鈥淲hen we went up there, it was our job to know about everything鈥攖he pros, cons, the disease, all of it,鈥� said Connor Thorsten 鈥�24. 鈥淎s much as public speaking is a fear for a lot of people, we went up with confidence and did a great job.鈥澛�
With a who鈥檚 who of Mayo Clinic licensing managers and innovators in the audience, Thorsten and his teammates鈥擳om Erickson 鈥�24, Lorraine Wongbi 鈥�23, and Lily Yang 鈥�23鈥攚eren鈥檛 just delivering a typical class presentation. Their subject? A challenging biomedical tech transfer project focused on an implantable cardiac med tech device.
The presentation to Mayo Clinic leaders in early March was the culmination of months of study, research, and preparation the students undertook as participants in the . Working at the intersection of science, healthcare, and entrepreneurship, Innovation Scholars brings interdisciplinary teams of outstanding liberal arts students from 12 Minnesota private colleges and universities together to solve real-world problems in real time.听
鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the best opportunities for students that I鈥檝e seen as far as real-world application and being interdisciplinary,鈥� said Jacob Enger, assistant professor of business administration. Enger served as one of two faculty mentors for Augsburg鈥檚 team this year, along with Tim Monko, adjunct instructor in biology. Each group was also paired with an MBA student mentor from Augsburg or the University of St. Thomas.听
Throughout the fall and winter, Augsburg鈥檚 team met weekly or more to research the tech transfer project they were assigned by the Mayo Clinic. (Tech transfer refers to the process of moving from research to application and commercialization.) Bringing expertise in biochemistry, biopsychology, finance/accounting, and physics, they tackled questions like: Is it safe? Is it effective? Is it helpful? What is the potential patient population? Who are the competitors? What is the path to finishing product development and bringing it to market?聽
鈥淭he experience made me more aware of the different moving parts that come into play during the roll-out of an innovation,鈥� said Wongbi. 鈥淚t really put into perspective the heart and dedication of the inventors, as much of the process requires patience.鈥�
In addition to writing a 40-plus page research paper and preparing the content of their presentation, the team practiced and strengthened their presentation skills, from holding a microphone to taking turns fielding questions.听
鈥淭he experience provides such a wide range of areas for students to grow and develop, all with skills they can speak to on a r茅sum茅鈥� said Enger. 鈥淪tudents both collaborate and specialize within their area of expertise, whether science or business.鈥澛�
While confidentiality agreements limit how much they can share about the project, the Augsburg students came away feeling celebratory. Thorsten, a member of Augsburg鈥檚 2023 national champion wrestling squad, credits teamwork for their success in Rochester.听
鈥淚t was one of the best out-of-school, real world experiences I鈥檝e had,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was a lot of very hard work鈥攃runch time got very busy鈥攂ut we divided and conquered, and when one of us was struggling, we focused on helping them and vice versa.鈥�
Students can participate in Innovation Scholars for credit or to fulfill their Augsburg Experience requirement. The application for the next cohort will open in the fall. To find out more, reach out to URGO or .听