ABSTRACT
This paper presents exemplary cases of learning entrepreneurial mindset from an institution that provides faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students separate theory-driven trainings in entrepreneurship and subsequent opportunities to practice experiential learning of entrepreneurship together. A sequence of project-based learning courses in engineering brings together faculty and students to work in multi-disciplinary teams. Students gain experience solving practical, open-ended engineering problems and developing professional skills throughout their studies. Opportunity identification, feasibility analysis, product development, professional communication, leadership, and teamwork are emphasized. Both faculty mentors and students build foundations in the entrepreneurial mindset via training certificates and funding programs offered by the institution through a dedicated center in innovation and entrepreneurship. By leveraging support from these programs, student-initiated ventures become viable. Research project-based courses, accessible laboratories, and trained faculty provide an enabling environment for students to accelerate their entrepreneurial experiences. Herein, a snapshot of three concurrent student-initiated ventures into food engineering is captured via case reports. The student leaders of these ventures offer different approaches to ideation and venture initiation, especially representing three successive cohorts of students - a third-year, a fourth-year, and a newly graduated engineering student. Their backgrounds and visions vary, and the changing world, including last year's COVID-19 pandemic and research lab shutdown, impacts them in different ways. Yet, these students share a drive to innovate and make the most of available opportunities. The perspectives of these students on the engineering entrepreneurship education they receive through this institution will help to develop future projects and entrepreneurship programs. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2022
ABSTRACT
Nationwide shortages of tests that detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and diagnose coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19) have led the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to significantly relax regulations regarding COVID-19 diagnostic testing. To date the FDA has given emergency use authorization (EUA) to 48 COVID-19 in vitro diagnostic tests and 21 high complexity molecular-based laboratory developed tests, as well as implemented policies that give broad authority to clinical laboratories and commercial manufacturers in the development, distribution, and use of COVID-19 diagnostic tests. Currently, there are 2 types of diagnostic tests available for the detection of SARS-CoV-2: (1) molecular and (2) serological tests. Molecular detection of nucleic acid (RNA or DNA) sequences relating to the suspected pathogen is indicative of an active infection with the suspected pathogen. Serological tests detect antibodies against the suspected pathogen, which are produced by an individual's immune system. A positive serological test result indicates recent exposure to the suspected pathogen but cannot be used to determine if the individual is actively infected with the pathogen or immune to reinfection. In this article, the SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests currently approved by the FDA under EUA are reviewed, and other diagnostic tests that researchers are developing to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection are discussed.