Innovation & Entrepreneurship with President Dr. Eric Andrew Braun

Transcript

Shawnee State University is a unique open-access public university where students are empowered to innovate, collaborate, and learn through hands-on experiences that prepare them for their future careers. I had the privilege and opportunity to meet with President Eric Braun to discuss Shawnee’s focus on innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit. Let’s take a look.

– Alex, this is our Kricker Innovation Hub. This is the landmark entrepreneurship facility on campus, and what we’ve done is intentionally connected this entrepreneurship facility to our nationally ranked game design program.

– Yeah, very cool. So this is the home where the XP Game Accelerator Program also lives?

– It is, so that’s an incubator program where our top-ranked faculty and our game design students are connected with mentors in the industry, who are doing real game design, and also funders who are interested in funding their developments and their programs. This facility is also connected to our advanced manufacturing program, our business school. It’s really our doorway of the world.

– Yeah, it really is amazing, and just the history of the program at this institution. Really cool.

– Top-ranked in the world.

– Yeah.

– Alex, we got other stuff to see.

– All right.

– Do you want me to show you?

– Yeah, absolutely. So with the number of first-generation students here at the institution, is that why you built the Student Success Center?

– Yes, Alex, about 2/3 of the students at Shawnee State are the first in their family to go to college, and a lot of families, a lot of students wonder, do I have what it takes to be successful in college? And the answer is absolutely yes. And Shawnee State’s built specifically for that success. We have a wide range of academic supports, social supports, and we have the connections to make sure you can get a work experience or a job. That’s literally what we do and it’s our primary focus here at Shawnee State.

– How cool is that? It’s powerful, yeah. Alex, this is our Advanced Technology Center. We’re in the 3D printing lab, and the hands-on learning is really important to us here at Shawnee State. In fact, every student, by the time they complete their degree, has to complete a work experience, a co-op, an internship, a clinical, some real hands-on learning.

– Ah, well, first of all, this place is amazing, but how do you pull that off? Like, how does every student get some type of work experience before graduation?

– Employers, put simply, love our graduates. We prepare our graduates for in-demand careers with applied skills, soft skills, and quite honestly, they’re ready to work.

– Yeah, that’s great, and you can kind of see why when you’re here. That was inspiring. Shawnee State is making college possible for all students, and with a focus on innovation, entrepreneurship, and hands-on learning, students here are gaining practical skills that truly set them apart as they launch their careers. President Braun, thank you so much for spending time with us. That was amazing.