Innovation and entrepreneurship focus expands in CTI

With the introduction of a new executive dean and start of a new academic year, it’s a perfect time to unveil new directions in the College of Technology & Innovation. The college, at its recent fall welcome to faculty and staff, announced organizational changes and new degree programs as a way to meet the demands of industry.

One significant organizational change that was announced is the formation of the Department of Technological Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management, which will absorb some of the programs that were administered under the former Department of Technology Management. The new department will incorporate the existing programs in operations management, aviation and cognitive science and engineering (formerly applied psychology), and will launch a new degree program in technological entrepreneurship and management.

“The new department and degree reflect the commitment to furthering the development of an entrepreneurial focus for the college,” said Mitzi Montoya, the new executive dean and acting chair for the Department of Technological Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management.

The technological entrepreneurship & management degree program will be a collaborative effort, involving faculty focused on entrepreneurship efforts across the university. Initially, the new degree program will offer focus areas in product development and process innovation, which will concentrate on continuous improvement through service operations and business processes. Additional initial focus areas will include social entrepreneurship, which will expand upon the current curriculum offerings of the GlobalResolve initiative, and alternative energy entrepreneurship.

As another example, the College of Technology & Innovation and Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts will collaborate on a digital media entrepreneurship focus area. 

“With the digital media entrepreneurship program, we will create teams of students that have the creative/design, engineering and business expertise to work on next-generation technologies,” said Thanassis Rikakis, professor and director of the School of Arts, Media and Engineering.

“Our faculty have strengths in the STEM areas – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – but the collaborations with other colleges and schools across ASU allow us to develop programs that leverage all of the university’s strengths so students benefit, and we are better positioned to help our industry partners create their futures and reinvent themselves,” Montoya said.

Current students will have the option to finish their degree in operations management and technology or switch to the new technological entrepreneurship & management major or minor.

For more information, visit http://technology.asu.edu or call (480) 727-1955.

Media contact:
Chris Lambrakis
480/727-1173, 602/316-5616, lambrakis@asu.edu