The newly created Engineering Innovation Institute at UF has selected its inaugural director.
Erik Sander is the new director of the institute, which is dedicated to building entrepreneurial culture and developing innovation skills in the next generation of engineers.
"We're a nexus of engineering entrepreneurship in the college that focuses on faculty, staff and students," Sander said.
Sander graduated from UF in 1984 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.
He also worked 10 years in the aerospace industry and at companies including General Electric and Lockheed Martin. He returned to UF in 1995 and later became the director of industry programs in the College of Engineering.
Through the institute, students can take courses on engineering innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership, ethics and communication, Sander said.
Freshmen can take an introduction module on engineering leadership and innovation, but the majority of the courses offered through the institute are available only to seniors and graduate students.
Sander said he hopes the institute will start offering courses to juniors and sophomores in the future.
The institute will host its first event, the Innovation Summit, on Friday. The event will include leaders who impact engineering from academia, industry and the government.
Notable speakers and panelists attending include Chris Malachowsky, co-founder of NVIDIA, and Thomas Peterson, assistant director of the National Science Foundation.
