By D. Thompson
Bowie State University has partnered with NASA to offer business students the chance to develop creative marketing strategies for new technologies and earn certificates through the Technology Transfer University (T2U) program.
The T2U program is designed to give students the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom in a real-world setting through working with public sector research and technology. BSU students in the capstone marketing strategy class are developing marketing strategies for a portable contaminated water treatment device and a self-cleaning germicidal door handle. Dr. Ella views the program as an excellent opportunity for her students to evaluate technology products and translate marketing theory into application.
“It provides students with an experiential learning opportunity to apply the concepts that they learn in the class to a real-life project,” said Dr. Carter. “NASA is treated as their client for the semester. They have a predetermined budget that they have to work with. The project teaches them how to utilize the resources that have been allocated to their project.”
In turn, NASA is using the partnership to mine for practical business knowledge that they can use for multiple products in the agency’s patent portfolio. The students are awarded the certificate once they complete their capstone course.
“The significance of the certificate is to demonstrate their use and exploration of the NASA patented technology,” said NASA spokeswoman Katrina Young. “They’ve contributed to NASA in the sense that they are helping the federal agency explore possibilities where we can license and have these technologies used. They are giving us insight into our technologies and where these technologies fit in the market. It is very valuable.”
The T2U program also offers aspiring entrepreneurs the chance to launch new business ventures through commercialization and licensing opportunities. Dr. Carter envisions creating full business plans as the next step in the T2U program’s partnership with Bowie State.
“The next level within the program would allow students to take the patented technologies and develop a business based on one of the technologies that’s part of their patent portfolio,” she said.
