The CICE occasionally receives emails from WFU faculty or from people outside the University looking for students who might be interested in opportunities to work on innovative, creative or entrepreneurial projects to gain experience.

As we get notice of any such opportunities, we will post them in this space.  If you have interest in these, please contact the sponsors directly.  The CICE office is not directly involved with these.  The office is simply bringing them to your attention.

Undergraduate Research Project in Sustainable Chemistry

Professor Abdou Lachgar is hosting Professor Brian Hanson from Virginia Tech who is spending his sabbatical year in the Chemistry department. Together they are working on a project related to Sustainable Chemistry. The goal is to extract Vanilin (Vanilla) from biomass (see attached). If the direct preparation and isolation of vanillin is successful, the student will evaluate the economic potential for such a process for synthetic vanillin.

Dr. Lachgar is seeking an entrepreneurial undergraduate student who can help move this project forward.  If interested, please connect with Dr. Lachgar.

Independent study opportunity for business student

Dr. Bill Conner is  looking for two motivated business or microfinance students to team with biology students to study the prospects of conch aquaculture in Belize.
Could do as an independent study for the entrepreneurship minor.

Apply directly to Dr. Conner.

Work on a Patent - Help Build a Virtual Company 

Dr. Elizabeth Baker in the WFU Schools of Business is looking for an Undergraduate or Graduate entrepreneurship team who would be willing to work on one of her group's patents where she has identified market potential and received informal feedback. The group has built five prototypes, and they are gathering feedback from those initial adopters. She would like to lead an entrepreneurship team as a client to work on the commercial development of this project. The students would help build a virtual company to coordinate marketing, manufacturing and distribution, with the virtual company being based on Internet technologies. Contact Dr. Baker  if interested.

Arts and technology research project with Professor Lynn Book

“Apps for Art: A Triad Inter-University Project on Art and Visual Thinking,” on which WFU Professor Lynn Book is a collaborator with colleagues from NC A&T, UNCG and WSSU, was awarded a research grant from the TIPP (Triad Intra-University Planning Proposal) in June 2011. 

Perhaps one of the best kept secrets in full view is the fact that the four universities in the TIPP consortium all collect art.  These collections are unique, varied and used by each institution for teaching and learning and will be enriched by new approaches to learning and exchange.  With the backing of TIPP funding, Arts Professionals associated with each university have an opportunity to create a series of theme-based online exhibitions utilizing works from all four institutional collections as the basis for a unique downloadable App about Art and Visual Thinking, thereby expanding opportunities for online learning that forges new connections with students and faculty at neighboring universities and elsewhere.

The team is looking for students to help with research for the anticipated 3 year project.  Anyone interested can contact Professor Book at bookl@wfu.edu.  Here’s what’s needed for Phase 1:

• Create a “rating scale” to ‘grade’ each of the Apps we review
• Develop a database for the project using Filemaker/Bento

Center for Creative Economy

The Center for Creative Economy (CCE) is looking for an extraverted and self-motivated student with strong oral and written communication skills and web marketing experience to assist in developing and establishing the CCE in the Triad.

The CCE is a non-profit organization in start-up mode whose mission is to serve as a catalyst for innovation in business and foster job growth in the Piedmont Triad community.

If you are interested, more details will be posted to DeaconSource after Labor Day.  You can also contact the director, Margaret Collins directly at mcollins@centerforcreativeeconomy.com, or call 336-580-1037.