Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Encouraging an entrepreneurial spirit to translate our innovations into real world solutions and new businesses.

You've got the breakthrough idea, but do you have the resources you need to take it further? 

Here in the College of Engineering we actively promotes intellectual property creation, technology transfer, and the formation of startup companies based on engineering innovations and patents. Within the college, and the campus innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, you will find:

students show off innovation at tech challenge event

Are you up to the challenge?

The 2023 UMass Tech Challenge, a competition focused on technology innovation that is open to all UMass students, is accepting applications until Oct 20. Event is on 11/6
Learn more about competing in the Tech Challenge
Logos for our newest start ups

Launching Ideas

Nanotechnology, biopharmaceuticals, and sustainability are but a few of the frontier fields in which engineers make inventions today. Our newest pre start-ups include Volvox Sciences, LLC​ (PI Ashish Kulkarni​); Marvel Diagnostics​ (PI Jonathan Rothstein); and ​Air-Gen​ (PI Jun Yao)
UMass Amherst Start-up Companies
Walko Goodine rStream

Alumni Bring AI-Driven Recycling Program to Campus

While still students at UMass Amherst, MIE alumni Ian Goodine ’21, ’22MS and Ethan Walko ’21, ’22MS founded rStream with the goal of automating waste collection by using innovations in computer vision and data science. They recently brought their pilot program to UMass Dining Services for a test.
Read the full story

Ian Goodine & Ethan Walko UMass '21, '22 MS MIE | co-founders of rStream

Hear about their journey from a student project to the launch of their business. 

Colorful sketch with icons of light bulb, bar and pie diagrams, brain, handshake, teamwork, plan, cogwheel, laptop, cloud data storage, success, message, money and graph. Concept of creative idea

Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) Program

The EIR Program provides mentoring and support for our engineering community innovators. These successful alumni volunteers bring experience and expertise in multiple focus areas—and are passionate entrepreneurs with a strong history of commitment to the UMass Amherst I&E.

Meet our EIR's below
Read more about our EIR Program
IALS Innovation grantees 2023

Game-changing solutions with real-world impact

2023 Manning/IALS Innovation Award recipients Govind Srimathveeravalli and Neil Forbes are developing novel technologies and approaches for diagnosing and treating deadly cancers.
Learn more about these awards

Start-up Ernest Pharmaceuticals and the Forbes lab

A non-toxic, bacteria-based system developed at UMass can detect when it is inside a cancer cell & then release its payload of therapeutic drugs

In the spotlight

S. Thai Thayumanavan

Cyta Therapeutics was named the Judges’ Choice Best Startup at the latest Massachusetts Life Sciences Innovation Day. Cyta is building products based on a novel class of polymer-based nanogels, called IntelliGels, developed in the laboratory of S. Thai Thayumanavan, aimed at reversing obesity and lowering cholesterol.

S. Thai Thayumanavan Distinguished Professor and Department Head, Biomedical Engineering
Read more about this pioneering research

Contact

Todd Butynski

Todd Butynski

Director, Career Development & Experiential Learning Center, College of Engineering

Oversees the Engineering Career Center. Works directly with students on career readiness as well as employer relations, bringing them to campus to hire you

todd butynski