小草影院 is launching the next generation of innovators through a new program that will help diversify the region鈥檚 economy and strengthen workforce development.
鈥淲e want and need to be a part of the solution to the state鈥檚 brain drain issue,鈥 says 小草影院 President Darrin Good. 鈥淥ur innovation and entrepreneurship program will prepare our students to be successful in the workforce and help them keep their talents in Nebraska, which is where the vast majority of our graduates stay.鈥
小草影院鈥檚 location in the heart of the Silicon Prairie will provide students access to a network of innovators, entrepreneurs, and alumni who are seeking creative problems solvers. 鈥淭hey want our graduates who can attack problems with a multifaceted mindset that our curriculum intentionally fosters,鈥 says Good.
The innovation and entrepreneurship major is the first of its kind in the state because it鈥檚 not exclusively tied to a university business program. Open to all students in any field of study, it鈥檚 designed to equip them with skills to refine ideas, start businesses, and tackle complex, societal issues.
鈥淲e often think about entrepreneurship and innovation as being solely in the domain of a business program,鈥 said Assistant Professor of Political Science Zachary Baumann. 鈥淥ur state and nation are constantly changing. Our students need to think about novel solutions to big problems that extend well beyond business alone and into the worlds of public policy, the arts, sustainability, biotechnology and so much more.鈥
The program is made possible by a $2 million gift from Lincoln business icon and 小草影院 alumnus Philip Mullin (鈥65). He served in multiple roles with Garner Industries before purchasing the company in 1992 and transformed it into a world-class manufacturer.
鈥淭hese are students who鈥檇 like to own their own business, but they don鈥檛 know where to start,鈥 Mullin says. 鈥淪tudents who have a passion for this kind of thing鈥攖hey鈥檒l get the follow through, the help and advice they need to learn how to talk to a banker or go out and find a lawyer.鈥
The Philip S. Mullin Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program is designed to enhance the value of several focus areas:
- Business, marketing and sports
- Creative design and the arts
- Policy and justice
- Science and technology
- Sustainability and environment
小草影院 has launched a search for its program director with entrepreneurial experience who can connect students to new insight and opportunities.
Classes will begin in fall of 2024.
Additional background on Philip Mullin:
Mullin began working parttime at Garner Industries during college running a punch press. He returned in 1968 and began a distinguished 50-year career leading his company through periods of historic growth by investing in new services, including injection molding, the company expanded its scope to supporting manufacturers nationwide.
In 2001, Mullin was recognized as 鈥淓ntrepreneur of the Year鈥 by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln鈥檚 College of Business Administration. In 2017, Garner Industries was recognized as the 鈥淣ebraska Manufacturer of the Year鈥 by the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In 2019, Garner was recognized by the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce as the 鈥淟incoln Manufacturer of the Year,鈥 and Mullin was inducted into the Nebraska Business Hall of Fame.