineering school is to train students to be
able to critically evaluate a new venture idea.
This is done by creating an appreciation and
awareness of what entrepreneurship means and
involves and introducing the basic tools. Then,
through serious, student-run campus organizations
the student can, if desired, become actively
involved with all facets of an actual start-up.
Northwestern University McCormick School of
Engineering Program Mission Statement
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• Northwestern University
• McCormick School of Engineering
• Program Audience
• Engineering Undergraduate
• Graduate Students
• Number of Faculty
• 2 Full Time 1 Adjunct
• Number of Courses Offered
• Engineering Entrepreneurship
• (Undergrad) 2 sections
• Technical Entrepreneurship (grad)

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Northwestern University McCormick School of
Engineering What is your most exciting activity?
Organizing the tremendous amount of student
enthusiasm found on campus and linking our
engineering, business, law, journalism, and arts
science schools in entrepreneurial activity.
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Northwestern University McCormick School of
Engineering What are the biggest challenges you
face?

• Overcoming engineering business student
  differences in understanding and perspective of
  what constitutes disclosure, and what being a
  shareholder entails and entitles.
• Coordinating teams across schools effectively
• Determining what kinds of entrepreneurial courses
  to add finding faculty to teach them.
• Determining correct balance between teaching
  strictly entrepreneurship versus how to use
  entrepreneurial evaluation within the corporate
  world.

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Northwestern University McCormick School of
Engineering What new initiatives are you planning?

• Sponsoring student-run business on campus
• InNUvation a university-wide, student-run
  organization acting as an umbrella for seed-stage
  entrepreneurship on campus
• IDEA - Institute for Design Engineering
  Applications to train students to understand
  the process of value creation and provide a
  strong foundation in creativity, modern design
  process, cross-disciplinary teamwork, effective
  communication, and adaptive learning.