Clemson University marks a milestone with membership in Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network

Clemson University is the newest member of Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN), a prestigious alliance of universities dedicated to cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset among engineering students.

With membership, Clemson marks a milestone that puts it in the same organization with 66 other universities ranging from Duke University and the Georgia Institute of Technology to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Arizona State University.

KEEN encourages the exchange of best practices and co-creation through conferences and other collaborative opportunities, offers faculty development and mentorship and expands its mission through designated champions, community catalysts and ambassadors to professional societies.

Robert Jones, the University's vice president for academic affairs and provost, said that as part of the network, Clemson will gain insights from fellow partners and contribute its own innovative experiences for mutual enhancement.

"Clemson's membership in KEEN will strengthen opportunities to instill a mindset that encourages students to make a positive change in the world," he said. "With this partnership, Clemson positions itself at the forefront of a national movement aimed at transforming the educational experiences of engineering students, preparing them to create meaningful work and drive innovation across industries."

While entrepreneurship is often associated with starting and growing businesses, the idea behind KEEN goes beyond that.

KEEN's focus on adding entrepreneurial mindset to undergraduate engineering is part of what it calls The Entrepreneurial Engineering Movement.

"Members of this movement believe that an entrepreneurial mindset, coupled with engineering thought and action, expressed through collaboration and communication, and founded on character, is the key to unleashing human potential in order to solve societal problems and create an environment for human flourishing," according to KEEN.

Membership in KEEN comes on top of several other programs at Clemson that also encourage entrepreneurship and seek to broaden engineers' mindset. They include, for example, the Grand Challenge Scholars Program, the SPARK Challenge pitch competition, an entrepreneurship minor, the Brook T. Smith Launchpad, the engineering leadership minor, and a wide range of capstone projects.

Anand Gramopadhye, dean of Clemson's College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences, said that the KEEN partnership will help establish a stronger foundation for students to transform their ideas into impactful realities.

"KEEN enhances our ability to provide exemplary educational experiences that are essential for developing the leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs of the future," he said. "Membership will strengthen our faculty and create an enriched ecosystem that ensures our graduates are prepared to lead and innovate in a rapidly evolving global landscape."

O. Thompson Mefford, associate dean for undergraduate studies, said the college is dedicated to instilling an entrepreneurial mindset across undergraduate engineering programs.

"KEEN provides a framework for Clemson University to connect and collaborate with partners through faculty and student activities," he said. "This program will play a significant role in empowering faculty and students to accelerate our efforts to transform engineering education, ensuring it meets industry needs and effectively shapes the future."

A. L. Ranen McLanahan, program director of The Kern Family Foundation, said he was excited to welcome Clemson University to KEEN.

"Clemson's commitment to integrating entrepreneurial principles into their engineering programs showcases their dedication to fostering an entrepreneurial mindset from the start," he said. "Joining KEEN links them with over 60 partners united in this mission. We anticipate the innovative contributions and collaborative spirit Clemson will add to our network."