Bridging Research and Commercial Application
The USC Mark and Mary Stevens Institute for
Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization is a perfect example
of one creative approach to education. The institute is USC’s central
resource for start-up creation, intellectual property licensing,
faculty intellectual property development and venture capital outreach.
It
originated in the Viterbi School as a close collaboration and
partnership between the School and Viterbi alumnus, Mark Stevens (BSEE
’81, MSCENG ’84).
“I
wanted to give back but wanted to do something truly unique. Through my
background as a venture capitalist and an engineering alumnus, I was
able to bring a distinct perspective to the table,” says Stevens.
The
program teaches students the real world mechanics of commercial
applications and business development so that they are capable of
developing full circle solutions to face tomorrow’s challenges.