
The Innovation Hub announces five new Faculty Ambassadors to the prestigious Faculty C-Startup Program!
As Texas Tech University buzzes with the return of students and faculty, the Texas Tech Innovation Hub proudly announces the launch of its prestigious seventh cohort of Faculty Ambassadors for the Faculty C-Startup (Commercialization Startup) Grant Program. For the 2024-2025 academic year, these distinguished faculty members, representing a wide array of colleges and departments, will infuse commercialization principles directly into their curricula. Armed with a $2,500 grant and specialized entrepreneurship educator training, these ambassadors are poised to serve as powerful entrepreneurial catalysts across the university.
With over 40 faculty members already honored as Innovation Hub Faculty Ambassadors, this esteemed program amplifies awareness of the Hub's transformative initiatives university-wide, while showcasing the profound impact of multidisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) programming throughout the Texas Tech System. The International Business Innovation Association (InBIA) recently celebrated this program's excellence, awarding it the prestigious 2023 Most Innovative Program Award. The programs success is evident in the creation of startups, industry partnerships, the development of new academic programs, and the securing of funding opportunities for both faculty and students. Since its inception in 2018, the program has engaged over 1,500 graduate and undergraduate students.
“The Innovation Hubs Faculty Ambassadors are our champions of I&E education at Texas Tech. They actively nurture a culture of discovery and innovation that permeates through their students and fellow faculty,” shares Taysha Williams, Managing Director of the Innovation Hub.
The 2024-2025 Innovation Hub Faculty Ambassadors are:
- Ankit Anand, Assistant Professor in Jerry S. Rawls College of Business Administration
Faculty C-Startup Course: Marketing Research and Analysis (MKT 3356)
Students will participate in a semester-long project where they conduct and evaluate market research for new innovative technologies and services. Throughout the semester, students will be introduced to components of the Business Model Canvas, including value propositions, customer segments, and channels, and incorporate them into their final project.
- Dr. Balaji Rao, Cofounder of Envirostatus and Research Scientist in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering
Faculty C-Startup Course: Water Systems Designs (CE 3372)
This course, which requires the application of both business and engineering skill sets, ignites students entrepreneurial spirit by experimenting with original business ideas and how to make sustainable business models, specifically those solving societal problems related to water resource management.
- Dr. Barbie Chambers, Associate Professor of Practice in the College of Media & Communications
Faculty C-Startup Course: Media Entrepreneurship (MCOM 4325)
Students in this course use both creative and technical skills to develop their understanding of business communications, data analytics, research methods, and business ethics. The course combines these concepts through a hands-on project where students develop a media-focused startup. Students will pitch their ventures in the Media Shark Tank final.
- Jeff Mustin, CEO of CAS Laboratories, LLC and Professor in the Honors College
Faculty C-Startup Course: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
By the end of this course, students will have a deeper understanding of the entrepreneurial mindset and the impact of an innovation ecosystem. Throughout the course students will develop key competencies critical to launching a venture, including idea generation, Business Model Canvas development, and MVP (minimum viable product) creation.
- Dr. Muhammad Muhammad, Assistant Professor of Practice in the Jerry S. Rawls College of Business Administration
Faculty C-Startup Course: Discovering Entrepreneurial Opportunities (MGT 4376)
This course provides a dynamic learning experience that cultivates an entrepreneurial mindset and empowers students to identify and pursue business opportunities. Students explore the psychology of entrepreneurship, assess market needs to identify business opportunities, and conduct customer discovery.