Jonathan Snover, head of the new master’s degree program in science and entrepreneurship, talks with a student.

Applications are being accepted now for WCU’s two-year master’s degree program in science and entrepreneurship, which launches this fall.

“The difference between this program and an M.B.A. or graduate entrepreneurship program is the ‘technical’ component that requires a strong understanding of science,” said Jonathan Snover, head of the new degree program. “Students will analyze the technical as well as the business environment, and learn to communicate that information effectively to a variety of people, from scientists to investors to journalists.”

The science and entrepreneurship program’s curriculum includes graduate-level classes in biology, chemistry or other areas of science; courses from the university’s national award-winning entrepreneurship program; and new classes that incorporate specialized skills such as researching new ideas, patents and competing technologies.

Students also will complete a hands-on, real-world capstone project of their choice. They could work in teams to further their own innovation in science, or partner with faculty or a business in the region. Some could work with Snover as he studies new opportunities in the biofuel area. Others could help regional inventors who have a patentable idea.

Snover, who earned his doctorate in chemistry from Princeton University, jointly holds seven patents in areas of energy and materials development with innovations that could be used in solar energy or ink jet printing. He has worked as lead chemist for a start-up fuel cell development company and as a research chemist developing new polymers and pigments for digital photography products. 

Already under Snover’s guidance, a business student has begun conducting market research for Dr. Tom Mulford. The Asheville anesthesiologist by trade and inventor by nature has, for years, tinkered with an idea for how to improve medical aspirators, devices used to suction fluids during surgery.

Through Jon Lawrie, BioBusiness Center Manager at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Mulford met Snover and was excited about the possibilities of a partnership with WCU that could help him take the idea from sketchpad to production.

“Bringing together all of our different backgrounds – mine in medical expertise and others in business and technical research – is like grouping computers into a supercomputer,” said Mulford. “The chances of a better outcome are improved if we use everybody’s talents.”

Meanwhile, the WCU student working with him will get experience evaluating the advantages of the invention, analyzing the market, reviewing competitive products and identifying manufacturing issues.

“There is no better way for students to learn than by doing,” said Snover. “And, there is nothing more motivating than seeing your work become something real – something that has the potential to positively impact lives.”

The new master’s program works in cooperation with Western’s growing service-oriented business and engineering technology initiatives, including The Center for Rapid Product Realization. The center matches university resources with industry needs. Past projects include creating sensing equipment to continuously track temperature and humidity in Appalachian streams, launching new technology in artificial athletic turf, developing technology for people who have disabilities or limited movement, and creating “automated instrumentation” that allows underwater exploration through the Internet.

For information about The Center for Rapid Product Realization at WCU, check out http://rapid.wcu.edu.  For more information about the master’s degree program in science and entrepreneurship, go to http://sae.wcu.edu or contact Jonathan Snover at (828) 227-3683 or jsnover@email.wcu.edu.