2nd Cohort of Burton D. Morgan Fellows Selected
The 2016-2017 Burton D. Morgan Fellows include: back row (L-R): Darren Seidel, Wesley Huang, Claire Haselhorst, Jake Winters and Anand Jebakumar. Middle row: Nishant Jain and Jamie Gerber. Front row: Talia Olinger, Venecia Wilson, Riley Nicholson and Farzaneh Atrian Afyani. Not pictured are Stacia Braden and Jorge Siman.
Fourteen undergraduate and graduate students were selected as the 2016-2017 Burton D. Morgan Fellows Program cohort. The program is designed to be a student-driven initiative, focused on leadership, mentorship and community building while supporting professional development.
The program is led by Nathalie Duval-Couetil, associate professor of technology leadership and innovation and director of the Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program, and is housed in the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship in Discovery Park.
The 2016-2017 undergraduate fellows are: Stacie Braden, speech language and hearing sciences; Spencer Brown, computer science; Jamie Gerber, mechanical engineering; Wesley Huang, industrial management engineering; Nishant Jain, electrical engineering technology; Talia Olinger, management; Jorge Siman, industrial engineering; and Jake Winters, environmental geosciences.
Graduate student fellows are: Frazaneh Atrian Afyani, basic medical sciences; Claire Haselhorst, agricultural and biological engineering; Anand Jebakumar, mechanical engineering; Riley Nicholson, pharmacy; Darren Seidel, agricultural and biological engineering; and Venecia Wilson, industrial and physical pharmacy.
“Student who apply are selected to participate in the program based on their academic skill set, future aspirations, leadership experience and merit,” Duval-Couetil said. “There are many campus resources offering financial and business incubation guidance to students looking to start their own business. The Burton D. Morgan Fellowship Program is different from other resources by encouraging entrepreneurial minded students to grow by fostering thought leadership and supporting their professional development goals.”
Requirements of the program include participating in monthly professional development and community building activities within the fellowship year, selecting a national mentor, contributing to developing a cohort and community of entrepreneurial leaders, reporting on fellowship-related activities and serving as a role model to inspire others.
Seidel said the program has offered a unique perspective to entrepreneurship that he has not been exposed to.
“I’ve always viewed my career path as nonlinear because I am interested in many areas. This program has helped me decide how I want to start my professional career. Between meeting with Purdue professionals and making connections with national mentors, I have a new outlook on my future.”
Nearly 5,000 students have participated in the Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program since its launch in 2005, including almost 2,000 students who have received the certificate. The program is administered by Purdue’s Office of the Provost and is supported with funding from the Burton D. Morgan Foundation.