Happy New Year from the Skandalaris Center Staff!
We checked in with the staff to reflect on this past year and see what the faculty’s hopes are for 2019.
What are three words to describe your 2018?
II Luscri (Managing Director, Assistant Vice Provost for Innovation & Entrepreneurship): Excitement, Journey, Building
Tom Krenning (Assistant Director of LEAP and Research Innovation): Segmentation, Processes, Clarity
Erin Mitchener (Office Coordinator): Bustling, Accomplished, Rewarding
Jessica Stanko (Assistant Director of Programs): Chaos, Excitement, Adventure
What are you proud of from 2018?
Jessica Stanko (Assistant Director of Programs): A record breaking internship program (45 students, 36 ventures) and our Princeton Review Rankings: #7 Undergrad program & #18 Grad program (up from #22!).
James Sorrell (Assistant Director of Venture Development): Seeing all the great work our students have done with their ventures out in the real world.
II Luscri (Managing Director, Assistant Vice Provost for Innovation & Entrepreneurship): Being afforded the opportunity to lead this center on behalf of Washington University.
Pat Kung (Entrepreneurial Fellow): Being able to make progress on my own research project, joining an awesome team at the Skandalaris Center, and helping other scientists at WUSTL to advance their exciting science/technology.
Woonchan Cho (Database Analyst): Launching two websites for WashU community.
What are you most looking forward to in 2019?
Erin Mitchener (Office Coordinator): Continuing to see how the Center develops and adapts in order to best serve the entrepreneurial student population. There’s no shortage of ideas, so it’ll be interesting to see which ones come to fruition.
II Luscri (Managing Director, Assistant Vice Provost for Innovation & Entrepreneurship): Gathering our community of WashU innovators and entrepreneurs at the Skandy Awards. Also, seeing who else the Cardinals sign to support Goldschmidt and company.
Pat Kung (Entrepreneurial Fellow): To make more people aware of the awesomeness of the Skandalaris Center, move my own projects into translational science space, and help more scientists (especially other trainees).
Tom Krenning (Assistant Director of LEAP and Research Innovation): Another cycle working with the incredible WashU Faculty! The innovation at this institution is incredible.
James Sorrell (Assistant Director of Venture Development): Building new ways to help further ventures and getting our community integrated into the broader entrepreneurship ecosystem.
What is one goal that you’re going to accomplish in 2019?
Jessica Stanko (Assistant Director of Programs): Building up our entrepreneurial scholar program and getting the scholars more engaged with the St. Louis entrepreneurial community.
II Luscri (Managing Director, Assistant Vice Provost for Innovation & Entrepreneurship): In 2019, I hope to build the Center’s diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Woonchan Cho (Database Analyst): I want to create more products to encourage entrepreneurship here at WashU.
Erin Mitchener (Office Coordinator): Improve our event attendance! The Skandalaris Center puts on some amazing programs that more students should be taking advantage of. Whether it’s fine-tuning the time, date, or topic, we want to crack the code and increase visibility throughout 2019.
**For more insight into what 2019 has in store for us here at the Skandalaris Center, check out this video here!
2019 is set up to be an exciting year for the Skandalaris Center! Stay in touch through our social media for constant updates about events and to keep in touch with the entrepreneurial journeys of your fellow WashU students and faculty!
