The U.S National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) is an immersive, seven-week entrepreneurial training program that prepares scientists and engineers to extend their focus beyond the university laboratory. This experiential training program accelerates the economic and societal benefits of NSF-funded and other basic research projects that are ready to move toward commercialization.
At the recent NSF National I-Corps™ Southwest Winter Cohort 2024, Catherine Corley, ASBTDC business and innovation consultant, was named ‘Star Mentor’ for her work with the ‘Spirit of I-Corp’ award-winning team, Acoustiflux.
Team Acoustiflux is comprised of Christy Dunlap and Najee Stubbs, pursuing PhD and master’s degrees respectively in mechanical engineering, under the supervision of Dr. Han Hu, assistant professor at the University of Arkansas College of Engineering. Acoustiflux developed technology for the non-intrusive heat flux measurements of thermal systems using acoustic sensing and artificial intelligence.
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Dunlap, Stubbs, Hu (l to r)
I-Corps mentors have two primary roles. First, by being a third-party resource for the team, the mentor can help the team recognize and reduce confirmation bias during the customer discovery process. Second, the mentor should be someone that has industry contacts and knows the ecosystem of the target market area. This is Corley’s fifth time to serve as an NSF National I-Corps Industry Mentor to teams of faculty and students who are interested in commercializing their technology.
Corley