Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology - M&TSI

M&TSI

Each year, M&T hosts a for-credit summer program (Management and Technology Summer Institute) for about 50 rising high school seniors (and a select few rising juniors) who want to learn about the integration of technological concepts and management principles. Held on Penn's campus and taught by business and engineering faculty, the program also incorporates field trips to companies and R&D facilities. A large component of the program is the group project. Over the course of the three-week program, students (in groups of five) work on conceiving a product idea in consumer electronics, making a "looks-like" model, writing a comprehensive business plan and executive summary, and giving a 10-minute presentation of their product idea. M&TSI culminates with a product fair, in which students (in groups of five) display their product ideas on poster boards and give pitches to viewers. Viewers of this public fair have the opportunity to vote for the best product in three categories: Most Innovative Product, People's Choice, and Best Overall Product.

Another key component of the program is lab work. Students are exposed to several types of engineering, listening to lectures and participating in relevant labs. Under the guidance of SEAS professor Sid Deliwala (ESE Lab Director), students gain exposure to mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, bioengineering, materials science, computer science, and electrical engineering. The schedule features lectures by professors from each discipline, as well as corresponding hands-on labs to reinforce the concepts covered in the lectures. On the business side, Jeffrey Babin, Director of Engineering Entrepreneurship, instructs the group in business and management concepts in daily lectures and activities. After the first week, M&TSI students participate in a business simulation involving the manufacture of cardboard car racers, reinforcing the values of cost structure, early innovation, competitive advantage, and team dynamics.

In 2009, M&TSI featured field trips to Neat Co., Navteq, Bresslergroup, Morgan Stanley, NYSE, and Synthes.