|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
updated January 21, 2010
|
| |
 |
Team Effort Creates New Web Site Featuring Innovation at Rose-Hulman
|
| |
|
A new Web site highlighting innovation at Rose-Hulman Institute of
Technology is quite an innovation itself, through the use of cutting-edge
technology and contributions from a partnership of students, alumni, faculty
and staff members.
The Decade of Innovation Web site (www.decadeofinnovation.com)
was unveiled on Tuesday, January 19, to highlight 10 years of innovation at
Rose-Hulman Ventures and other recent campus achievements that have fueled
the fire of innovation at the nation’s best college for undergraduate
engineering.
 |
|
The Decade of Innovation Web site was created through a collaborative design process. |
The Web site also draws attention to a Decade of Innovation Celebration,
being planned by Rose-Hulman on February 27 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in
downtown Indianapolis. The event will honor the contributions to innovation
made by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and former Rose-Hulman President
Samuel F. Hulbert.
The Web site was completed in just three weeks through contributions by
persons in several different locations and a collaborative project
structure.
The project was led by William Kline and Sandor Pethes. Kline is associate
dean of professional experiences and professor of engineering management.
Pethes, senior project manager for Rose-Hulman Ventures and a 2002 Rose-Hulman
computer science alumnus, organized a student development team that featured
Michael Jones, senior software engineering and mathematics major, and Bryan
Correll, a freshman computer engineering student. Jeremy Clarke, 2009 Rose-Hulman
software engineering graduate and president of Vortex Web Solutions, was
selected to develop the Web site’s infrastructure.
“This was a total team effort of a dedicated and dynamic group, which also
included many Rose-Hulman offices,” highlighted Kline, who leads Rose-Hulman
Ventures operations. “The end result is a Web site that truly represents
innovation and ingenuity at Rose-Hulman.”
Clarke is no stranger to starting large-scale projects. Before graduating
from Rose-Hulman he started three Web-based businesses, was recognized as
one of the nation’s top collegiate entrepreneurs in StartupNation.com’s 2008
Dorm-Based 20 competition and featured in Entrepreneur magazine.
“I am glad I was chosen to be involved with the project. It has been
refreshing to see the talent coming out of Rose-Hulman,” he said. “As an
alumnus, it is nice to stay involved with Rose-Hulman and collaborate with
current students.”
Clarke used his expertise in Web site development and worked through the
holiday period to set up the infrastructure for the Web site’s functionality
to allow persons to file celebration dinner registrations and submit
innovation ideas. He also developed a content management system that allowed
for easy management by the Rose-Hulman project partners.
Jones and Correll came into the project on January 4 as project interns for
Pethes at Rose-Hulman Ventures. It was Correll’s second day at Rose-Hulman
Ventures as part of a freshman VIP internship program, and Jones quickly
needed to learn about PHP hypertext processor, a widely used,
general-purpose scripting language for development of dynamic Web pages. He
also configured a source control system especially for the project, allowing
multiple persons to contribute to the project from different locations at
any time –- keeping the Web site development on track. Meanwhile, Correll
helped modify the Web site’s Innovation Gallery feature, and standardized
fonts, headers and other items throughout the project.
 |
|
The innovation gallery features Rose-Hulman innovation success stories. |
“We had people working on this project at 2 a.m. and others examining
changes from as far away as the East Coast. The attention to detail with
this project was a key part in the learning process,” Jones said. “I like
accomplishing things. I feel really good about finishing this website. This
project had a very, very fast development cycle. It required a team effort
by so many people.”
Correll added: “This was a good first project (in college) . . . I feel like
innovation is encouraged everywhere, not just at the college’s main campus
but at Rose-Hulman Ventures (located at the college’s South Campus).
Students have a lot of resources available to us, like Rose-Hulman Ventures,
which definitely makes it easier to experience new things and expand your
thinking.”
Jones has served as a Rose-Hulman Ventures intern since 2008, helping Pethes
and other staff members complete a variety of computer-related projects. He
also is the chief technology officer for his own company, JAM Customs.
“The (Rose-Hulman Ventures) experience has been invaluable to my educational
career at Rose-Hulman,” he assessed. “I have been given a lot of
responsibility and have made valued contributions to many projects. I give
Rose-Hulman Ventures credit for how well I have done in other aspects of my
college experience. Nothing I have done in the classroom comes close to my
experiences at Rose-Hulman Ventures.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
