Courses Taught

MGMT 457W – Strat Mgmt of Innovat and Tech (3)
New technologies are turned into innovations and create value for consumers only when they are successfully commercialized. Brilliant technologies can sit for years or even decades in the ivory tower. A successful commercialization of certain technologies does not only require deep understanding of the features of the technologies, but also well-developed frameworks to understand the dynamics of the technologies, the industries that the technologies will be applied to, market potential responses to the technologies and other firms who are interested in collaborating or competing to commercialize the technologies. These frameworks help managers to design the optimal strategy for different types of technologies and innovations (including incremental, disruptive, radical, and sustainable innovations) under dynamic market environments. The course covers several concepts, frameworks and tools through case-based learning methods that illustrate how different innovations and technologies are strategically managed and commercialized. Analyzing the successes and failures detailed in the cases will provide students the knowledge and analytical skills needed to develop comprehensive strategies to manage new technologies. This course is writing-intensive so be prepared to horn your business writing skills along the way. Strategic Management of Innovation and Technologies is a case-based learning course, where the learning is student-centered, with faculty acting primarily in the role of facilitators. Active learning happens in this course because students are engaged in actively analyzing cases and applying newly learned frameworks to the cases. The course leverages the University's course content management system (CMS) to define weekly learning objectives, support electronic delivery of assignments and provide robust video content from managers, inventors and venture capitalists, who provide additional insights into the process of technology commercialization. Because the course is structured within the CMS system, it could be offered at any location with very little revision. The companies and cases that are the focus of the class are easily adapted by using different case studies, companies and course mentors.

ENGR 426 – Invention Commerci (3)
Working with Penn State inventions selected by the Intellectual Property Office, student teams define an optimum commercialization path each technology. ENGR 426ENGR (MGMT/IST/ENTR) 426 Invention Commercialization (3) The goal of ENGR (MGMT/IST/ENTR) 426 is to have students understand why invention commercialization is complicated and difficult by participating in the process. For example, the inventor rarely has insights into the markets for his/her invention, is often not interested in the details of commercialization, and can be secretive. In addition, the business and financial communities often do not take the time, or have the resources, to understand new technologies and perform complex due diligence. Thus lack of due diligence often leads to rejection of innovation because existing companies often discount new technologies from outside the company as NIH - 'not invented here'. Effective transfer of new invention or innovation to a commercial product requires at least three different functional communities to interface: technical, legal and business. Each uses a different language, comes from different educational and cultural backgrounds, and may have an inherent distrust of the others. These functional barriers are difficult to overcome.This course teaches how these barriers can be broken down as student teams help bridge the perceived chasm between key players in the invention commercialization process. In these teams, students bring the skills and knowledge from their major to develop an invention commercialization recommendation for the Technology Transfer Office and the inventor. For example, business students focus on finance and market opportunity assessment; engineering and IST students focus on design refinements, prototyping support, and (if appropriate) making technology suggestions to the inventor.Upon completing the course, the students will have a working knowledge of different university and corporate technology or invention commercialization processes, important intellectual property management tools for inventions (patents, license agreements, option agreements) source of funding to move inventions toward product development, and delivering top quality presentations which outline the recommended commercialization path. Students who enjoy open-ended projects which involve the interplay of business and invention of who wants to work on interdisciplinary teams with the newest inventions will find this course a valuable course. NOTE: Because the inventions/products are based on Penn State faculty intellectual property, students must sign the Penn State Special Intellectual Property Agreement For Students - For Use When Assigning Intellectual Property to The Pennsylvania State University. The form can be viewed at http://guru.psu.edu/policies/RAG13.htmlThe course will be offered both Spring and Fall semesters with an enrollment of 40 students.

