Entrepreneurial Motivations for High-Interest Students
- Conference
- Location
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Columbus, Ohio
- Publication Date
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June 24, 2017
- Start Date
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June 24, 2017
- End Date
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June 28, 2017
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation
- Page Count
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17
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--28286
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/28286
- Download Count
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864
Paper Authors
Benjamin James Call Utah State University - Engineering Education
Benjamin Call graduated with his Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2006 from Utah State University. After eight years with NAVAIR, he has returned to pursue a PhD in Engineering Education. He is funded by the Presidential Doctoral Research Fellowship. His research interests range from spatial ability to sophomore-level engineering curricula and from engineering internships to student entrepreneurship.
Wade H. Goodridge Utah State University
Wade Goodridge, Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering and Technology Education at Utah State University, has taught Solid Modeling, CAD, Introductory Electronics, Surveying, Statics, Assessment and Evaluation, and Introductory Engineering courses at Utah State University. Goodridge has been teaching for the Utah State College of Engineering for more than 15 years. He holds dual B.S degrees in industrial technology education and civil engineering from Utah State University, as well as an M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Utah State University. His research interests include entrepreneurship in engineering, spatial thinking and spatial cognition, and professional development for those teaching engineering.
Melissa H. Scheaffer Utah State University
Melissa Scheaffer is a Senior Lecturer in the Engineering Education Department at Utah State University (USU). In this role, she develops all curriculum for and teaches the Technical Communication for Engineers course, which is required for all undergraduate students in the College of Engineering. Her graduate work has been focused on technical and business communication and adult learning. She has taught technical communication and business communication courses at USU for nearly 15 years in both the College of Engineering and School of Business. Additionally, she develops and delivers training programs to technical organizations on developing technical writing and technical presentation skills for engineers.
Tyler Reed Milliken
Tyler "Reed" Milliken recently graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial & Systems Engineering and a minor in Reliability & Maintainability Engineering. He has interned with Chemours (formerly DuPont) Titanium Technologies, Shaw Industries, and participated in a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at Utah State University. His passions include education, technology, and human rights. At Tennessee, he was involved with the Engineering Mentor Program, Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE), and Women in Industrial and Systems Engineering (WISE). He was also active in Student Alumni Associates (SAA), which serves as a liaison between alumni and prospective students. This August, he will begin his role as a software consultant for Manhattan Associates.
Abstract
As the call to increase entrepreneurial training within academic engineering institutions increases, understanding the target audience and its motivations becomes increasingly important. This qualitative research study provides insight into the backgrounds and motivations of engineering students who exhibited high entrepreneurial interest during their sophomore or junior year. Students taking a Technical Communication for Engineers course were given a series of entrepreneurial interest questions. Those students whose scores indicated high interest were invited to participate in interviews to discuss their interest. Some of the students received entrepreneurship peer mentoring, while others did not. Grounded Theory analysis was performed, and the central theme of family role models was identified. Additional themes include other role models, communication, persistence, and overlap of skills between engineering and entrepreneurship.
Call, B. J., & Goodridge, W. H., & Scheaffer, M. H., & Milliken, T. R. (2017, June), Entrepreneurial Motivations for High-Interest Students Paper presented at 2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Columbus, Ohio. 10.18260/1-2--28286
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