2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

In today’s evolving higher education landscape, providing meaningful experiential learning opportunities while ensuring affordability, return on investment, and workforce alignment is essential. In 2023, a two-year college within a large southeastern public research university received a three-year, $1.5 million grant from its University System and Microsoft Corporation to expand scholarships, internships, and high-demand academic pathways. Serving over 18,000 students, the college is a leading access point to higher education, ranks among the top in dual enrollment and freshman education, and transfers more students than any other System institution. Its student body includes 2,100 international students from 159 countries; 28% are first-generation, 57% Pell-eligible, and 59% from populations underrepresented in STEM.

Students complete the first two years of engineering coursework at the college, earning an A.S. degree or transferring to a four-year program. The engineering pathway, which is one of more than 30 academic pathways offered at the college, currently serves approximately 700 students and provides a primary framework for integrating experiential learning through entrepreneurship, with early data showing strong participation.

This paper introduces Georgia State University’s Perimeter College Hub for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a model that integrates learning, co-curricular programs, and cross-campus collaboration to enhance career readiness. Aligned with the university’s Blueprint to 2033 strategic plan, the Hub fosters innovation while embedding career development into the student experience. As the first initiative of its kind at Perimeter College, the Hub connects classroom knowledge with real-world applications through partnerships with industry and government. This work-in-progress pilot presents a scalable model for advancing innovation-focused experiential learning in engineering education, especially within two-year colleges.