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Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology students, faculty and staff members have been given the opportunity to rub elbows and seek career advice from business leaders, company presidents and lawyers through a summer speaker series at Rose-Hulman
Ventures.
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Passing Along Advice: Jim Strickland (right), chief executive officer of Indianapolis-based FAST Diagnostics, talks with Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology students and faculty that are working on projects for the company this summer
at Rose-Hulman Ventures.
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Twelve 30-minute sessions have been scheduled through Aug. 13 at Rose-Hulman's South Campus, located off Indiana 46.
Series topics have provided helpful advice about entrepreneurship, starting a business, career planning and intellectual property agreements in legal contracts.
"Combined with a strong foundation of technical ability, these speakers bring important insights into the professional skills that will make Rose-Hulman students successful in developing their own businesses or becoming more productive young
professionals," stated William Kline, associate dean of professional experiences at Rose-Hulman and head of Rose-Hulman Ventures. "The visiting professionals also help to provide a vision of the future and what is possible for our students
after they graduate."
Nick Mahurin, president and founder of Terre Haute's Infraware Inc., discussed valuable lessons about entrepreneurship. He has started several successful businesses since earning a mechanical engineering degree from Rose-Hulman in 1989. He stated
that being committed to an idea, not abundant financial capital, is the key to starting a successful business.
"If you have a lot of drive and a really good idea, you will get money to make your dreams a reality," Mahurin said.
Later, he added: "Failure is part of entrepreneurship . . . Using a sport analogy, I'm out there swinging for base hits every day, every year. As an entrepreneur, you can't be afraid to get into the batter's box and take your swings. You may
strike out, but one of those hits might be a home run."
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Career Aspirations: Warren Mickens, a 1977 Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology alumnus and trustee, discussed his career as a leader in the telecommunications industry during Rose-Hulman Ventures' summer speaker series. Mickens
is vice president of operations for Qwest Wholesale Markets.
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Jim Strickland, chief executive officer of Indianapolis-based FAST Diagnostics, started his first entrepreneurial enterprise, Dyno Med, at 24 years old after earning a degree in political science from Indiana University. He's now looking to
guide FAST Diagnostics -- with help from Rose-Hulman Ventures -- in the development of a device for accurate and rapid measurement of kidney function, which is revolutionary in the diagnosis of acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease. No
solution currently exists that meets this large and growing need.
"Entrepreneurship is not the 'Field of Dreams'. You may build it (develop a product) and people might not come (purchase product). You need to know your customers first and the pressing need that your product will fill," Strickland told the
Rose-Hulman students.
Other entrepreneurship lessons, extolled by Strickland, included being bold and assertive with business aspirations, know when to follow, know a person's strengths and weaknesses, become an effective listener, and entrepreneurship is a people
enterprise.
Warren Mickens, vice president of operations for Qwest Wholesale Markets, discussed career planning and how Rose-Hulman alumni can help their employers be successful. The 1977 Rose-Hulman mechanical engineering graduate and trustee has worked
for Bendix, Cummins, FMC Corporation, SBC/Ameritech and Alcatel/Lucent. He now oversees customer service operations and wholesale markets for 14 states in the western United States.
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Talking About Contracts: Terre Haute attorney and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology trustee Guille Cox opened Rose-Hulman Ventures' summer speaker series with a session about legal contracts.
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"The work has always been interesting," the Gary native said. "You have to find something that you're passionate about. If that's the case, then what you're doing won't seem like work at all."
Discussing legal contracts was Terre Haute attorney Guille Cox, senior partner of Cox, Zwerner, Gambill & Sullivan and another Rose-Hulman trustee. He graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Future lecturers will be presented by Michael Evans, founder and president of AIT Laboratories; Tim Bruemmer, vice president of instrument systems for Beckman Coulter; Thomas Wegman, president of Stevens Industries; Jason Zielke, vice president
of operations for Precise Path Robotics; Rose-Hulman President Jerry Jakubowski; Mike Cates, vice president of operations for Peerless Pumps; Jim Pearson, president of NICO (formerly Suros Surgical Systems; and Mary Kay Huse, group manager of Exact
Target.
Several visiting speakers represent companies that have sponsored projects at Rose-Hulman Ventures.
A total of 83 Rose-Hulman students are working on projects with 26 clients this summer at Rose-Hulman Ventures, giving students an opportunity to earn valuable work experience with a corporate or entrepreneurial client, according to Kline.
Students participating in Rose-Hulman's new Leadership Academy also participate in the summer speaker series.
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