2008 NCIIA Conference
March 20-22, 2008 - Dallas, TX
A few months ago I attended a conference in Dallas, Texas, the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance. Due to my interning at JCEL and serving on its Executive Board of Directors, as a student representative, the NCIIA Conference was something I knew would be a great opportunity. The conference was something I knew would be a great opportunity. The conference gave me a chance to learn about other institutions' entrepreneurial programs and share my experience with others at Juniata.
“A campus like Juniata does not need to create awareness about Social Entrepreneurship, it simply needs to guide individuals down the proper path..."
The 2008 NCIIA Conference brought together the brightest minds in entrepreneurial faculty from all backgrounds and institutions across the globe. It facilitated panel discussions, lectures, and guest speakers with the common purpose of stimulating entrepreneurial spirits nationwide. Both undergraduate and graduate programs sent faculty to represent smaller campuses like Juniata as well as larger institutions such as Stanford and Cornell. The varied academic backgrounds introduced new perspectives to those of us in Dallas. I networked with faculty and students, while grasping as much information as I could possibly fit into my brain and onto my notepad.
Highlights from the 12th annual NCIIA meeting are quite numerous, so I'll refrain and touch on just a few that I feel are relevant to Juniata. Thursday's sessions brought to my attention some important revelations. My first important recognition was the entrepreneurial program at Juniata College is already ahead of larger institutions with programs of the same nature. There are graduate programs that might envy the caliber of Juniata's Sill Business Incubator and students from different curriculums and provide them with a more diverse education. Juniata's Liberal Arts education and utilization of a Program of Emphasis are what I believed these scholarly individuals were trying to define.
Discussion regarding Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainability were 'all the buzz' at the conference. Any person who has been around Juniata over the past few years knows that the student body and administration are very empathetic in both these areas. A campus like Juniata does not need to create awareness about social entrepreneurship, it simply needs to guide individuals down the proper path toward successful rivaling of today's social and environmental travesties. With the renovation of Founder's Hall, Juniata College will have implemented yet another Leadership in Energy's Environmental Design (LEED) certified building on campus. It was interesting to hear when faculty member from a prestigious university, which shall remained unnamed, had never heard of a LEED certified building.
On Friday afternoon, Dr. Michael Lehman and I presented about how Juniata had implemented its entrepreneurial program. The main goal of our workshop was to demonstrate an institution's need to provide some form of work space, capital, support, and community for their entrepreneurial clients. Further discussion helped me recognize that different institutions face unique challenges, but ultimately Juniata has done quite well in moving its entrepreneurial program into action. It was also interesting that everyone attending our session used a video library which mirrors JCEL's Video Library. Although small and often unheard of, Juniata College is leading the pack with its entrepreneurial program.
Later that same evening under the nightfall of the Dallas skyline, the conference hosted its annual March Madness for the Mind at the nearby Nasher Sculpture Center patio. This event was for students who have won the recognition of the NCIIA as the most elite entrepreneurial ventures existing in undergraduate or graduate programs across the nation. The gathering provided the student teams with the opportunity to exhibit their ideas. We were then able to offer further insight on how to improve their product and/or service and move it into the next phase of creation. The ventures were quite impressive and ranged from green (environmental-friendly) insulation to unique multilayered hydrogel microfibers for cell and tussue engineering.
In the end, Juniata students and administration come equipped with the same amount of intelligence and resources as any other entrepreneurial program. The conference taught me a great deal about today's entrepreneurial culture and environment. Juniata's presence at the conference was evident through new connections with institutions worldwide. My hope is to share my discoveries with the Juniata community as well as help fellow students recognize the wonderful advantages they have by attending this liberal arts college. Time will show the talent bursting forth from the Juniata student body, while the support of faculty and administration continues to foster some of the most brilliant entrepreneurial spirits found in the world.
~Written by Bret Naugle '08
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