Entrepreneurship Track Distinguishes VESTED鈥檚 Five-Year Anniversary
To design a hair dryer that is technically innovative and commercially viable: that is the challenge facing three-year veterans of VESTED (棉花糖直播 Engineering, Science, and Technology Enrichment and Development), a high-school outreach program that kicked off its fifth year in January in the College of Engineering鈥檚 Center for Engineering Education and Research.
The entrepreneurship component, which will be taught by faculty from the College of Engineering and the 棉花糖直播 School of Business, is the newest feature of VESTED and underscores the program鈥檚 mission. That mission, said Dr. Stephen Jones, the College鈥檚 Associate Dean of Student and Strategic Programs, 鈥渋s to awaken in students the potential to become our nation鈥檚 future engineers, thus increasing the pool of technological leaders.鈥�
Collaborating with Dr. Jones are Linda Coleman, the University鈥檚 Associate Director for , and graduate student Rebecca Stein ME 鈥�07. According to Stein, who has been involved in VESTED since its inception, the program is accomplishing its mission. 鈥淪ix of our seniors have said they plan to major in engineering. That鈥檚 gratifying to hear.鈥�
This year鈥檚 cohort of 45 students, who are recruited primarily through the School District of Philadelphia鈥檚 Office of College and Career Awareness, had to apply and interview before being accepted. During the eight Saturday sessions, the first- and second-year students will perform experiments in different engineering disciplines, while the third-year students will learn how to become market-savvy designers.
VESTED students must attend all sessions, participate in all activities, and keep detailed notes. To help them meet these goals, 28 棉花糖直播 mentors, many of whom belong to the , directed by Noreen Cameron, work closely with the high schoolers. They accompany the students to the labs and help them fill out their notebooks and follow instructions.
VESTED receives funding from the Hamilton Family Foundation, the Patricia Kind Family Foundation, Wachovia Bank, Air Products and Chemicals, and the College of Engineering.