The College of Business recently announced an agreement with NASA that will partner Loyola MBA students with Stennis Space Center engineers to commercialize a new technology patent. The partnership is part of NASA’s Technology Transfer University (T2U) initiative, which seeks to engage business students to use NASA intellectual property and spur economic development and growth.
“This is an unprecedented experiential learning opportunity for our MBA students,” said Ashley Francis, Director of Graduate Programs. “Loyola MBA students will work directly with NASA engineers and administrators to study and attempt to commercialize NASA technologies.”
“We are thrilled to have a working relationship with one of the most important agencies in the United States,” said Bill Locander, Dean of the College of Business. “NASA’s patents and technologies are the kinds of things that show promise for the future. This is an opportunity for our MBA students to be a part of that promise and to learn through real experiences.”
“This kind of effort is built on the understanding that NASA technology not only enables space exploration but impacts and benefits all areas of daily life,” Stennis Center Director Rick Gilbrech said. “We are proud to work with Loyola University and look forward to a successful partnership.”
The MBA program at Loyola has evolved to stress the value of experiential learning, in addition to the appeal of Loyola’s small class size and student-to-teacher ratio. As part of that evolution, five students will work with NASA engineers at Stennis Space Center, providing communication, marketing and business planning strategies for a new technology through a new Lean Launchpad course in Spring 2016.
Professors Rob Lalka and Jon Atkinson will lead the course, in which students will apply the Lean Launchpad business model developed at Stanford University to a patent they select from the portfolio at Stennis. In just four months, the students will use the model to develop a business plan that takes the new NASA technology from patent to market.
Loyola is one of the only schools in the country to have signed a deal with NASA, and now that the relationship is established, there is potential for other collaborations throughout the year—and through other Loyola programs. This partnership is one of several high-level engagement opportunities the MBA program is working to create for students, who need hands-on experience to be competitive in the job market.
Visit http://www.business.loyno.edu/mba/ for more information on the Loyola MBA program.
For information about Startup NASA, visit: http://technology.nasa.gov/startup.
For information about Technology Transfer University, visit: http://technology.nasa.gov/t2u.
For information about Stennis Space Center, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/stennis/home/index.html.