Marian University proudly announces its Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering 
Network (KEEN) membership. KEEN's program is a prestigious collaborative network of over 60 universities across the United States dedicated to revolutionizing engineering education with an entrepreneurial mindset. Marian University’s E. S. Witchger School of Engineering is only the third university in Indiana invited to participate in this prestigious network.
KEEN is renowned for its innovative approach to engineering education, emphasizing entrepreneurial mindset development and creative problem-solving skills. With this partnership, the Witchger School of Engineering is poised to enhance its commitment to preparing the next generation of engineers to meet the evolving challenges of the 21st century.
Through this network, Marian University will have access a wealth of resources, best practices, and a community of like-minded educators and institutions who share a common vision of equipping engineering students with the tools they need to excel in an ever-changing global landscape.
“Our engineering program envisions training engineers with a Franciscan conscience that is dedicated to serving and advancing society. Our curriculum is especially designed to cultivate an environment that sparks curiosity, creativity, and fosters innovation through hands-on, real-world experiences,” stated Dr. Binh Tran, Ph.D., founding dean of the E. S. Witchger School of Engineering. “Joining KEEN is a significant milestone for Marian University. Being invited to be a KEEN partner recognizes our innovative approach to engineering education and enables us to leverage the KEEN network to enhance our capacity to train students with an entrepreneurial mindset.”
Marian University's membership in the network is a testament to its dedication to excellence in engineering education. This recognition highlights the university's commitment to staying at the forefront of engineering education and ensuring its graduates are well-prepared to tackle the complex challenges of today's world.
“We are thrilled that Marian University has joined KEEN and committed to equip all of the engineers it graduates with an entrepreneurial mindset,” said Douglas Melton, Ph.D., program director at the Kern Family Foundation. “We hope that this can serve as a model for other new engineering programs across the U.S. interested in building entrepreneurial- minded learning into curriculum at the outset.”
As a member of KEEN, Marian University will benefit from collaborative projects and initiatives with other network members, access to innovative education resources, including teaching materials, real-world case studies, and other tools to enliven classroom learning, experiential learning opportunities for students, and opportunities for faculty professional development in entrepreneurial-minded learning (EML).