Wild, Wild June

Aaron Lykken,  Program Manager

Well, I did it; survived another wild early June. June is easily the busiest time of the year for me between final event planning, the Technology Commercialization Capstone presentation, graduation events, end of the academic quarter, and getting ready for Summer quarter (for the class who just started in Winter ‘09). While all the activity can be quite stressful at times it is certainly worth all of the effort when everything goes smoothly on the logistics side and you see the end result, happy graduates and their families.

I had my hands in many of the activities listed earlier but the Technology Commercialization Capstone presentation easily took up the most of my time and energy. The presentation is the final act of the TMMBA student before they graduate and is also the major deliverable for the Technology Commercialization course taken in the final quarter. Student teams in TMMBA were randomly assigned to emerging UW technologies and asked to build commercialization plans. Working closely with the UW TechTranser Office, each team created and presented a plan designed to bring one of four research-enabled innovations closer to commercial viability–algae for bio-fuel uses, a force sensing glove, shape memory alloys, and new solar cell technology. TMMBA teams were judged by a panel of faculty and alumni on criteria ranging from market applicability to industry analysis to risk mitigation to resource requirements–all with an emphasis on strategic thinking and presentation polish. After the presentations concluded, a winning presentation was selected from each of the four technologies and recognized at the graduation banquet later that evening. Being around the students constantly throughout the program I am able to watch as they grow as academics, colleagues, and professionals, so it is wonderful to see them come together one last time and show how far they have come over their MBA journey!

Aaron