From Ideas to Impact: College of Engineering Launches Innovation & Impact Initiative

The U of A's College of Engineering has launched Innovation & Impact, a new initiative that helps students, faculty and researchers turn ideas and discoveries into solutions that create value for Arkansas and beyond.  

Through an Innovation Network of mentors, a Research-to-Impact Roadmap and tailored resources, the initiative helps people move from ideas to impact. 

The initiative aligns with Vision 2035, the college's strategic plan, which calls for expanding transformational research, strengthening industry partnerships and preparing the next generation of engineering leaders. 

"Innovation isn't limited to startups or patents," said Laura Moix, innovation and impact strategist for the College of Engineering. "It can be a new technology, a research discovery, an industry partnership, an educational innovation or a creative solution to a community challenge. We want everyone with an idea to know they can start where they are, and we'll help them find the next step." 

From Ideas to Impact 

Innovation & Impact was designed to make innovation more accessible and to lower barriers for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, working with industry or bringing a discovery to the marketplace. 

At the heart of the initiative is the Research-to-Impact Roadmap, developed by Robert "Bob" Beitle Jr., Biggadike Faculty Fellow and interim department head for the Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical Engineering, with feedback from faculty.  

The roadmap helps students, faculty and staff understand how discoveries can evolve into new technologies, partnerships, startups and community solutions while highlighting resources available at every stage of the journey. 

"When Laura [Moix] tasked me with developing a commercialization roadmap, it dawned on us that it would be less helpful without the context of the bigger picture. This is why the material includes a step-by-step guide to help think through the business decisions that impact any sponsored work to develop technology," Beitle said. 

"It offers guidance for the person with the idea, their relationship to the university research enterprise and, when appropriate, partnering with a new or existing company. It goes well beyond who owns the intellectual property, which for most faculty isn't a driver." 

The website points each audience to the right starting place: 

• Undergraduate students can gain hands-on experience solving real problems and explore entrepreneurship. 

• Graduate students can build entrepreneurial skills, test their ideas and connect with mentors, partners and funding. 

• Faculty and researchers can find support for industry partnerships, commercialization and funding opportunities. 

• Alumni and supporters can give back by joining the Alumni Mentoring Registry. 

Building the Innovation Network 

A cornerstone of the initiative is the Innovation Network, which gives people several ways to get involved and connects them with experienced guides at every academic level, including:  

• Faculty Innovation Advisers who help undergraduates explore innovation, find hands-on opportunities and build professional connections in areas that match their interests.  

• Innovation Ambassadors are faculty with firsthand experience in industry collaboration, entrepreneurship and commercialization. They provide peer-to-peer guidance for colleagues interested in expanding the impact of their work. The program was developed in partnership with David Hinton, associate vice chancellor for research and innovation and executive director for Technology Ventures. 

• Applied Innovation Fellow Lexi Applequist, CEO of Humimic Biosystems and Ph.D. candidate in biomedical engineering, founded her startup while pursuing her doctorate and now helps other graduate students navigate that path through innovation mentoring and entrepreneurial guidance. 

Engineering Entrepreneurial Culture 

The initiative reflects the college's mission to serve as an entrepreneurial engineering platform that encourages curiosity, creativity and collaboration. 

"Innovation begins with curiosity," Moix said. "Our goal is to help people take the next step." 

While rooted in the College of Engineering, many of these resources were developed with scalability in mind, enabling the college to contribute expertise, tools and proven practices that strengthen innovation and impact across the university. 

Visit the College of Engineering's Innovation & Impact webpage to explore the roadmap and find the right starting point. Not sure where to begin? Contact Laura Moix at lmoix@uark.edu.  

About the College of Engineering: The University of Arkansas College of Engineering is the state's largest engineering school, enrolling 4,701 students, including 3,608 undergraduate students and 1,093 graduate students. The college has more than 150 faculty and researchers and nearly 200 staff. The college ranked 65th among public institutions in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Engineering Schools rankings and had $66.6 million in new research awards in fiscal year 2026. Its strategic plan, Vision 2035, will dramatically increase the state's engineering graduates by 2035, an outcome that will add $3.9 billion annually to Arkansas' economy.