Four current and recent VSU students are involved in an experiential learning and research project. The NSF describes their program as “The National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) program uses experiential education to help researchers gain valuable insight into entrepreneurship, starting a business or industry requirements and challenges. I-Corps enables the transformation of invention to impact. The curriculum integrates scientific inquiry and industrial discovery in an inclusive, data-driven culture driven by rigor, relevance, and evidence. Through I-Corps training, researchers can reduce the time to translate a promising idea from the laboratory to the marketplace.  NSF is developing and nurturing a national innovation network to guide scientific research toward the development of solutions to benefit society.”     Two of the students have co-authored a paper that is submitted to a peer reviewed international journal.  It describes the new compound that was tested by the National Cancer Institute.  While the NCI tested it against nine types of cancer, the student group is focusing on lung cancer, which has an 80% mortality rate.

Former VSU student, Teighlor Livingston, says, “The NSF’s I-CORPS program allows students to move out of the lab and into the industry. I enjoy the program because it provides the opportunity to discover and face potential challenges in innovation development, while advancing interpersonal skills.”

(Pictured in Photo: Left to Right – Taylor Macera, Teighlor Livingston, Khyati Patel)