I wish a Rose-Hulman Ventures internship would have been an option when I was a student. It would have helped me visualize the many opportunities to translate my education into an exciting career. Our interns today can envision these opportunities in a practical, hands-on way early in their education. This offers students a big advantage as they begin to navigate various career paths.

   Elizabeth M. Hagerman, Ph.D., (CHE, 2000) is perfectly suited to lead Rose-Hulman Ventures. Throughout her career, this biomedical expert and industry veteran has found herself at critical interfaces-where science meets medicine and scientific expertise intersects with commercial pursuits. Now, the new Vice President for Rose-Hulman Ventures finds herself at another important interface-

Echoes: Rose-Hulman Ventures began in 2000, the same year you earned your bachelor's degree from Rose-Hulman.  How has the program evolved over the past decade?

Hagerman: Rose-Hulman Ventures was founded and later expanded with generous support from the Lilly Endowment Inc. Since then, our business model has evolved. Today, it is a successful, selfsustaining business that serves as an engineering consultant for a 

 

For students, success is about connections. Connecting theoretical knowledge with real-world problem-solving. Connecting with peers outside their major through work on multidisciplinary teams. And, connecting with prospective employers

and collaborators on exciting technologybased projects.

   For client partners, success is also about connections. Connecting with some of the brightest engineering students in the country. Connecting with a small consulting business for high-quality services at a competitive cost. And, connecting with future employees, entrepreneurs, and business leaders.

   These connections often come full circle. In one case, as a student Erinn Sheridan (BE, 2010) was an intern with a small start-up, Fast Biomedical, and then joined the company after she graduated. She has now returned to Rose-Hulman Ventures as a client to work on projects with our student interns. 

 

We offer the same creative thinking that is a hallmark of traditional 

incubators, including university-based innovation centers. But Rose-Hulman Ventures expertly balances a high-quality learning experience for students with the business needs of external partners. This clientfocused approach challenges students to understand and apply current industry standards. It also allows clients of Rose-Hulman Ventures to maintain the intellectual property related to their projects.

   Perhaps even more unique, Rose-Hulman Ventures has its own dedicated facility in a Certified Technology Park on campus-giving students access to the same technologies and workspaces if they were working at one of our client companies. This contributes to the collegial culture of Rose-Hulman Ventures, where students are mentored by project managers. Our student interns are developing more than technical solutions-they're building valuable business acumen.