NASA to coach UC students on technology commercialization

If you mention NASA in casual conversation, it's almost guaranteed that you'll get a reaction — a good one at that.
 
This year, those enrolled in undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurship classes at the University of Cincinnati's Lindner College of Business will be able to add that impressive acronym to their resumes.
 
UC's Center for Entrepreneurship and Commercialization (CEC), a part of the business school, has teamed up with NASA's Ames Research Center to bring NASA scientists into UC classrooms. With a focus on technology commercialization, the entrepreneurship courses will connect students with the globe-trotting NASA scientists via webcam or telephone.
 
The term "technology commercialization" encompasses the varying processes that occurs after certain technology has been patented. That technology could end up sparking the creation of a startup, encourage a partnership with a certain organization or be released into the marketplace.
 
Through this program and partnership, UC students will learn to assess the commercialization of some NASA patents. They'll examine investor options and possible business plans and consult with NASA specialists along the way.
 
CEC Executive Director Tom Dalziel sees this program as unique in that students are able to plan a future for these technologies as opposed to examining the past. Before their careers have even started, UC students will be able to see the immediate effects on their work.
 
"These plans aren’t meant to sit on the shelf," Dalziel says. "The best plans will garner the attention of investors, entrepreneurs and key constituents in the Greater Cincinnati entrepreneurship ecosystem who will want to bring people and resources together to enact them."
 
The NASA partnership isn't the only thing UC is doing to increase their students' post-graduation connections. UC's Small Business Institute allows students to work with startups and other small businesses looking to put together a solid business plan.
 
"This gives our students the opportunity to learn and support company efforts to bring cutting-edge technologies to market," Dalziel says.
 
With practical experience under their belts, it won't be surprising to see UC students flooding the marketplace in the coming years.