Creating an Ecosystem that Fosters Innovation and Entrepreneurial Mindset at an Undergraduate Institution through Pathways to Innovation

Oct 15, 2026

This paper describes one university’s journey through the Pathways to Innovation program, grounded in the premise that engineering undergraduates need an ecosystem of curricular and co-curricular supports to build innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset. It reflects on strategic decisions that led to co-curricular events strengthening students’ curiosity, connection-making, and value creation—key tenets of entrepreneurial mindset. The NSF-funded program was administered by Stanford’s Epicenter and VentureWell and offers approaches others can adapt.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background

| | Ad | vances in Engineering Edu | cation | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | SPRING 2020 Creating an Ecosystem that Fosters Innovation and Entrepreneurial Mindset at an Undergraduate Institution through Pathways to Innovation ROBERT NAGEL KEITH HOLLAND KYLE GIPSON JUSTIN HENRIQUES KURT PATERSON James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA ABSTRACT This paper describes one university’s journey through the Pathways to Innovation program. Efforts described herein are based on the premise that an undergraduate experience that effectively fosters innovation and entrepreneurial mindset among engineering students requires the support of an ecosystem of curricular and co-curricular programs. The paper provides critical reflection of the strategic decisions leading toward the development of co-curricular events to support students’development of curiosity, ability to make connections, and practice in creating value—the three key tenets of entrepreneurial mindset. The Pathways to Innovation Program was an NSF-funded program administered jointly by Stanford University’s Epicenter and VentureWell meant to foster entrepreneurial learning into engineering undergraduate programs nationally. The approach and the examples presented in the paper are intended to help others imagine the kinds of approaches that may work at their institutions to effectively engage students and develop innovation and entrepreneurial mindset among students. Key words: innovation, co-curricular, undergraduate INTRODUCTION Engineering students need to learn more than technical abilities if they are to be successful attackling the current and future pressing global challenges. Graduates need to be able to identify emerging problems, challenge assumptions, collaborate readily, and communicate openly. They must SPRING 2020 1 ADVANCES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION Creating an Ecosystem that Fosters Innovation and Entrepreneurial Mindsetat an Undergraduate Institution through Pathways to Innovation be able to frame opportunities, develop and assess ideas, and create meaningful solutions, as well as be entrepreneurial changemakers ready to lead within diverse work environments. Training engineering students to tackle today’s global challenges requires learning beyond technical skills. Problem identification, interdisciplinary collaboration, open communication, and the ability to challenge commonly held assumptions are essential skills that must be developed. Successful changemakers must apply entrepreneurial practices to understand and frame opportunities, develop and assess ideas, and create valued solutions in order to be prepared to lead within diverse professional environments. An undergraduate experience that effectively supports students’development in this way requires the support of an ecosystem including, but not limited to, curricularand co-curricular programs and appropriately designed support spaces. This paper focuses on the elements that were designed through activities corresponding directly with this Pathways to Innovation team’s Pathways participation, namely the co-curricular programs. Elements of the entire ecosystem, however, namely courses, co-curricular programs, and space renovations were simultaneously designed to foster entrepreneurial mindset instead of relying on a piecemeal approach and include: • new courses (e. g. , Innovation and Realization), • co-curricular activities (e. g. , an annual student project showcase), and • space renovations (e. g. , fabrication lab, maker space, and learning spaces) . Two years following acceptance into the second cohort of the Pathways to Innovation program, this University joined the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network, or more commonly, KEEN. Efforts described herein became the basis for further efforts to further enhance our ecosystem such that it may foster entrepreneurial mindset amongst our students—a primary goal of KEE

FAQs

What is the central premise of the paper’s approach to fostering an entrepreneurial mindset?

The paper argues that engineering undergraduates need an ecosystem of curricular and co-curricular programs, rather than isolated efforts, to effectively support innovation and entrepreneurial mindset.

Which parts of the ecosystem did the university develop under the Pathways to Innovation effort?

The university designed new courses, co-curricular activities such as an annual student project showcase, and space renovations including fabrication labs, maker spaces, and learning spaces.

How is “entrepreneurial mindset” defined in the paper?

The paper uses the KEEN definition: supporting students’ development of curiosity, ability to make connections, and providing practice in creating value.

Oct 15, 2026

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