University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The Grainger College of Engineering
Technology Entrepreneur Center

EILC National Workshop

What is EILC?

EILC connects leaders in Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Colleges of Engineering across the nation to support, enhance, and advance the innovation environment at research institutions.

In February 2020, our first workshop was held with the goal to align engineering colleges, research institutions, and national resources to accelerate the development of the national innovation ecosystem through a network of academic leaders in engineering innovation. We are now offering several virtual meetings leading up to an in-person meeting in 2022.

Who Should Attend?

We welcome College of Engineering Associate Deans/Vice Deans of Research, Associate Deans/Vice Deans of Innovation and/or Entrepreneurship, & University Innovation and/or Entrepreneurship Center Directors to attend.

Steering Committee Members

  • Tom Byers | Entrepreneurship Professor and Faculty Director of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, Stanford University
  • Ellis Meng | Vice Dean for Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California
  • Rod Priestley | Vice Dean for Innovation, and Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University
  • Andrew Singer | Faculty Fellow for Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategies in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, and Associate Dean for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
  • Phil Weilerstein | Chief Executive, VentureWell

SPONSORED BY THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

 

The First EILC National Workshop | 2020

The first EILC National Workshop was held on February 26-27, 2020 in Washington, DC. We thank everyone who attended! (Check back for details about our next workshop in 2021.)
The first EILC National Workshop was held on February 26-27, 2020 in Washington, DC. We thank everyone who attended! 
Attendees: College of Engineering Associate Deans/Vice Deans of Research, Associate Deans/Vice Deans of Innovation and/or Entrepreneurship, and University Innovation and/or Entrepreneurship Center Directors from universities across the nation. Representatives from NSF, NIST, DOE, USPTO, and VentureWell also attended.
Attendees: College of Engineering Associate Deans/Vice Deans of Research, Associate Deans/Vice Deans of Innovation and/or Entrepreneurship, and University Innovation and/or Entrepreneurship Center Directors from 21 universities across the nation. Representatives from NSF, NIST, DOE, USPTO, and VentureWell also attended.

The 2020 EILC National Workshop Discussions focused on:

  • Role of Engineering Associate Dean of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  • Ecosystem Building, Campus Policies, Conflict Management, and Ethics
  • Faculty Engagement, Promotion and Tenure, and Incentives
  • Student Engagement, Curriculum, and Co-Curricular Programs
  • Goals: To align engineering colleges, research institutions, and national resources to accelerate development of the national innovation ecosystem through a network of academic leaders in engineering innovation.

Read the 2020 EILC Report