2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Fostering Leaders in Technology Entrepreneurship (FLiTE): S-STEM Program Fourth Year Progress

Presented at NSF Grantees Poster Session I

Western Carolina University (WCU) hosts an engineering entrepreneurship program funded by S-STEM at the National Science Foundation. The six year initiative, titled “Fostering Leaders in Technology Entrepreneurship,” has completed its fourth year of operation. The program continues in its mission to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among a cohort of 29 engineering and technology students. Program activities for the 2025 calendar year included presentations at a pitch competition, scholar completion of a certificate course in business startup, and the integration of scholar’s products in their Project-Based Learning curriculum. Success in these activities, which includes functional prototypes and a draft patent, have set the stage for student activities outside the host university (WCU). This paper summarizes considerations for undergraduate entrepreneurship that extends beyond an academic environment. A structure for future activities is described.

Authors

Dr. Scott C Rowe http://orcid.org/https://0000-0001-5691-079X Western Carolina University [biography]

Scott Rowe is an Assistant Professor in Western Carolina University’s School of Engineering + Technology with an entrepreneurship background that he hopes to disseminate among aspiring undergraduates. This includes successful company startup and incubation in conjunction with the University of Colorado Boulder. Ideally this expertise expands academic impact and propels Western Carolina University students into roles within their own companies.
Dr. Paul M Yanik http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1311-7131 Western Carolina University [biography]

Dr. Paul Yanik is Professor of Engineering Technology at Western Carolina University. His research interests include human-robot interactions, assistive devices, pattern recognition, machine learning, and engineering education.
Wendy Cagle Western Carolina University
Dr. Andrew Ritenour Western Carolina University [biography]

Andrew Ritenour is currently an Associate Professor in the School of Engineering + Technology at Western Carolina University (WCU). In addition to teaching in the field of electrical engineering, he coordinates the senior engineering capstone program which is a multidisciplinary, two-semester course sequence with projects sponsored by industrial partners. Within this role, he focuses on industrial outreach and the teaching and assessment of professional skills. Prior to joining WCU in 2018, he spent a decade in industry managing and developing innovative technologies across a broad spectrum of applications: SiC and GaN high voltage transistors for energy-efficient power conversion, radio frequency (RF) surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters for mobile phones, and flexible paper-like displays for e-readers. He holds 31 patents related to semiconductor devices and microfabrication and has published in IEEE and AIP journals and conferences.
Dr. Chip W Ferguson Western Carolina University [biography]

Chip Ferguson is a Professor of Engineering and Technology at Western Carolina University.

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