Purdue Polytechnic Institute's first Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fellow to assist entrepreneurial faculty, students

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Nathalie Duval-Couetil, professor in Purdue Polytechnic Institute's Department of Technology Leadership and Innovation, has been named the institute's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fellow.

As a fellow, Duval-Couetil will serve as a resource to Polytechnic Institute faculty and students interested in pursuing technology commercialization and entrepreneurial activity. She will also help develop commercial-oriented collaborations with the other academic units of Purdue's research enterprise.

"I will direct them to individuals, university entities and programming that can help them meet their goals," said Duval-Couetil, a professor of human resource development. "Technology commercialization can be a very complex and nonlinear process, and it can be challenging to sort through the various resources, as well as the objectives of the various stakeholders involved. It helps to have someone within the college who is familiar with the entrepreneurial ecosystem within and outside of Purdue."

Carrie Berger, interim dean of the Polytechnic Institute, said the naming of Duval-Couetil as an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fellow is well-deserved recognition.

"I know I speak for everyone in the Polytechnic Institute when I say we applaud Nathalie's dedication to entrepreneurship and innovation. We are thrilled to see this recognition of her hard work," Berger said. "I am confident that Nathalie will help our college leverage the unique resources of the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship as we continue to empower our faculty and students with the tools they need to become the next generation of innovators and business owners."

Duval-Couetil also is director of the Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program and associate director of the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship.

"I have had the opportunity to advise hundreds of students and faculty involved in entrepreneurial activity on an individual level and through my role as the director of a number of entrepreneurship education and training initiatives," she said.

"Over two thousand students each year participate in the award-winning Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program, which is similar to a minor and available to all undergraduates on campus. I also co-lead a course called Life of a Faculty Entrepreneur: Discovery, Delivery and Translation, which exposes graduate students to the technology commercialization and entrepreneurship process. In addition, I am a co-PI responsible for research and evaluation on Purdue’s NSF I-Corps award, which is focused on catalyzing academic entrepreneurship."

Duval-Couetil also was recently named a Fellow of the United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Duval-Couetil becomes Purdue's fourth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fellow following Christian Butzke in the College of Agriculture, Yung-Hsiang Lu in the College of Engineering, and Zhan Pang in the Krannert School of Management. The campuswide program will be coordinated through the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today's toughest challenges. Ranked the No. 5 Most Innovative University in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at purdue.edu.

Writer: Steve Martin, sgmartin@prf.org

Sources: Nathalie Duval-Couetil, natduval@purdue.edu

Carrie Berger, carrieb@purdue.edu