IST 426 – Invention Commerci (3)
Working with Penn State inventions selected by the Intellectual Property Office, student teams define an optimum commercialization path each technology. ENGR 426ENGR (MGMT/IST/ENTR) 426 Invention Commercialization (3) The goal of ENGR (MGMT/IST/ENTR) 426 is to have students understand why invention commercialization is complicated and difficult by participating in the process. For example, the inventor rarely has insights into the markets for his/her invention, is often not interested in the details of commercialization, and can be secretive. In addition, the business and financial communities often do not take the time, or have the resources, to understand new technologies and perform complex due diligence. Thus lack of due diligence often leads to rejection of innovation because existing companies often discount new technologies from outside the company as NIH - 'not invented here'. Effective transfer of new invention or innovation to a commercial product requires at least three different functional communities to interface: technical, legal and business. Each uses a different language, comes from different educational and cultural backgrounds, and may have an inherent distrust of the others. These functional barriers are difficult to overcome.This course teaches how these barriers can be broken down as student teams help bridge the perceived chasm between key players in the invention commercialization process. In these teams, students bring the skills and knowledge from their major to develop an invention commercialization recommendation for the Technology Transfer Office and the inventor. For example, business students focus on finance and market opportunity assessment; engineering and IST students focus on design refinements, prototyping support, and (if appropriate) making technology suggestions to the inventor.Upon completing the course, the students will have a working knowledge of different university and corporate technology or invention commercialization processes, important intellectual property management tools for inventions (patents, license agreements, option agreements) source of funding to move inventions toward product development, and delivering top quality presentations which outline the recommended commercialization path. Students who enjoy open-ended projects which involve the interplay of business and invention of who wants to work on interdisciplinary teams with the newest inventions will find this course a valuable course. NOTE: Because the inventions/products are based on Penn State faculty intellectual property, students must sign the Penn State Special Intellectual Property Agreement For Students - For Use When Assigning Intellectual Property to The Pennsylvania State University. The form can be viewed at http://guru.psu.edu/policies/RAG13.htmlThe course will be offered both Spring and Fall semesters with an enrollment of 40 students.

MGMT 426 – Invention Commerci (3)
Working with Penn State inventions selected by the Intellectual Property Office, student teams define an optimum commercialization path each technology. ENGR 426ENGR (MGMT/IST/ENTR) 426 Invention Commercialization (3) The goal of ENGR (MGMT/IST/ENTR) 426 is to have students understand why invention commercialization is complicated and difficult by participating in the process. For example, the inventor rarely has insights into the markets for his/her invention, is often not interested in the details of commercialization, and can be secretive. In addition, the business and financial communities often do not take the time, or have the resources, to understand new technologies and perform complex due diligence. Thus lack of due diligence often leads to rejection of innovation because existing companies often discount new technologies from outside the company as NIH - 'not invented here'. Effective transfer of new invention or innovation to a commercial product requires at least three different functional communities to interface: technical, legal and business. Each uses a different language, comes from different educational and cultural backgrounds, and may have an inherent distrust of the others. These functional barriers are difficult to overcome.This course teaches how these barriers can be broken down as student teams help bridge the perceived chasm between key players in the invention commercialization process. In these teams, students bring the skills and knowledge from their major to develop an invention commercialization recommendation for the Technology Transfer Office and the inventor. For example, business students focus on finance and market opportunity assessment; engineering and IST students focus on design refinements, prototyping support, and (if appropriate) making technology suggestions to the inventor.Upon completing the course, the students will have a working knowledge of different university and corporate technology or invention commercialization processes, important intellectual property management tools for inventions (patents, license agreements, option agreements) source of funding to move inventions toward product development, and delivering top quality presentations which outline the recommended commercialization path. Students who enjoy open-ended projects which involve the interplay of business and invention of who wants to work on interdisciplinary teams with the newest inventions will find this course a valuable course. NOTE: Because the inventions/products are based on Penn State faculty intellectual property, students must sign the Penn State Special Intellectual Property Agreement For Students - For Use When Assigning Intellectual Property to The Pennsylvania State University. The form can be viewed at http://guru.psu.edu/policies/RAG13.htmlThe course will be offered both Spring and Fall semesters with an enrollment of 40 students.

Selected Publications