I am writing to ask your help in identifying prospective students for the
new Physics Entrepreneurship Program at Case Western Reserve University.
The program is a Master's level program. The program's objective is to
empower physicists as entrepreneurs. The purpose of this new degree
track is to provide students having a background in physics and an interest
in technological innovation with the training and experience needed to efficiently
play leading roles in new high-tech ventures. While many physicists have traditionally
pursued such career paths, there appears to be no program presently
available designed to prepare them for such a role.
I should note that prospective students who have expressed an interest in the
program span a broad spectrum, from students just completeing their
undergraduate degree, to people with advanced degrees in physics who have substantial
experience in high-tech startups. I hope that you will help identify comparably diverse
prospective students who may be able to benefit from our program.
(The home page for the program is located at
http://erebus.phys.cwru.edu/~ctaylor/physentrep.html )
The program is the result of several years of consultations with alumni,
physicist/entrepreneurs, and other members of the entrepreneurial
community. While physicists become entrepreneurs with surprising
frequency, most practicing physicist entrepreneurs have done so without any
formal preparation. Our program provides the training they've identified
as critical, as well as access to a rich entrepreneurial infrastructure
designed to nurture and support fledgling hi-tech ventures. The program
itself is offered in cooperation with the Entrepreneurship Program of the
Weatherhead School of Management, rated among the top ten in the nation.
The heart of the program is a physics master's thesis involving an
entrepreneurially oriented project. This will typically arise from an
internship in a sponsor company, but we have the resources in place (access
to venture capital, local high-tech incubators, etc.) so that a
student-initiated research project could also form the basis for launching
a new venture.
We are creating a new two-semester sequence on "Modern Physics for
Innovation" which will provide the core of the physics course content.
These will provide graduate level presentations of modern physics as a
basis for technological innovation. Case studies will play a significant
role in the course.
Students will also take "New Venture Creation" and a new course on
"Technology Entrepreneurship" in the Weatherhead School of Management.
These courses provide the background needed on the business side to pursue
the launch of a new venture, or the development of an intrapreneurial
venture within an existing company.
Several elective courses provide the freedom to specialize in particular
areas of interest.
An active seminar program will provide continuing exposure to scientists,
technologists and entrepreneurs who are actively engaged in forming new
high-tech ventures.
It is worth emphasizing that the program provides both formal training and
actual experience in physics entrepreneurship, involving a partnership of
physics and management faculty and students together with practicing
entrepreneurs. All aspects of the program are expected to provide
long-term resources after students have graduated.
We are moving very quickly to put all the pieces of the program in place in
order to launch it next fall. Response from companies and practicing
entrepreneurs has been extremely positive, as has the response form
prospective students. We have also raised a significant amount of money
to support program costs. We thus anticipate that all students selected for
the program will receive a stipend and full tuition support.
In short, we are very excited!
We would very much appreciate any questions, comments or feedback you might
have about any aspects of the program.
We also hope that you will bring the program to the attention of anyone
(including but not limited to current students or recent graduates) who you
think might benefit from this program. Alternatively, we would be happy to
contact these individuals directly if you can provide us with the necessary
co-ordinates.
Thanks in advance for your help,
Cyrus Taylor Lawrence Krauss
Physics Entrepreneurship Program Director Chair, CWRU Physics Dept.
-----------------------------------
Cyrus Taylor (216) 368-3710
Armington Professor & (216) 368-4671 (FAX)
Director, Physics Entrepreneurship Program cct@po.cwru.edu
Department of Physics ctaylor@fnal.fnal.gov
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH 44106-7079
USA